If one room has bed bugs do they all? Bed bugs in your room can be a nightmare. You probably brought them in after a journey, or the bugs found their way inside through the cracks and crevices.
The bed bugs are now in your home and they annoyingly reproduce so rapidly. Now, could there be more bed bugs in other parts of the room if this one room has them?
If one room has bed bugs do they all?
You likely have bed bugs in multiple rooms in your house. It all depends on how you live, how long the bed bugs have stayed in your house, and the extent of the bug infestation.
As their name implies, bed bug infestations start from your bed. These little brown insects are colored and as small as an apple seed and they survive on the blood of humans and animals.
Bed bugs are not exclusively nocturnal—they are usually in hiding during the day and come out at night to feed on sleeping hosts. And like humans, they feed anytime they are hungry.
Some people don’t feel bed bugs bite while it occurs, you only wake up to scars and itch after the bugs are gone.
The bites of bed bugs are quite itchy—they may appear as red bumps, scars, and even blisters on the skin. Some people do not immediately react to bed bug bites, which is why it might take a while to recognize their presence.
Also, you may mistake the bites of bed bugs for some other insect. For instance, people mistake bed bug bites for mosquito or flea bites. Other hints show that you have bug infestations and not other types of pest infestations as addressed below.
Signs of bed bugs in other rooms
- Blood stains on the sheets or mattresses in other rooms.
- Little black spots on pillows, bed sheets, or the mattress. These may look like stains from your ink, but they are actually the feces of bed bugs.
- Eggs of bed bugs, nymphs, or shed skins. These are concentrated along the mattress stitchings. Bed bug nymphs also drop off their skin many times before they become adults. The skins they shed are small and pale yellow, which is also the color of the nymphs. These are so small that they are almost impossible for normal eyes to see.
- Live bed bug. Fully grown adult bed bugs, whether dead or alive. Along with eggs, nymphs are primarily found in small spaces along with the piping that goes around the edges of a mattress infested by bed bugs.
If you see any of these signs, it means the other rooms all have bed bugs, so not just one room has them.
Where do bed bugs hide?
Bed bugs are not only found in beds but can also hide in ceiling cracks and floorboards underneath the bed, just to mention a few.
a. In walls
They might also hide on the wall (like roaches), at the back of picture frames, or in cracks between the wall and skirting boards.
b. Furniture
Bed bugs can also infest other household furniture other than beds. You may also see bed bugs in couches, easy chairs, or sofas.
c. Clothing
You can also find bed bugs in luggage and clothes, typically how they primarily enter your home or workspace. When you remove your clothes from these suitcases or bags, they may then crawl and hide in the wardrobes and dresser drawers, eventually migrating into surrounding or nearby rooms.
Finding the bugs
a. Inspect used clothes you buy
When you buy used furniture or clothes, unknowingly, you could be bringing bed bugs into your home. If you choose to buy used items, be sure to check them properly for any signs of bed bugs.
You can make use of a flashlight to make a thorough inspection of each of the items you’ve purchased.
b. Use a tape
You can choose to press the tape into the seams of your mattress to see if any shed bug skins or even tiny eggs stick when to it.
If you notice bed bugs or signs of bed bugs, it’s often best to consult a reliable pest control expert with the skill and expertise needed to carry out a detailed inspection for signs of bed bugs in all the rooms.
Professionals will properly determine how large the infestation is, especially if you only found one bed bug in the room, which other rooms have an infestation, and also recommend the best, most practical steps to eliminate these pests.
If you have a bed bug problem, it can be challenging to control it yourself. Besides, in a “Bed Bug Biology and Behavior” research by Dini M. Miller, Ph.D., Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, a single female can produce about 113 eggs in her whole life.
Additionally, bed bugs have grown to be resistant to some pesticides available in the store.
Does Lysol kill bed bugs?
It’s hard to eliminate bed bugs just by spraying Lysol or other insecticides in the rooms where you find bed bugs or bed bug evidence.
If you have a bed bug problem, spraying Lysol or other cleaning agents on them won’t make much difference in getting rid of their population.
Over-spraying those cleaning agents may even end up causing damage to any material they come in contact with.
Lysols and other cleaning agents can eliminate bed bugs, but they can only do that if there’s direct contact with the pests.
Bed bugs are very flat creatures and can perfectly hide in little cracks and openings. It is hard for most cleaning agents to reach these tiny spaces, so the pesticides won’t be able to eliminate all of them.
Bed bugs can be a big problem in your home, no matter how clean and tidy the house is. Bed bug infestations do not necessarily happen in dirty places. The bugs are just there to find blood sources to feed on.
Tips to control bed bugs
There are ways to eliminate bed bugs effectively, and heat is fatal to them.
Wash your clothing
Washing your bed sheets, blankets, and covers in hot water and using a dryer set at the highest level can eliminate bed bugs. If there are materials that you can’t wash in hot water, you can use a dryer on them first before using cold water to wash them.
Use vacuum cleaner
Using a vacuum cleaner to clean your mattress, headboard walks, and floors close to your bed can help eliminate bed bugs. Ensure you vacuum through cracks and tiny spaces around your rooms.
It’s vital to repeat the above-stated process for better results regularly. Understand that these efforts alone are insufficient to control a bed bug population that may have extended to other rooms.
Mark bed bug items
If you have a major bed bug infestation, your mattress and other furniture may not be redeemable. If you need to remove bed bug-ridden furniture, ensure you clearly mark the words “bed bugs” to keep others from taking them in.
Invite a specialist
Also, know that the best way to tackle the bed bug problem is to get a specialist. You’ll be at peace when you know a specialist handles the problem. Targeted spot treatment can be used by pest control professionals in places with constant problems.
Do bed bugs bite dogs?
Dogs are mammals just like humans, and bed bugs survive on the blood of mammals. Also, dogs are prone to flea and tick bites.
It’s natural to be worried about your dog if you’re having a bed bug problem in your home.
Since bed bugs survive on mammals’ blood, like bed bugs bite humans, they can also bite dogs. However, they don’t live on pets like fleas and ticks. If you’re having bed bug problems, it’s advisable to always inspect your pet’s skin to see if there’s a sign of insect bites. Additionally, watch your pet to see if they react to any unusual itching.
Contact an exterminator
If you’re having a bed bug problem, it’s advisable to wash your pet’s bedding and toys regularly. For the best and most effective approach to eliminating bed bugs, get the service of a pest control professional.
Most homeowners who are dealing with bed bug problems can testify that an infestation negatively affects routines and even mental health. Get your home and workspace back from these pesky creatures by getting help from your local commercial pest control services.
