Anyone who has ever had an encounter with bedbugs is certain to not forget it.
The itchy red blotches on the skin that are seen in the morning after, serve as a reminder of the visit from this pesky bug.
What worries most people is the knowledge that bed bugs feed on human blood.
It thus follows that the fear of infection with disease by the bugs is the second biggest concern.
Fortunately it is a proven fact that bed bugs do not transmit any disease despite having known pathogens in their gut.
It is no surprise however that this fact is not sufficient to not ease the hate and dread that people have towards this bonafide member of the insect family.
Some concerns about bedbugs
The question of what attracts bedbugs into your home is one many concerned people have asked themselves and pondered about.
This is because this pesky pest seems to find its way into all sorts of human habitation.
From residences in urban areas to those in rural areas, from abodes in the suburbs to those in the ghetto, from five star hotels to the simplest of homes, regardless of whether its summer or winter, bedbugs seem to be found almost everywhere, all the time.
What bed bugs are mainly attracted to
Despite seeming to be attracted to very little, bedbugs are certainly attracted to one thing.
The first and obvious thing to which the bug is attracted is a human host.
As long as bedbugs can find a source of food, they will be attracted to the place the host inhabits.
This fact alone is sufficient to rule out most of the more common beliefs regarding what attracts bedbugs into the home.
Below are some of these debunked beliefs
- Bedbugs are not attracted by dirt, grime or filth
Though bedbugs are often found in residences with notably low levels of hygiene, this should not be considered as definitive proof of the bug’s preference for dirty places.
First and foremost, bed bugs have little to gain from filth, dirt or grime.
They do not feed on filth nor do they necessarily make their habitation in it.
As a matter of fact it is no surprise to find the bugs in commercial lodgings where maintaining high standards of cleanliness is not only necessary but also mandatory.
The fact remains that bedbugs feed on blood and as long as they can find a human host, the bugs will find a home in any human abode.
- Bed bugs are not attracted to pets
Some people have blamed their pets for bringing bedbugs into their home.
It does seem plausible considering that most pets do spend a considerable amount of time outdoors.
One can then assume that as the pet wanders through the neighborhood, the cat or dog comes across a place with bed bugs which then get into their fur.
Or maybe even the bugs pass from the fur of a neighborhood pet onto your dog or cat which then brings the bedbugs into your home.
This series of assumptions cannot be further from the truth. The following points show why this line of thinking is wrong.
- First of all, bedbugs are to be found exclusively in human habitations and cannot survive at all in the open. Therefore is highly unlikely that your dog or cat will encounter the bugs in a particularly bush or in the neighborhood woods.
- Secondly, bedbugs lack the claws necessary to allow them to move within animal fur. This means that unlike fleas and lice, bedbugs cannot find an abode in the fur of pets.
- Thirdly, bedbugs lack the strong hind legs that would allow them to jump from one pet to another. Therefore the transfer of bedbugs from one pet to another is not only an unlikely feat but an impossible one for bedbugs.
The primary way in which bed bugs infest your home is by the aid of human carriers.
The human might not carry the bedbugs on their person but they may do so in the luggage or other possessions they bring along with them.
It is a proven fact that bedbugs and their eggs have been found in bags, boxes, bedroom fixtures, couches, chairs, beds and other common household items.
Thus to be on the safe side, it would be wise to have such items fumigated thoroughly with a bed bug treatment before letting them into the house.
- Bedbugs are not attracted to homes in urban areas
It is true that the prevalence of bedbugs is greatest within urban areas.
This is because of the higher population densities in such areas and hence the bugs have a large pool of potential hosts.
However the fact that human beings do make transit from such urban areas to rural ones and vice versa, bedbugs are thus able to make their way to other areas no matter how remote this areas may be.