Pest Myths: Bed Bugs Only Live in Dirty Spots

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Happy Friday, Tri-County Pest Control fans and welcome to our latest edition of Pest Myths! In these blogs, we look into some of the most common pest myths out there and see if there is any truth to the claims. Before heading into the weekend, keep reading to see us tackle one of the most common myths when it comes to bed bugs: that they can only be found in dirty spots. Enjoy!

When thinking about bed bugs, many people believe that they are a product of a dirty environment. Indeed, some folks believe that the most common place to find bed bugs would be in the seediest motel you could find. While there is always a possibility of a place like that having a bed bug infestation, it is not always the case and is not the rule.

Indeed, bed bugs do not need a dirty environment in order to survive. So long as there is a place for them to feed (read: your blood) and a place for them to hide (read: your bed, dresser, furniture, etc), then there is a chance for them to thrive. Believe it or not, being careful has much more to do with bed bugs taking over than cleanliness. Since bed bugs cannot travel on their own, they try their best to hitchhike on your person, clothes, or luggage to new and exciting places, whether they be clean or dirty. Even the cleanest bedroom could still have bed bugs in them, but we will say that a clean bedroom will make it easier to spot them.

To prevent bed bugs from hitching a ride on your things, it’s important to do a quick check whenever you travel somewhere new. Do this check before you start to settle in. Take off the sheets on the bed and peel back the corners of the fitted sheet, looking for small red or brown spots. If you see these spots, then it could mean that bed bugs are near and you should request a new room. If you don’t see these spots, you should still take a couple precautions and not put your clothes in drawers and to keep your luggage on a luggage rack—all of which will help to prevent bed bugs from sneaking into your things. You should also perform this bed-check routine on your own bed every so often, just to make sure that there aren’t any rouge bugs crawling around.

So, with all that being said, our verdict is: False. Bed bugs do not only live in dirty spots—they can live almost anywhere. 

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