Know the Enemy: Where Do BedBugs Come From?

Bedbugs, or “surot” are nocturnal pests notorious for causing many sleepless, itchy nights for many people. Despite their small size, bedbugs are a major problem for homes, hotels, and other living spaces.

Understanding the nature of bedbugs, where they come from, and how infestations happen can help you be more effective at preventing and addressing a bedbug problem. In this blog, we’ll discuss what causes bedbugs.

What are Bedbugs?

Bedbugs are a type of nocturnal parasite that belongs to the Cimicidae family. They are small, reddish-brown insects, typically about 5 to 7 millimeters long. They have flat, oval-shaped bodies that allow them to hide in small crevices, making them difficult to see.

Bedbugs feed on the blood of humans and animals, often active when their hosts are sleeping. Bedbug bites leave red, itchy bite marks that could lead to allergic reactions or infections.

The effects of pests on human health also extend to mental health. In particular, bedbugs tend to hurt people’s mental health because it disrupts sleep. In extreme cases, some people may have difficulty sleeping at all due to bedbugs’ bites.

Where Do Bedbugs Come From?

Unlike other types of pests that we can sometimes spot entering our properties, we don’t often see how bedbugs sneak in. One day, you just wake up with bedbug bites and find that they have invaded your bed.

So, where do they come from?

Being extremely small, bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers. Yes, this is the primary reason bedbugs spread. They can be transported from one location to another – even transcending international borders – on clothing, luggage, furniture, and other personal belongings.

Here are the most common places or things that get infested with bedbugs, and where most people may get bedbugs:

Travel

Hotels, motels, and other similar accommodations are prime locations for bedbug infestations. This is due to the high turnover of guests from different places, who may potentially and unknowingly carry bedbugs.

Bedbugs can easily attach themselves to luggage and clothing, hopping around different locations with unsuspecting travelers.

Second-Hand Furniture

Another common way you can accidentally introduce bedbugs into your home is through second-hand furniture. These pests can hide inside cracks or crevices of wooden furniture, as well as inside mattresses and other upholstered items.

At first glance, furniture may seem clean, but there may be a flourishing infestation hiding underneath. These bedbugs will surely spread around your home the moment you take in the infested furniture.

Public Transportation

Other places bedbugs commonly thrive in are buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation. A lot of people sit on the seats of these vehicles, potentially carrying bedbugs from other places.

Bedbugs may hide in the vehicle’s seats, carpets, and other tight places and then hop onto your clothes or bag on your way home.

Multi-Unit Housing

People who live in apartments, dormitories, and condominiums tend to be more vulnerable to bedbugs due to the proximity of living spaces. These types of living set-ups often have a diverse range of people living near each other, making it easy for bedbugs to spread.

Bedbugs can spread between units through wall crevices, gaps in doors, electrical outlets, and plumbing.

What Causes Bedbug Infestations?

Surot infestations can be caused by different factors. While some of these causes are beyond our control, it still helps to know them in bedbug pest management. Here are the most common causes of bedbug infestations:

Hitchhiking

As discussed earlier, bedbugs spread to new places by hitchhiking onto people and things. So, the increase in domestic and international travel contributes to the spread of surot everywhere. They can easily hide inside people’s bags and clothes from hotels, trains, planes, and so on.

Any context or situation where people come into contact with things that many other people use can be a contributing factor to bedbug infestations. So, the popularity of multi-unit housing is another cause of bedbug infestations since the setup makes it easy for bedbugs to spread on their own.

Lack of Awareness

Another major cause of bedbugs is people’s lack of awareness of what bedbugs are, how they spread, and how they can affect people, as well as ano ang pamatay sa surot.

Without this knowledge, people may not be aware that they have bedbugs or they do not know what to do to eliminate them. Early identification and addressing the problem correctly are crucial for preventing bedbugs from fully invading a house.

Resistance to Insecticides

Bedbugs also developed resistance to many common types of insecticides, making them even more difficult to stop. Resistance to insecticides means that many DIY methods may not work, so people who try to address their infestation alone may not succeed – allowing the surot to multiply and spread even more.

Bedbugs’ insecticide resistance means that we need to use multiple treatment methods, which professional pest control can handle.

Knowledge is Power Against Bedbugs

Bed bugs are a pervasive pest and are the source of significant discomfort and distress among many individuals and families. By knowing where bedbugs come from, you can effectively protect yourself and your home from surot.

Given how difficult it is to pinpoint a source or cause of bedbug infestations, the best way to truly protect yourself is with home pest control services.

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