Why Do I Have Bed Bugs in My Long Island Home?

Bed bugs are sneaky invaders in Long Island homes and can fully infest your property before you notice a problem. It is important to understand bed bugs to learn how to protect your home from these pests.

Understanding Bed Bugs

While many individuals believe that bed bugs will only appear in dirty or cluttered homes, this is not the case. Bed bugs can happen to anyone, no matter how clean your home or business is, thanks to their unique way of hitchhiking from place to place. 

Bed bugs in an infested area will typically wait until nighttime to emerge and feed. During this time, they will also climb onto clothes, luggage, or bags and hunker down. When you move these items or take them with you away from the infested area, the bugs will go with them, resulting in an infestation wherever you end up.

You should be careful of several bed bug hotspots, so you don't pick up any bed bugs and bring them home such as places with lots of people and luggage passing through. These places include hotels, train stations, public transportation, libraries, and schools. To avoid picking up bed bugs in these places, you can follow the prevention tips below.

• In hotels or other accommodations, refrain from putting your baggage on the ground. You should keep it elevated on a luggage rack or other solid surface away from the walls, as this will prevent bed bugs from crawling in overnight.
• Check the corners of mattresses and sheets before sleeping in a hotel or other rental, as these are areas that bed bugs frequent. You can also look on the bed covers for reddish or rust-colored stains, as these indicate the presence of feeding bed bugs.
• Use a flashlight, when possible, to check seams, gaps, and cracks in both furniture and the walls. This step is important in libraries, public transport, and schools, as bed bugs are more likely to hide in these dark, secluded areas when there are no beds around to hunker down in.

In addition to picking up bed bugs in certain hotspots, you may also bring bed bugs into your home on infested secondhand items such as appliances or furniture. There are a few things you can do to find out if these items are infested with bed bugs.

• Place all secondhand items on a white sheet outside of your home after purchasing. Leave out for several hours or overnight and then check the sheet for any sign of small bed bugs or rust-colored stains, as this means an infestation is present.
• Take a flashlight and shine it on any gaps or cracks in appliances or furniture. Be sure to check harder-to-reach areas or secluded places, as these are more likely to host bed bugs. 
• Use gloved hands to run your finger along furniture seams or the cracks in appliances. An infestation is likely if you knock out any bed bugs or pick up stains on your glove.

Professional Bed Bug Elimination

Because of their small size and hitchhiking nature, bed bugs can be incredibly difficult to keep from entering your Long Island home. If you do end up with a bed bug infestation, call the professionals at EM Pest Control right away. They will be able to safely and effectively eliminate these pests so you can regain your peace.