5 Common Ways to Get Bed Bugs in Your Home & Mattress

Bed bug infestations can be easily prevented if you know where they are coming from. Here are five common ways for bed bugs to reach your home and mattress.

#1 Hotel and Motels
According to a survey in 2015, hotels and motels were the third most common place for pest control professionals to report bed bug infestations. A bed bug may easily hitch a ride home via your luggage or clothing.

Don’t think you are safe from bed bugs just because you are staying at a five star hotel. In 2016, a number of five star hotels in New York were affected by bed bugs. You can check the bed bug registry to see a user-curated list of places that have had bed bugs in the past.

#2 New Clothing
Bed bugs may also make their way to your home via new clothing. The next time you go on a shopping spree, carefully check every piece of clothing for signs of bed bugs.

For good measures, wash the new clothes immediately and put them in a hot dryer to remove all life cycles of the bed bug including bed bug eggs and nymphs.

#3 New Furniture
Bed bugs can also get into your house via new furniture. Make sure you check every inch of new furniture that’s delivered to your home. Pay special attention to beds, mattresses, and upholstered furniture such as sofas and couches.

#4 From Your Neighbors
This is a major cause, especially for people who live in condominiums and apartment buildings. Bed bugs can easily move from apartment to apartment via entrance points like electrical outlets, pipes, and vents.

There isn’t much you can do directly other than to notify your neighbors and landlords of the bed bug problem. Some states have laws that put the responsibility on the landlords to pay for pest extermination costs.

#5 Schools & Offices
Schools and office spaces can be other common sources of bed bug infestations. Take more precautions with your clothes during the summer when bed bug infestations typically peak.