1. Bed Bugs Found In Public Places

MARCH 04 2022 /

Bed Bugs Found In Public Places

Since bed bugs have made their comeback in the last decade or so, there have been a lot of articles out there highly suggesting that folks who travel take the time to inspect their accommodations for signs of bed bugs, whether you are traveling to a fancy 5-star resort or going to Aunt Marion’s guest room for the holidays.

No matter how clean the room that you are moving into is or how new a mattress may be, bed bugs could still be hiding and just waiting for someone to stay for dinner or to allow them to hitch a ride.

No one wants to bring bed bugs home as a souvenir.

Most of us, as we go about an average busy day, never give a thought about bed bugs being anywhere other than somewhere with a bed.

However, bed bugs can find themselves in what seems to be unlikely places when they crawl out of a pocket or bag. These pests don’t worry about it too much.

They know that someone will be along eventually and will unwittingly take the bugs to a new home. There are many places that we wouldn’t even think to inspect, but maybe we need to start doing just that.

 

Movie Theaters

Who doesn’t love a good movie? Give us hot buttered popcorn and a jumbo soda and most of us are ready to lose ourselves in the story in a dark theater.

It has happened on occasion that some previous patron thought the same exact thing and left a few friends behind for a double feature.

The movie theater is a great spot for bed bugs to find their way into a movie buff’s clothing without anyone being the wiser.

 

Public Transportation

Just hopping a bus to get downtown to that interview? Great! You may not actually be sitting in that seat alone. There is no better hitchhiker than the bed bug.

If one or two are hiding in your seat from a passenger who just sat there or if they crawl over from the person sitting next to you, they can easily find their way into the cuff of a pant leg, a pocket, or a hood.

Before you know it, that 15-minute interview gave you months of bed bug problems in your home.

 

School

We all do our best to help our kids learn to share, but bed bugs are probably not what anyone had in mind.

From crawling from one child to the next on the bus or playground to going from one book bag to another, one child inadvertently introducing bed bugs to a school setting can result in several homes having an infestation.

 

Mall

A little retail therapy never hurt anyone. As you buzz from one store to the next, have some lunch, and rest for a bit while chatting with friends at your favorite mall’s atrium, you do not think about the thousands of people that have come and gone from that very spot in a week’s time.

Picking up a bed bug while resting on a bench for a bit is not unheard of! It takes just a second for one to get into one of the bags sitting at your feet and presto, new home found.

 

Waiting room

It is safe to say that bed bugs are probably the last thing on your mind while you are waiting for a doctor or dentist appointment; however, it is quite possible that it was the last thing on the person’s mind that was there before you as well.

A waiting room is a great spot to wait for a ride if you are bed bug.

As you can see, bed bugs can be found just about anywhere. Infested homes really have no idea sometimes for weeks that there is a problem.

By that time, these tiny bugs could have easily found a way to spread to a dozen different places making them very difficult to spot or prevent.

The best that you can do is to make sure that when you are out and about that you keep a watchful eye for any pests that might be there.

Before you take a seat anywhere where you are going to be for a while, spend a few minutes looking it over for signs of bed bugs.

Inspect around any crevices or cracks for tiny apple seed-sized bugs that are flat and brown or red. You may also want to pay attention to small brown stains which could be bed bug waste.

Most importantly, inspect what you bring home very carefully. Check any bags, purses, and pockets thoroughly when you come home.

If you find that you have introduced bed bugs to your home, give us a call at American Pest. Our bed bug experts will work with you to find where these pests are hiding in your home and eliminate the threat giving you back your home and your peace of mind.