So, it turns out that “Don’t let the bedbugs bite” is a little late if you’ve already crawled into bed and are seconds from flipping off the light for the night. By that point, if you have bedbugs, they’re likely already biting. Fortunately, bedbugs are not known to carry or transmit diseases, and there are preventative ways you can protect yourself and your family from these tiny and irritating bedroom pests.

A Very Real Problem

Bedbugs feed on blood, leaving dozens, sometimes hundreds, of itchy bite marks behind. Since they can be so small and hard to find, it can sometimes be difficult to identify bed bugs or to locate them. And, if you’ve lived in the area long enough, you might have noticed an uptick in bed bug activity, when one family spent $5,000 trying to fight bedbugs in 2010, an apartment complex was overrun by them in 2012, and the region on a whole saw a large increase in reported bed bug infestations.

Where Do They Come From?

Travel is the number one culprit when it comes to the spread and infestation of bed bugs. Bedbugs often infest hotel mattresses and furniture, and so when a traveler places his or her suitcase on the bed, that opens up the possibility for bed bugs to hide in the suitcase. When that suitcase and the clothes inside go back home, so too go the bedbugs. It’s recommended that travelers not only keep their suitcases off of hotel beds, but avoid unpacking suitcases at all, if possible. It’s also recommended to check the mattress, sheets, pillow cases, seams, box spring, and behind the headboard for bed bugs before using a room or sleeping.

Also beware used furniture, especially couches and mattresses. Bed bugs can survive for 12 months without food. If you buy a used mattress or couch, make sure it’s professionally sanitized before it enters your home.

What To Do

If you have or suspect you have a bed bug infestation, don’t hesitate to call an expert. While there are steps that can be taken to attempt to eradicate the bugs, as listed here by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, the most efficient and sure-fire way to be bedbug free is to trust the professionals.

If you and your family need help keeping the bed bugs from biting, contact Critter Control or give us a call at 919-382-0651 in the Raleigh, Cary and Durham areas of the Triangle and Wake County, and we’ll do all we can to help your household sleep tight.

image via flickr