Keeping Bed Bugs Out of Your Bed

No one wants bed bugs. Unfortunately, that doesn’t prevent some of us from dealing with them on occasion. In many cases, bed bug problems start with just one intruder. Perhaps this drifter smuggled in on luggage you took on a trip, or in a beautiful antique chest you thrifted. Well, don’t stop thrifting just yet—these situations are rare! But, just in case, let’s review some tips to help you avoid taking an unwanted guest home with you while you are out and about. Read on to find out more about keeping bed bugs out of your personal space.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

The first step in combating a bed bug problem is knowing as much as you can about them. In the case of bed bugs, this includes being able to identify what they look like, signs of their activity, and where you’re most likely to find them. It can’t hurt to also understand a little about how they behave. Let’s review some of these things right off the bat. 
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Bed bugs are hematophagous, meaning, they have to consume blood to survive, and they love human blood. Like mosquitoes, they use a needle-like mouthpart to pierce human skin. After a bed bug feeds, you may be left with a welt similar in appearance to a mosquito bite. In severe cases, hives, wheals, or blisters can result. However, many people do not react to bed bug bites at all. For that reason, bites alone are not a reliable sign of a bed bug problem. Unlike lice and ticks, bed bugs do not remain on the host very long when they feed, so you’re unlikely to find them on your skin or in your hair.

Bed bugs are about as thin as a sheet of paper. This means they can hide in the tiniest of cracks and crevices. Be vigilant when you’re searching for intruders. (Image Credit: Author: Mvolz, Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bed bugs start as eggs, hatch into what we call “nymphs”, go through five nymphal instars, and then become adults. Adult bed bugs are reddish brown, oval, flattened insects before feeding. After a blood meal, they are swollen/engorged and dull red. Baby bed bugs shed their skin five times and go through a mix of sizes and colors before becoming adults. First instars are very small, light tan/clear, and hard to see, while fifth instars can be almost as large and dark in color as an adult. All juvenile bed bugs become swollen and bright to dull red after a blood-meal. 

Bed bugs like to be packed in tight, and they can easily hide in crevices as thin as one sheet of paper. Thus, visual inspections for bed bugs must be thorough. Sometimes, instead of looking for a live bug, it can be easier to look for signs of their activity (to start). For instance, look for fecal spots or shed skins, which are often left out in the open and can be easier to find. Look for these signs of activity near where you sleep. In introductory infestations, that is the most likely place to catch bed bugs. However, do not be confident that you have an active infestation until you have located live insects.

TIPS TO KEEP BED BUGS AWAY

Now that you know what to look for, let’s also go over a few things you can try to keep bed bugs from coming home with you after a trip, when perusing used goods, or when you think you’ve walked into an infested area/dwelling.
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• Do your research. Avoid booking rental properties that have had repeated bed bug issues.
• Carry some plastic trash bags in your luggage. These can be used to enclose your clothing and other items during and after your stay, if necessary. Double bag and tie in a knot to avoid allowing bed bugs to escape (if present).
• When staying in any residence you are unfamiliar with, inspect the room for signs of bed bug infestation prior to unpacking. We discussed what to look for in the last section.
• Visually inspect used goods before purchase. You can gently breathe into cracks/crevices to coax bed bugs into the open. DO NOT bring a used item into the home without ensuring it is free of bed bugs. If furniture is infested, it is inadvisable to accept or purchase it, even if it could be treated. Couches, recliners, etc., are much more difficult to certify as “bed bug free” than smaller items.
• If you think you have been exposed to bed bugs during your day-to-day activities, walk out of your clothes as soon as you enter the home, carefully place them in the dryer, and take a quick shower. Shoes should be double-bagged, sealed, and kept outside until you are certain that they are bed bug free. Purses or other difficult to inspect items should be carefully sorted through in the bathtub or other area where contents are easy to visualize.
• Any fabrics that have been potentially exposed can go into the dryer for two cycles on high heat to kill all life stages of bed bugs.

To avoid bringing bed bugs into your home after travel, consider isolating fabrics by bringing some plastic bags. Pack luggage loosely, neatly, and keep items out and easy to see. If you think some of your fabrics have come into contact with bed bugs, double bag them in plastic and tie a tight knot. (Image Credit: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1356828)

WHAT IF I FIND BED BUGS DURING TRAVEL?

• Immediately notify the property owner so they can take quick and decisive action.
• If you have already unpacked, place your clothing and other items back into your luggage or into trash bags. Double seal and tape the bags, if possible, to ensure no escapees emerge.
• Inspect yourself to ensure no bugs crawled onto you or into your clothing.
• When you get home, don’t unpack your bags and luggage except where you can contain the contents.
• ​Begin carefully transferring fabrics to the dryer for high heat treatment. Keep all other items bagged until they can be dried.

CONCLUSIONS

The thought of picking up bed bugs is scary. However, if all of the above steps are followed, it is very possible to avoid taking bed bugs home with you and dealing with an at-home infestation. It is always probable that you could take a bug home with you just by being out and about, but taking precautions help you lower that probability significantly. Now, sleep tight, and don’t let the bed bugs bite!

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