In the last blog we traced the chilling history of bed bugs from the dramas of the ancient Greeks all the way to hotel rooms across America today. However, if you find yourself jolted from your sleep by the itch and crawl of bed bugs you could care less what the Romans thought of bed bugs; you want to know how they wondered into your home today. Here then is the equally-as-chilling list of places giving you bed bugs.
Before looking at the bed bug no-no list, we are going to look at the bed bug itself. By better understanding the pest, you will better understand why the places on the list are bed bug hot spots. A better understanding of the pest will also help predict places bed bugs could be that did not make this list. Bed bugs scientifically go by the name Climex lectularius Linnaeus. They received their common name due to their tendency to feed on humans while they sleep. Bed bugs are a rust brown color that can become more reddish after then have had a blood meal. Bed bugs are flat, broad, and oval. They range from 4 millimeters as nymphs ¼ of an inch at full grown. A major reason bed bugs are such an issue is because their biology naturally promotes infestation. A female lays 1-5 eggs per day, which adds up to about 540 over an average life span. It only takes 21 days for a bed bug to grow to full maturity and start laying eggs. Bed bugs are attracted to their host by carbon monoxide emissions. Once they have found a host it takes about 5-10 minutes to gorge themselves with blood. Once they have fed, they typically hide for 5-10 days to digest and mate.
So where are these blood-sucking creatures lurking? The over-whelming answer is in our homes! According to the National Pest Management Association and University of Kentucky findings, bed bugs are overwhelmingly found in private residences. These residence include apartments, condominiums, and single family homes with about 98 percent of pest respondents treating bed-bugs in these homes. Below is a list of places pest control companies reported treating for bed bugs in the last year. Percentages denote professionals reporting treating bed bugs in specific locations.
Hotels/Motels – 75%
Be sure you check our avoiding bed bugs while traveling guide. This will help you know what to look for in hotels when you arrive. Also, you can check out http://bedbugregistry.com/ here you can search hotels and see if there is any bed bugs reported against them.
College Dorms – 47%
If you live in a college dorm you are absolutely at risk for bed bugs. It's important to regularly launder your bedding in hot water. Always be looking out for signs of bed bugs and people complaining of bites. It's important to catch infestations early.
Nursing Homes – 46%
It's important to work with home administrators if you feel there may be issues with bed bugs in your or a relative's facility. Catching things early is always important with pests. Especially with bed bugs.
Office Buildings – 36%
If you think you might be getting bit in your office it's important to communicate with your coworkers. Talk and see if anyone is having issues with bed bugs at home, or if anyone else is getting bit or having suspicions. If you are experiencing bed bugs in your home you may want to take a day or two off work until you get the issue under control.
Schools and Day Care Centers – 41%
If your child is experiencing bed bug bites or you are finding bed bug bites in your home you may want to keep them home from school until the issue is under control. If you believe your child brought home bed bugs from school be sure you contact school administration immediately so they can investigate the situation and hopefully catch it early.
Hospitals – 33%
It's unfortunate that bed bugs can harbor in hospitals. You or your family can use the same tips we recommended with hotels to asses hospitals and inspect for bed bugs. As well, be sure you always launder any clothes you bring back from the hospital immediately in hot water.
Other Places You Can get Bed Bugs
These are some more unavoidable places that you can also get bed bugs.
Retail Stores – 15%
Movie Theaters – 10%
Transportation (train/bus/taxi) – 21%
Libraries – 12%
Restaurants – 7%
Airplanes – 2%
Laundromats – 9%
This list is a bit daunting because it would appear bed bugs are everywhere! What these locations have in common is human traffic. Bed bugs do not transport themselves from location to location the way a mosquito could. Rather bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers. For example, recently in Palo Alto, a second library was closed due to bed bugs. Bed bugs are not traveling from library to library but are being transported in the shoes/backpacks/clothes of a host and then leaving on the back of another host. Common places that people gather have the potential to become a bed bug distribution centers. This includes places like the big comfy chairs at your favorite coffee shop or even the pews at church. Though people are not constantly in some of the places on the list, like the college dorms or church pews, bed bugs can survive months without a blood feeding. Therefore, bed bugs could survive a week between people coming to church or even a summer break in a dorm bed.
It's important to periodically inspect your mattress for bed bugs, regularly launder your bedding in hot water, especially if you think you might have bed bugs.