Five Places You Never Thought You Would Find Bed Bugs

Due to their name, many people believe you will only suffer bed bugs in one place: a mattress. Nightmare stories about hotel infestations and people taking bed bugs home only emphasize this impression. However, bed bugs are much more invasive, and choose other spots as well. Bed bugs hiding often lead to them being overlooked in Alaska, even by professionals. Here are five unexpected places you may find bed bugs:

• Purses and bags: Bed bugs are travelers. If you place your purse or messenger bag on an infested piece of furniture, they will gladly hop on and go home with you. Their small size allows them to hide in the seams and pockets. Even if you leave your handbag on a piece of wooden furniture, you still risk bed bugs. Many infestations arise after families take home used furniture or antiques.
• Fluorescent light bulbs: If you experience a re-infestation after a visit from pest control, chances are the bed bugs were hiding around electrical areas. While they normally avoid light and prefer darkness, they are attracted to fluorescent light bulbs. Much like with the seams of your purse, bed bugs find the small crevices around light bulbs particularly cozy. This is why it is smart to hire a pest control company with a warranty—if bed bugs re-emerge within 90 days, Pied Piper Pest Control will return to eliminate them at no charge.
• Soft toys: Children love to take their stuffed animals everywhere, and this unfortunately gives bed bugs another opportunity to hitch a ride. An infested hotel or retail outlet will instantly infect these toys and result in unwanted guests at home. If you experience a bed bug infestation, it is a good idea to wash and dry soft toys to get rid of the bed bugs.
• School buses: School is a place of learning, but often a disease vector as well, as your children bring home every cold that circulates there. Other unwelcome visitors can include bed bugs. Students whose homes are infested may bring bed bugs onto the school bus, where they happily burrow into the bus upholstery. From there, they jump onto clothing and backpacks. Vacuum backpacks and wash clothes in hot water to prevent bed bugs from making themselves at home.
• Airplanes: Consistent with their traveling nature, bed bugs love to fly. Like school buses, airplanes attract high foot traffic, and there is always a chance that someone unintentionally brings their bed bug infestation with them on vacation. Bed bugs burrow into seats, carpet and even the vents as they await their next new home. It is a good idea to vacuum your luggage after each flight to be sure you did not pick up unwanted passengers.

Pied Piper Pest Control has been Alaska’s premier pest control service since 1965. If you suffer the consequences of bed bugs hiding in an unexpected place, contact us today to eliminate them. We offer a 90-day warranty so you can rest assured your pest problems will end sooner rather than later!

Categorised in: Bed Bugs

This post was written by Writer