Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?

Bed bugs are a real nuisance that can cause a considerable amount of stress to any individual or family. These pests are known to creep into homes unnoticed, and build an entire army of bed bugs to ultimately take over your residence and become a major issue for homeowners. Exterminating these pests and making sure they leave your home for good is one thing, knowing what causes bed bugs and how exactly they invade your home is another. In the following text we will talk about how homeowners get bed bugs.

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Facing a bed bug infestation is not unusual or uncommon as most families are likely to go through a problem like this at least once, especially in large cities like Toronto. Although many people think that the most important matter involving bed bugs is how to get rid of them, which is true once you have a bed bug infestation issue, we think it is more important for you to know exactly how you get them, since this will prevent you from requiring a bed bug exterminator in the first place.

If you have ever suffered from a bed bug infestation before, or are currently experiencing this issue, then it is safe to say that you must have asked yourself the question – how did they come into my home in the first place? If you never paid attention to cleanliness and sanitary conditions then you must be under a considerable amount of guilt right now. Before you come to any conclusions and blame yourself or your loved ones, it is important for you to know the actual reasons behind bed bugs infestations. Let’s have a look at the reality behind what attracts bed bugs.

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What Causes Bed Bug

Bed bugs can infest clean and messy homes

Bed Bug Infestations Have Nothing To Do With Sanitary Conditions!

First things first: it should be clarified that bed bugs infestations have nothing to do with sanitary conditions and cleanliness of a residence. As such, regardless of how clean or messy your household may be, it doesn’t really have any role in inviting or keeping out the bed bugs. These nasty pests are actually human blood suckers that go far and wide in search for quenching their bloodlust. They make their way into your home with a plan, which they execute to perfection. This so called “master plan” is described in the following stages below:

Stage 1: Entering Your Home – How Do You Get Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are never born into a residence out of nowhere, and neither do they crawl inside your home from halfway across the block. They are almost always brought into your property, through a variety of ways. Many times bed bugs are brought into your home from other places where humans sleep such as motels, hotels, hostels, camp grounds, schools, hospitals, etc. In 2010 the Toronto hospital had a bed bug infestation issue according to The Globe and Mail. You will find these pests living under dark crevices or small spaces in a variety of settings such as schools, offices, buildings, and other such properties. In fact, these pests can also be found in public transports. Vents in buildings make it easier for bed bugs to spread from one apartment to the next, so always check if your building has a bed bug report so that you can take precautionary measures to prevent bed bugs from entering your home.

You can check if your building or area has or had a bed bug report on www.bedbugregistry.com

At the time of writing this article, (November 2014) Toronto alone had 2270 bed bug reports!

Many bed bug reports come from South West Toronto (from The Queensway and Roncensvalles Ave. Eastwards along Queen St. W and down to Dufferin St. and Gardiner EXPW). A large amount of bed bug infestation reports also come from South East Toronto, more specifically in the area from King St. W and Dufferin St. up to Bloor St. W and Bathurst St. all the way to Bloor St. E and Bayview Ave and down to Queen St. E and Parliament St.

However there are numerous bed bug reports all over Toronto and the map above shows where the bed bug infestation reports are coming from in Toronto as of November 2014 (Source: Bed Bug Registry). Since bed bugs spread easily, the effected areas change all the time. Call Bed Bug Exterminator Pro today if you suspect you have bed bugs – bed bug exterminator Toronto

Simply put, bed bugs can be found wherever they find it easy to prey upon humans, and this is their specialty.

The following are the possible areas of everyday life that you need to be wary of in order to avoid hitchhiking bed bugs:

Suitcases and Bags

Suitcases and bags are two of the most common household items onto which bed bugs can cling to. These items are so common that you cannot avoid taking them along with you. This is also because the bed bugs are likely to find some other belonging of yours to cling onto if they don’t find a suitable item such as a bag or suitcase. In case you are going for a trip anywhere, it is recommended that you thoroughly check your belongings including suitcases and bags to make sure any nasty bed bugs aren’t hitchhiking a ride back to your residence.

Workplace or School

Public buildings are likely to suffer from bed bug infestations on a regular basis. Institutions such as schools and workplace environments are all prone to being infested by bed bugs. This is mostly due to the fact that there are plenty of human beings, some of whom may have bed bug infested home, and are unknowingly bringing these pests into your workplace or school. These places make it difficult to prevent you from bringing bed bugs home because you are there every day and chances are that you will not be thinking about getting bed bugs every day. However, these places are not as common for bed bugs to be spread and there isn’t much you can do to prevent them from spreading if someone brings them into your workplace. If you are wondering how and from where you got a bed bug infestation in your home then it is advised you check whether or not your workplace or school has the same problem and you will find your answer. Check the Bed Bug Registry to see if your workplace or school has a bed bug report.

