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How Bed Bugs Get Into Grovetown Homes In The First Place

May 14, 2021

When you hear "bed bugs," you probably think of old motels on the side of some barely-traveled highway, images of dirty mattresses and moldy rooms, and it probably makes you feel itchy all over. The truth is, bed bugs aren’t just found in dirty hotels or on gross old mattresses. Bed bugs can be found anywhere, including 5-star hotels, high-end clothing boutiques, and meticulously cleaned single-family homes. Read on and discover how you could end up with bed bugs in your Grovetown, GA, home, and what you can do about it if you do.  

bed bug crawling indoors

Impressive Hitchhikers

You can find bed bugs in many places, both public and private. Bed bugs generally make their way to your house by hitching a ride from somewhere else. These bed bug “hotspots” can include clothing stores, hotels, and even your office. If you follow a few of these basic tips, you can help prevent bed bugs from following you home:

  • Vacuum suitcases when you return from a vacation.
  • Use a plastic trash bag to wrap your luggage during hotel stays.
  • Try to keep bags and clothes off the ground while staying in hotels.
  • Inspect areas where your pets sleep frequently for signs of bed bugs.
  • Vacuum and clean high traffic areas regularly, both in your business and at home.
  • In clothing stores, check clothes and dressing rooms for signs of bed bugs. Avoid putting garments on the floor, and immediately wash clothes in hot water or steam when you get them home.

Beware Of Secondhand Stores

Another area where bed bugs frequent are secondhand or thrift stores. Many of the objects that bed bugs call home make their way into these stores on a regular basis. These items include clothing, bedding, furniture, and mattresses. You don’t have to avoid secondhand stores completely to avoid bed bugs, but you do need to be aware and take some precautions to avoid bringing bed bugs home with your great deals. These simple steps can keep thrift shop bed bugs out of your home:

  • Turn clothes inside out and inspect seams, pockets, and lining. 
  • Shake out sheets or towels, then lay them as flat as you can to check for bed bugs.
  • If you are looking at mattresses or other furniture, check the seams and edges. Bed bugs love warm, dark areas including around corners, under cushions, and along zippers or trim. 
  • If you are buying a dresser, make sure to open the drawers and check deep in the corners and angles. 
  • Use heat or a vacuum on anything you buy immediately after bringing it home. If possible, put items in the dryer on high heat for at least 20 minutes or use a garment steamer.

Get Professional Help

Even if you are careful in hotspots and aware of secondhand stores, you may still end up with bed bugs. When your sleep and your health is at stake, it is always best to seek professional help immediately. Bed bugs are not something you want to handle on your own. Instead, let our trained professionals at Jury Pest Services eradicate your bed bug issue quickly and completely.  

Here at Jury Pest Services, we offer two treatment options for your Grovetown, GA home. If you have a smaller infestation, we will use a conventional bed bug elimination approach. This includes applying bed bug treatment to areas of high activity like mattresses, box springs, headboards, and upholstered furniture.

If you have a widespread infestation, we will recommend our heat treatment. This environmentally friendly, cost-effective approach to bed bug control eliminates bed bugs in all stages of their lifecycle without using any harmful chemicals, and it only takes four hours to complete.

Whether one room or a whole home, our professional residential pest control technicians can get you back to sleeping bed bug-free in no time.  

Tags: bed bug hitchhikers | bed bug control | bed bug information |