Will bed bugs follow you?

Are you planning a trip to a hotel or hostel? You might want to check for bed bugs! These pesky little creatures are notorious for infesting mattresses, bed frames, and even luggage. But will they follow you home like a clingy ex-boyfriend? Let’s find out!

What Are Bed Bugs?

First things first. Before we can talk about whether bed bugs will follow you home, let’s take a look at what they are. Bed bugs (or Cimex lectularius if you want to get technical) are parasitic insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals (including humans). They’re typically reddish-brown in color and can grow up to 5mm in length.

How Do They Spread?

Bed bugs don’t have wings, so they don’t fly around from place to place. Instead, they crawl around and hitchhike their way into new locations. This means that if there are bed bugs in one room or apartment, it’s possible for them to start spreading to nearby rooms/apartments.

They usually enter your clothes or bags which travel with us between places such as hotels/hostels etc., hence they spread through traveling.

One important thing here is hot environments generally kill them when placed beyond certain time limits whereas cold environment does not affect much (for this reason many articles suggest keeping used clothes/bags/etc inside fridge after returning from contaminating region)

A brief on how do these pests move across continents/countries

It is believed that intercontinental movement of Cimex must have been achieved through human transport since it was quite restricted until recent centuries due either directly affecting lives(e.g wars) trade routes(difficult journeyes made traders stopping over different nations creating pockets where Cimicidae were left)

Will Bed Bugs Follow You Home?

Now comes the big question: if you stay in a hotel or hostel where there are bed bugs, will they follow you back to your own home?

The answer is not straightforward. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it’s possible for bed bugs to hitchhike their way into new locations via luggage, backpacks, clothing, bedding etc., but it’s unlikely that they’ll actually follow you from one place to another.

How Fast Can Bed Bugs Move?

Bed bugs aren’t exactly speed demons when it comes to crawling around. They can only move at a maximum speed of about 3 feet per minute (which doesn’t sound like much until late night while we sleep and numbers rise).

Additionally since these pests were exterminated through developed countries post world wars so many people who never had dealt with them before became complacent leading some various inhibitions/rules wrecked leading exposure

Tips for Avoiding Bed Bugs

Although it’s unlikely that bed bugs will follow you home from a hotel or hostel, that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. To help prevent any unwanted visitors coming along on your trip:

Before Booking

  • Check reviews if people are complaining about bug infestations in hotels/hostels/cabins/etc.;
    -(keep an eye out because just like Amazon products even good stays tend customer being petty)
  • Carefully examine pictures/videos of #stay location uploaded by previous boarders closely
    -(Again no offence but this tip works great keeping in mind finding how the room looks compared during promotional shoots)

Packing Tricks

  • Store all your clothing and belongings inside vacuum tight bags having zero space
    (Recommended as life-hack storing clothes reducing volume)
  • avoid placing/personal stuff/ souvenirs /laundry next day beside anything exposed outside closed into plastic bag after folding everything properly (ensure easy access without exposing entire content)
  • Place dryer sheets/alumunium foil/diapers(in disposable bags)

While Staying

  • Inspect your room before settling in (use of flashlight is recommended).
  • Move bedsheets/furniture/curtains around and look for reddish-black fecal spots or dead bugs.
  • Store luggage on a raised metal platform (this is confirmed because bedbugs have trouble climbing smooth surfaces)##
    -in addition to these one should go through hygiene from time to time

What if You Do Bring Bed Bugs Home?

Even if you follow all the tips above, it’s still possible that bed bugs could follow you home. If you do notice signs that you might have brought bed bugs back with you, there are a few steps you can take:

1) Quarantine Infested Belongings: (CBT-trick #1)

   Identify the location most likely affected such as bedroom or upholstery,
   store ALL items including clothes &bags into trash bags/tied tight 
          (Be sure nothing comes out loose especially small butts like earpods/pens/etc     missing them gives critic insect places where they find haven),

2) Wash and Dry on High Heat (CBT-trick #2)

Immediately put all bedding/clothes inside washing machine set at high temperature(high temp kills eggs being laid waiting for hatching)

3) Deep clean (CBT-trick #3)

Clean likely infested areas using vacuum cleaner even furniture deeply(Dry steamers also work well since wetting material increases chances of spreading)::Dispose off used  vac-bags/empty tank immediately after cleaning used during process.

4) Contact Pest Control (Last resort CBT-elaboration before contacting local pest control agency)

In case trigger panels/beacons installed beforehand hit alert then dialing professionals will save more than pests though quite costly; self applied chemical treated(not recommended) might give temporary relief but long lasting could be expected via professional extermination.

Conclusion

So, will bed bugs follow you home from a hotel or hostel? The answer is…unlikely. However, it’s still important to take precautions when traveling to avoid bringing these unwanted pests into your home.

By following the tips outlined above and taking quick action if you do notice signs of bed bugs in your luggage or bedroom/housing/apartment etc., you can help prevent any unwanted visitors from setting up shop in your house.

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