Bed bugs crawling long the perimeter of a mattress - Florida Pest Control, Gainesville FL

Bed bugs are unfortunately a relatively common nuisance in households and commercial establishments in Florida. If youโ€™ve found these pests indoors, youโ€™re likely wondering how they got there.ย 

A majority of the time, bed bugs will come into your home through your luggage or a piece of fabric. They also commonly enter your home on articles of clothing or inside furniture. Bed bugs are relatively small, about the size of an apple seed, so it can be easy to overlook them when they enter your home.

Why Are There Bed Bugs In My House?

Bed bugs can enter homes through various means. Any time you go into a public space, there is a risk of bringing these pests home with you. If you now have bed bugs in your home, they likely came in by:ย 

  • Staying in luggage after traveling or returning from a college dorm
  • Hitching a ride on used furniture, especially if itโ€™s upholstered
  • Hiding on your purse, backpack, or luggage
  • If you live in an apartment complex, the insects may also have traveled to your unit from another.ย 
  • Shared laundry spaces are also a common place to inadvertently pick up bed bugs.

Why Do Bed Bugs Stay In Bedrooms?

If you have an infestation, youโ€™re more likely to find bed bugs in your room than anywhere else in the house. Bed bugs are nocturnal and hide during the day. They will come out and feed on hosts while they are asleep. Bed bugs have a preference for a human host, so they will often hide in beds during the day. If an infestation is severe, they are known to hide near pet beds or bird cages as well.ย 

Bedrooms also often contain numerous hiding spots and crevices, such as cracks in furniture, seams of mattresses, and folds of bedding. Bedrooms provide ideal places to hide during the day, making it difficult to locate them or even notice they are there.ย 

What To Do If You Have Bed Bugs

Discovering a bed bug infestation can be distressing and you may be tempted to tear the house apart and clean every inch. However, staying calm and taking a more methodical approach is best. If you have bed bugs, follow these steps:

  • Identify infested areas and, if possible, wrap infested items in plastic
  • Avoid moving furniture, which can spread bed bugs to new rooms
  • Vacuum and declutter the area as much as possible
  • Apply a bug-proof mattress encasement to your bed
  • Contact a professional for a thorough treatment
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The Main Cause Of Bed Bugs? Serving Central FL, Northern FL and the Panhandle

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