Hospitals, Hotels, Motels, Hostels

As mentioned previously, public places are always at harm when it comes to possibilities of bed bug infestations. Areas and buildings that are regularly used by the public sector such as hotels, motels, hostels and hospitals are one of the main ways bed bugs are brought into private dwellings. These public places are mostly under threat because thousands of people visit them on a daily basis. Theres no telling how many of these individuals may be carrying items that have bed bugs in them. People can bring bed bugs into these public areas by unknowingly carrying these pests inside their purses, suitcases and bags; in fact, anything can carry bed bugs into these areas. Therefore, this is the main reason as to why bed bug infestations are common in such places. If you are visiting the local hospital or planning a stay at a hotel, it is advised that you keep tabs on any signs of bed bugs that you find. In case you do encounter signs of bed bugs presence, you should take precautionary measures before going home to avoid bed bugs hopping along with you. Wash all your clothing at a local dry cleaner before bringing it into your home to make sure bed bugs are exterminated.

Modes of Transportation

Another everyday occurrence in an average human being’s life is the use of a mode of transportation. Many people ride the bus or pay a visit to the subway station at least twice every day. As far as the pattern of bed bugs’ infestations is concerned, you must be well aware of the fact that these pests are likely to exist in areas where human beings can be regularly found. And modes of transportation discussed above are a regular home for traveling individuals. People who have a bed bug issue at home, and don’t know it, may be carrying bed bugs in their clothing, and these bed bugs can crawl over to other passengers and spread like this to other areas.

You should make sure you haven’t allowed a bed bug to hitchhike a ride to your residence along with your belongings every time you return home via public transport. Simply don’t sit too close or lean onto other passengers to decrease the chances of getting bed bugs.

Other Items

Apart from the ones discussed above, there are also several other areas that you need to be wary of in terms of possible bed bugs infestations. For instance, if you are just moving into a new residence or ordering new furniture, you should make sure that when any piece of furniture is brought in and set up in your new/existing home, it doesn’t have any bed bugs attached to it. Bed bug infestations on furniture are quite troublesome, mostly because if the furniture is ever disturbed, the bed bugs are likely to spread out and cause a considerable amount of annoyance. Apart from this, you should also make sure you avoid public vacuum cleaning services, as many of their vacuum cleaners may likely have bed bugs in them. This is possibly due to the variety of settings these items are used in. Picking up used electronics or appliances from the street is another way you can bring bed bugs into your home, so avoid doing this no matter how good the electronics may look. Bed bugs can enter your tent when you go camping so make sure your camping gear is bed bug free before bringing it into your home.

Once bed bugs find a suitable ride to hitch, they make it ever so easy for themselves to get to their next victim. This is the main reason why they are also called hitchhikers.

Stage 2: Multiplying

Once they’ve crept into your household, they find a suitable spot in which they can rest for the entire day, and attack at night. You will never find a bed bug feasting on your blood in the middle of the day, as they are known to attack only when you are in your deepest sleep, which is typically early morning or past midnight.

When the bed bugs are able to find a spot where they can easily attack from and then go back hiding, they don’t take long to reproduce and become a force to be reckoned with. These bugs reproduce in the form of eggs which can be as tiny as 1mm. If you ever found a hiding spot of these bed bugs, then you must have definitely come across bed bug eggs.

Typically, increasing their numbers through reproducing and multiplying isn’t a big problem for bed bugs as long as they are able to find a suitable amount of blood intake. If you happen to come across a bed bug and find it to be abnormally swollen and red in colour, don’t be alarmed. It isn’t some extraordinary kind of bed bug, it is simply one that has recently fed on human blood.

Stage 3: Taking Over

The final stage in a typical bed bugs infestation is quite obviously the part where these pests spread out into your home and take over. This is usually the time when you find out that your home has been infested by bed bugs. At this point, the bed bugs had plenty of time to multiply and create hiding bases around your home. Of course, this doesn’t actually mean that you won’t be able to get rid of them, but it does mean that getting rid of them would be quite a problem, especially if you try to take on the task by yourself. It is strongly recommended that upon finding out that your home is infested by bed bugs, the first thing you do is call a professional bed bug exterminator that can help you solve your bed bug problem.

Professional Bed Bug exterminators in Toronto

Not only can professional bed bug exterminators help you get rid of bed bugs effectively, but they can also ensure that the bed bugs never come back. It is highly advised that you refrain from taking matters into your own hand, because if you fail to get rid of the bed bugs, you might make matters even worst by forcing them to spread further around your home, becoming an even bigger problem than they were initially.

It goes without saying that bed begs are a serious problem, and one that needs to be dealt with very quickly before it gets out of hand. The longer you wait, the more difficult and expensive it will be to get rid of bed bugs from your home. As such, if you are facing an ongoing bed bugs infestation then it is highly recommended you seek assistance from a professional bed bug management company that can help you out with the issue. Call bed Bug Exterminator Pro today, and we will solve all your bed bug issues quickly, affordably and for good.

References

Health Canada, Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Bed Bugs-Pest Note. Pub: 8195. ISBN: 978-1-100-12303-5 (978-1-100-12304-2) 2009.
Kells, S.A. Control of Bed Bugs in Residences – Information for Pest Control Companies.
University of Minnesota Extension Service. 2006. Canadian Edition.
Myles, T., Brown, B., Bedard, B., Bhooi, R., Bruyere, K., Chua, A., Macsai, M., Menezes, R., Alka Salwan, A., and Takahashi, M., Bed Bugs in Toronto. Centre for Urban and Community Studies, University of Toronto, Research Bulletin #19. 2003.
Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association Bed bug Resources 2010.