Bed bugs are active all year long and do not die or become dormant over the winter like many insects. However, there tends to be an increase in calls about bed bug problems during the hot summer months. Bed bug season lasts from about June to October, with peak season generally coming around August. Why is this? And what can be done to prevent these bed bug infestations in your home? We will explore two main reasons for this Summer onslaught of bed bugs: their love of travel and their love of heat.
Tricky Tourists
Just like you, bed bugs love to travel. They are the great hitchhikers of the insect world. When people are travelling all over the country, you better believe that bed bugs are travelling with them. The time of year when the most consistent travel occurs just happens to be during the summer months.
Bed bugs feed exclusively on blood for survival. This means that they will stay close to the source of their food, often humans. Hiding in mattresses, sheets, cracks, and crevices, bed bugs are tricky to spot and tricky to contain. Because they are very small and fast, bed bugs can easily get into clothes and suitcases and go home with you. While you are traveling, doing a few basic things can help prevent these tricky tourists from taking up residence in your home.
Inspect Your Sleeping Quarters: When you arrive at a hotel room, give the room a quick bed bug check. Inspect pillowcases and sheets for small dried blood stains. Look at the mattress seams and corners for black, sticky spots of feces. You can also use a flashlight to check furniture, cracks, and crevices for the tiny rust colored bugs. If you find signs of bed bugs, ask for a different room.
Take Care of Your Clothes: To prevent potential spread of bed bugs in your luggage, use the luggage holder for your suitcases instead of putting them directly on the bed. Then when you get home from your vacation, wash all of your clothing in hot water (at least 140 degrees) and dry them for at least 20 minutes. This should kill off any critter that decided to hitch a ride.
Warmth Warriors
Bedbugs love heat. They are attracted not only by carbon dioxide from sleeping humans, but also by the body heat that is produced. This means that warm summer months can cause bed bugs to be even more active, breeding and biting with more frequency. Researchers have found that at 64 degrees, it takes 4 months for bed bug eggs to hatch and reach maturity. At 80 degrees, it only takes 1.5 months. This means that an infestation of bed bugs can really take off when it gets warm.
Bites are one of the main things that alert people to a bed bug problem. Bed bug bites are often grouped together in a cluster or a line. They are swollen red areas with a darker red center. Since bed bugs typically feed at night, you most often find bed bug bites on areas of exposed skin like your legs, arms, and face. If you wake up to bites like this, do a thorough check for other signs of bed bugs and call a professional to get the problem taken care of quickly.
Bed Bug Treatment
6 Brothers Pest Control is your Dallas bed bug exterminator. In addition, we also service Liberty, Independence, Overland Park, Lee’s Summit and many surrounding cities. Give us a call for a bed bug inspection and treatment plan. Our specialized treatments will rid your home of bed bugs, guaranteed!
