How do you get bed bugs and how to avoid them

Firstly, if you’re reading this because you think you might have bed bugs, then don’t panic! It can be easy to feel that unnecessary shame that these little brown pests have set up camp in your cosy home. But you can be reassured in the fact that bed bugs will live in clean or dirty places. It doesn’t mean your home is dirty. So don’t worry! You’ve just had a bit of bad luck picking these guys up, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

How do I know if I have bed bugs?

So you think you have bed bugs, but how can you tell? Below are some things you may have noticed around your home or on your skin which could be signs of bed bugs;

• Small spots of blood on your bed sheets, this is where you’ll have been bitten and left evidence on your sheets.
• Small brown dots or rusty stains on your sheets (this is poo) left behind from the bed bugs… yuck!
• Small white dots on your bed sheets or around the home, this will be bed bug eggs.
• Small red bites, usually on the arms and shoulders. They tend to be in a straight line!

Where did they come from?

Did you know that bed bugs have actually been around for thousands of years? Originally they would attach themselves to bats in caves and use bats as hosts. When humans moved into the caves, bed bugs saw the humans as a tasty new host and when we moved out of those caves, the bed bugs moved out with us and spread to every corner of the globe!

So why are they in your house? How did they get there? Well the answer is very simple. They travel on just about anything, from clothes, luggage, furniture, bags, basically anything that you take from one place to another. They decided to hitch a ride on you unfortunately, and that’s all there is to it! It’s also totally possible to get rid of them. Keep an eye out for our next blog where we’ll tell you how to get rid of them.

Some of the most common places to pick bed bugs up from are hotels/hostels, nursing homes, schools and public transport like trains and buses. They like to live where there are lots of people, and that is how they get transported so easily, people coming and going from one place to another.

hotel room and hotel door — The most common place bed bugs are found is hotel rooms

Tips on how to avoid them in the first place!

-Don’t put any of your belongings on the floor of Hotels, Motels or any other places you are staying in when you are out exploring or on holiday. Or any places you might think could have those creepy little guys lurking in the decor.

-If you are staying in a place that you think could potentially have bed bugs, give the room a once over first to be sure and if you find them then be sure to notify the right person straight away! It could save somebody else from having to deal with a very annoying infestation.

–The Bugo is perfect for taking with you on your travels too, to help you avoid bed bugs getting into your bed when you’re on your holidays. So light and compact you can slip it straight into your luggage.

-Don’t keep clutter in your house as bed bugs can really thrive in it, especially around your bed!

-If you bring any second home furniture home, check it over first before bringing it into your home.

Check back for our next blogs telling you how you can get rid of these little beasts.

Need to get rid of bed bugs? Check out The Bugo, an innovation in bed bug protection.