What Attracts Bed Bugs?

What Attracts Bed Bugs?

What attracts bed bugs?

  1. Warmth 
  2. Carbon dioxide 
  3. Dark-colored sheets 

Bed bugs are small, oval, brownish types of pests that feed on human or animal blood. These pests are not known to spread any life-threatening diseases. But, dealing with a bed bug infestation can be extremely inconvenient and uncomfortable because their presence causes itching and loss of sleep. We all know that pest prevention is better than cure, but then it also begs the question: What attracts bed bugs in the first place? 

The most common kind of bed bug is the Cimex lectularius, which has been around for almost as long as humans have been sleeping on beds. Therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise that they have a preference for all things human-related. 

Before gettings into the facts, let’s bust a common myth. They say that having a dirty room or a dusty bed is directly responsible for having bed bugs. However, this is not the case. 

The common bed bug doesn’t really have any use for dirt or dust since all it feeds on is blood. However, it is equally important to keep your room and bed clean and free from dust in order to prevent nooks and crannies from being the next fortress of a shelter-seeking bed bug. Usually, rooms that are dirty and unkempt have bed bugs because they have more places to hide and all the mess makes them harder to spot. But be aware that even in the cleanest rooms and tidiest beds, there remains a possibility that you could see the naked truth once you flip the mattress.

So what are bed bugs attracted to then? Well, they might not be what you would expect. Read on! 

Warmth

You might be thinking, “Aren’t insects inherently cold-blooded?” Well, to answer that question, yes they are. But the morbidly interesting detail about bed bugs is that they have been alongside humans and other mammals for so long. Because of that, they have become smart enough to know how to figure out the source of their favorite food. Specifically, by detecting body heat. 

One of the most difficult things about bed bugs is that you don’t immediately see them, especially during the daytime when you’re not lying down on the bed yet. But as soon as you lay down on the bed and begin warming up the bed, it’s like the dinner bell ringing loudly and clearly announcing yet again the beginning of a feast for the bed bugs.

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon Dioxide

There are two major things that you do when you sleep — dream and breathe. Unfortunately, bed bugs find your exhalation attractive. 

For bed bugs, carbon dioxide in the air is a good indicator that there’s a larger creature present in the area that is most likely filled with blood. Conveniently for the bed bugs, you’re a perfect target. So once you start sleeping and the carbon dioxide that you exhale goes around you, the bed bugs are attracted. 

Dark-Colored Sheets

Dark-Colored Sheets

In a 2016 study from the Journal of Medical Entomology, they discovered a correlation between bed bugs and the color of mattresses. They found that 23 percent of female bed bugs preferred to lay their eggs on red sheets, while 29 percent chose to make their nest on black sheets. Surprisingly, when it came to other colors, they found out that only 3 percent chose to nest on green-colored sheets, and 7 percent chose purple-colored sheets. 

So whether it’s a correlation or causation, it’s worth changing your sheet colors to prevent it from attracting bed bugs. But you have to keep in mind that this will not eliminate an existing bed bug infestation. This is only to deter them.

Key Takeaway

So what now? You might think that it seems impossible to purely avoid bed bugs even by just reading the first two points. After all, it’s impossible to be cold-blooded and stop exhaling, right? The main takeaway is that now, you know what attracts bed bugs. 

With this knowledge, you can also get one-up getting rid of bed bugs. If prevention fails, you can trust Topbest Pest Control Services to not only get rid of your existing bed bug infestation, but also to make sure that they will never rob a minute of comfortable sleep from your eyes ever again. Click here to contact Topbest today! We offer FREE pest control infestation. 

How to Detect Bed Bug Infestation

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How can you detect bed bug infestation?

  1. Have the right tools
  2. Check for blood stains on your bedding
  3. Inspect for bed bug droppings
  4. Ask the previous owners
  5. Consider calling pest control services

 

Bed bugs can make their way into your household from just about anywhere. These annoying pests can come from that used furniture you bought. As hitchhiking pests, bed bugs can latch on from when you are sitting in public spaces as well. With that, you may want to know how to detect bed bug infestation.

Most household owners want to put a stop to bed bug infestations early. Why? They leave red itchy bites while feeding on humans. Moreover, it’s difficult to detect them. Bed bugs are among the most persistent pests anyone can ever deal with. If left untreated, they can even spread to neighboring homes.

Stop suffering from your bed bug infestations. We’ve rounded up some tips on how you can detect these annoying pests.

 

Have The Right Tools

Have the Right Tools

Bed bugs are oval, brownish, and minuscule pests. The adult ones grow to about the size of an apple seed. For someone who has an untrained eye, they will be hard to look for. You might even confuse them with other biting pests.

To properly detect bed bugs, make sure you have the right tools with you. These may include a flashlight and a magnifying glass. Given that they’re tiny in size, 5 to 7 millimeters to be exact, you’ll be needing proper illumination tools.

 

Check for Blood Stains On Your Bedding

If you have a bed bug infestation, we are sure you’ve had your share of sleepless nights. After all, they are opportunist pests who are most active at night.

When bed bugs feed, it takes about 10 minutes for them to be fully engorged. They often feed on exposed skin such as your arms and shoulders. The worst part about it? They crawl away unnoticed because you’re sleeping.

With this being said, remove all your bedding and check for blood stains. While you were sleeping, you might have accidentally crushed them. If you crush them while feeding, the blood seeps out and creates stains.

 

Inspect for Bed Bug Droppings

Woman is putting the bedding cover or mattress pad on the bed or

In addition to blood stains, inspect for bed bug droppings. The droppings are made up of digested blood. Once dried, these turn into a dark brown or black color and are about the size of a dot from a pen marker.

Check for bed bug droppings around the corners of your bed. Don’t forget to examine the box springs and bed frame as well! These pests are known for hiding in the nooks and crannies of furniture.

Although bed bugs can’t fly, they can crawl everywhere. Try to check around your household because these droppings are not exclusively found on the bed. Start from the folds of curtains, carpets, corners of walls, under the seams of chairs, and between cushions.

 

Ask The Previous Owners

Just like other species of pests, bed bugs release airborne chemical messengers called pheromones. When you disturb a large group of bed bugs, you might get a whiff of an unpleasant, strong, and musty scent. That’s a common bed bug infestation sign.

As mentioned earlier, bed bugs are known to be hitchhiking pests. If you happen to live in a pre-owned home, it would be helpful to ask the previous property owners about bed bug infestations. If they do mention bed bug signs, go straight to learning about pest treatment options.

In addition, opt-out of buying pre-owned furniture, clothing, and other used items into your home. Even if you’re tempted to score big discounts, remember that these items are hotspots for bed bugs. They love to burrow on the old fabric and seams.

Invest in brand new items! Trust us, it will save you from uncomfortable nights and itchy bites.

 

Consider Calling Pest Control Services

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Once bed bugs find the right habitat, they reproduce quickly. The females lay about 200 to 250 eggs in their lifetime and they are no bigger than 1 millimeter. It’s incredibly small and it will be extremely hard to find!

Minor bed bug infestations are already challenging enough to treat. For heavy infestations, it would be best to contact pest control experts.

 

Key Takeaway

Bed bug infestations are a nuisance for any household owner. This is especially true because they are most active at night.

We’ve stated these tips on how to detect bed bug infestation. However, if you’re dealing with a heavy infestation, call the pest control experts. At Topbest Philippines, we know how to detect bed bugs and offer you the most effective solutions for getting rid of them.

Click here to inquire about how we can help with your bed bug infestation today.