What’s the deal with bed bugs in the summertime? Are they more active during the summer like other pests? The answer is yes. As the weather heats up and humidity increases in the Jersey City area, other bugs like mosquitos start becoming more active, whereas bed bugs are actually a year-round threat. That being said, many experts agree that bed bugs are more active in the summer due to hotter temperatures, elevated travel, and frequent contact with others. Often referred to as the hitchhiking bug, these annoying pests love hopping from place to person and so on. To help you avoid these annoying pests this summer, our bed bug extermination experts at Tap Out Pest Control have composed a list of tips for you to check out.
Ways to Avoid Bed Bugs This Summer
What You Can Do to Avoid These Pests:
- Learn how to identify bed bugs: That way, you’ll know what you’re looking for when inspecting your luggage and lodgings while on your trips. Bed bugs are flat, wingless insects with six legs. They are small (about ¼ inch), but big enough to notice with the naked eye. They have a rusty-brown color and turn a brownish-red after feeding on blood. (Yuck!) They’re more active at night when they feed and stay hidden in dark spaces during the day.
- When traveling, pack smart: Check that your bag openings and pockets are sealed tightly. While you may have access to closets, dresser drawers, and cabinets to store and hang your clothes in, it’s best to keep them stored in your bags.
- Always inspect your room thoroughly for bed bugs before bringing in your luggage: These little pests LOVE hotels and motels, so it’s good to inspect under the mattress and in the seams of mattress and upholstered furniture. Shake out blankets, sheets, and pillows to see if any bugs scurry off. Also, be on the lookout for blackish-brown goo in mattress and upholstery seams, which is bed bug feces.
- When returning from your trip, check your bags outside before bringing them in. This will help keep any clothes clingers out of your home.
- If you find any bed bugs during this process, kill them immediately to avoid the spread of infestation throughout your house. And of course, call the experts at Tap Out Pest Control.
Signs You May Have Picked Up Bed Bugs:
- One sign you have bed bugs is if you notice a red, itchy rash or clustered welts that form a line on your skin. Because bed bugs feed at night, chances are you won’t feel them when they’re feeding on you. Keep in mind that bed bug bites have similar symptoms to other bug bites and allergic reactions.
- If you notice reddish-brown blood stains on mattress fabrics or pillowcases, these are likely fecal stains from bed bugs’ ingested blood. (Gross!)
- If you notice bug skin shells, these are likely the cast skin shells from baby bed bugs, which they typically shed four to five times before reaching full adulthood.
Call in the Experts!
Should you find that you have carried home these unwanted guests, please call Tap Out Pest Control immediately! You can rely on our team of bed bug mitigation experts to get rid of your unwanted pests safely and quickly.