HOW TO PREVENT BED BUGS IN THE SUMMER

It’s that time of year again. Vacation season is winding down, college students are gearing up to head back to school after a summer at home, and younger kids are heading back to school as well.

Whether you have one last summer trip planned, a child heading to school, or are staying home with no plans to go anywhere, you are still at risk for picking up some of the most frequent travelers of the season: bed bugs!

With so many people on the move, summer is the peak season for bed bugs to travel around as well. Bed bugs are amazing hitchhikers and commonly hitch rides on our clothing, shoes, luggage, backpacks, and more. This means that bed bugs can be found just about anywhere this time of year so it’s important for you to take precautions against bed bugs and be aware of the signs that bed bugs are present!

What Are the Signs That Bed Bugs Are Around?

When you’re out in any public place, there is always a possibility that bed bugs are present. Though they don’t typically come out during the day, knowing where they tend to hide will put you a step ahead when looking for them.

Despite their name, bed bugs don’t just stick to beds. They can often be found in the crevices of furniture, behind picture frames, or in the cracks of walls or windows. If you find small bugs in these areas, you’ll want to be able to identify them to determine whether or not they are bed bugs.

Bed bugs can range from the size of a pencil point to the size of a pea, depending on what larval stage they are in. Their color also depends on their stage of development, though they are typically range in color from a light yellowish-brown to darker reddish-brown color. Their bodies are flat and oval-shaped.

When at home, look for bed bugs in the same places as you would in public, but also include mattresses, box springs, and both headboards and footboards.

It’s possible to see other signs of bed bugs before you see the bugs themselves. Bed bugs feed during the night, so if you wake up with a tight cluster or line of bug bites or see tiny drops of blood on your sheets, you may have bed bugs.

Finding small brown or black streaks of excrement on your bedding or your bed clothes could also indicate the presence of bed bugs. You may also find shed skins left behind as they go through their larval stages or notice a musty odor.