The Answers To Jacksonville's Most Commonly Asked Bed Bug Questions

Here in Jacksonville, FL (and most everywhere else), there’s a lot of misinformation going around about bed bugs. It seems not a lot of people know very much about these tiny pests. That’s not shocking – a bug that infests your bed so it can sneak out at night and feed on you while you’re sleeping isn’t something most people want to spend a lot of time thinking about. However, if you want to avoid bed bugs, you need to know a thing or two about them. In this post, we’ll go over some of the most common questions home, and business owners have about bed bugs – including how they infest your home and what to do about them. 

What Is The Main Cause Of Bed Bugs?

A lot of people think having a dirty home causes bed bugs. While it’s true clutter can give them more hiding spots, and dirty sheets are conducive to their breeding, having a messy home doesn’t cause bed bugs in-and-of-itself. The most significant risk factors for picking up bed bugs are traveling, public transportation, and secondhand shopping. When you engage in these activities, you’re moving through bed bug “hot spots” created by a convergence of many people carrying a lot of stuff.

Where Are Bed Bugs Found?

True to their name, bed bugs are most commonly found in the bed because that’s the most convenient place for them to feed. However, if you’ve got a big enough infestation, you might find bed bugs just about anywhere. They can hide in and around other furniture, in between carpet fibers, inside kitchen appliances, and pretty much anywhere else you can think of.

Do Bed Bugs Spread Disease?

There’s never been a confirmed case of bed bugs spreading infectious diseases from one person to another. However, they can cause other non-communicable health issues. For one thing, knowing you’re going to be bitten while you sleep can give you anxiety. It can also cause insomnia and sleep deprivation, which create a host of health problems like weight gain, depression, and a compromised immune system. Severe enough bed bug infestations may also lead to anemia.

What Home Remedies Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?

There aren’t many effective home remedies to get rid of bed bugs. As with most pests, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. To avoid getting bed bugs:

• Never put clothing or luggage on hotel beds or cushioned furniture.
• Always wash and dry clothes on the hottest setting after traveling.
• Avoid secondhand shopping if at all possible.
• If you buy secondhand items, thoroughly inspect them before bringing them home.

If you do wind up with a small infestation, there are a few things you might try to get rid of the bugs before they get out of hand. Keep in mind you’ll need to inspect your whole house, and you’ll also need to kill all the bugs as soon as you find them before they become endemic throughout your home. DIY(do it yourself) bed bug solutions include:

• Steam cleaning your mattress
• High-temp washing your sheets
• Borax powder
• Diatomaceous earth
• 90% or higher rubbing alcohol spray

Unfortunately, bed bugs are good at two things: hiding and breeding. That means they can balloon into a massive infestation before you get wise to their presence. If that happens, there’s not a lot you can do besides calling the pros – you simply can’t find and kill all the individual bed bugs on your own. Fortunately, help is just a click or call away.

Here at Lindsey Pest Services, we’ve got over 60 years of experience providing top-notch pest control to the Greater Jacksonville Area. We offer a range of safe, effective bed bug solutions, and our follow-up process will ensure your problem stays gone for good. Give us a call at (904) 552-2346, or visit our contact page at Lindsey Pest Services to schedule your appointment today.