Unfortunately, there is no one answer that is the right fit for every situation. In most, but not all situations a victim of a bed bug
As soon as you see a bed bug or notice a bite, the first thing you may want to do is sleep somewhere else until the infestation is controlled. However, that is not the right call. It feels counterintuitive, but you should continue sleeping in the same bed.
Wash Everything.
Place anything washable in a garbage bag and transport directly to the washing machine. Wash everything on a high temperature or sanitary cycle for at least 30 minutes. Placing everything in the dryer on the hottest setting for 30 minutes will also kill bed bugs and larvae.
Avoid bringing worn items into bedrooms or placing items on furniture. Showering using soap and water is sufficient to remove bed bugs from your person.
How to keep someone who has bed bugs from bringing them to your home? Don't let your guests enter your bedroom, especially with their coats and bags. You can clean the front closet and store their coats and belongings there. After the visit, steam, and vacuum the closet thoroughly.
There is also a risk of bringing an infestation home with you, potentially exposing you and your family to long-term physical and emotional harm. Bed bugs are natural hitchhikers, so it's likely that if you encounter an infestation, you could bring bed bugs home with you through your luggage or other belongings.
Do continue to sleep in your bedroom after identifying a bed bug infestation. If you move rooms or start sleeping on the couch you run the risk of contaminating these other areas of your home. Similarly, avoid taking your bedding from the location of the infestation to other rooms of your home.
Although bed bugs are nocturnal and prefer to bite their host when they are asleep, they are not limited to biting their host at night. They've been known to bite people while awake during the day as long as the opportunity presents itself.
This shows how common these pests are in the hospitality industry. So how do they get from the hotel room to your home? By hitching a ride on your clothes, luggage, and other personal items. Once a few bed bugs make it to your home, it's just a matter of time before you have a serious bed bug infestation.
Hiding in cracks and crevices, the bugs are good hitchhikers and could latch onto luggage and other belongings. “They're not discriminating travelers,” said Jim Fredericks, chief entomologist for the National Pest Management Association. “They don't discriminate between a first-class resort or a low-rate motel.
DON'T bring bed bugs into your home.
hand furniture, electronics, clothing and other items can harbor bed bugs. Don't bring in furniture and mattresses from the street. It is more and more likely that these items will be infested with bed bugs.
No. They don't live on people and can't be directly transmitted from one person to another. However, as quick as they are to catch a ride on clothing, bedding and furniture, they are easy to transport.
Bed bugs are natural hitchhikers, so it's likely that if you encounter an infestation, you could bring bed bugs home with you through your luggage or other belongings. Initially, once you learn you have been exposed to bed bugs you must not panic. Not everybody who encounters bed bugs will necessarily bring them home.
Extreme temperatures are the best way to kill bed bugs. Washing your clothing and bedding in a high heat wash should effectively kill off any bugs, as well as any eggs they've possibly laid. It's important to exercise caution in moving infested linens during the process to avoid spreading the bed bugs to other rooms!
Use small plastic bags to pack clothing, shoes and other personal items. This will help prevent any bed bugs that climb into your suitcase from getting into your house with your clothing. Bed bugs can also hide in books, cloth toiletry kits and other non-metal personal items.
Rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses caused by bed bugs being crushed. Dark spots (about this size: ), which are bed bug excrement and may bleed on the fabric like a marker would. Eggs and eggshells, which are tiny (about 1mm) and pale yellow skins that nymphs shed as they grow larger.
Bedbugs can be found worldwide, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and are not a reflection on the cleanliness of any accommodation (so, yes, even a five-star hotel can have bedbugs). They don't spread disease nor are they seen as dangerous, but allergic reactions to bites could require a doctor visit.
The best way to confirm whether or not you have bed bugs is to find one. If you can't do that, you have to look for signs they leave behind — extra skin, eggs and feces. So yes, in between biting you and driving you crazy, these little jerks still have time to reproduce and poop in your bed.
One out of five Americans has had a bed bug infestation in their home or knows someone who has encountered bed bugs at home or in a hotel.