We Specialize in Bed Bug Removal In VA, MD, DC

Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite. This is a common rhyme said to children before going to bed, but no one ever gave a thought to its meaning until recently. Just as the idea of tightening the ropes holding up your mattress before going to sleep is a thing of the past, it was thought that so too were bed bugs. Unfortunately, though, bed bugs have recently reemerged in high-end clothing stores, five star hotels, and fancy apartment buildings in the world’s most cosmopolitan cities. The bed bugs are definitely biting again, but why?

Why Have Bed Bugs Made a Comeback?

During the mid-1900s, Americans loved pesticides. They would gleefully bug bomb their houses for days and kill every living thing within its walls. As a result, bed bugs largely disappeared from homes in the United States. It seemed like a wonderful new practice, this indiscriminate use of pesticides. That is until the 1970s brought on the realization that pesticides are harmful to every living thing and not just bugs. DDT was banned and Americans became averse to breathing in even the remnants of a bug bomb. Modern pest control measures target specific insects and rodents, which up until recently did not include bed bugs.

As international travel became more popular, people began to visit countries that never used pesticides that killed off all the bed bugs. It was easy for Americans to unknowingly pick up the pests while on vacation and bring them back to the United States. Since exterminators weren’t targeting bed bugs, the pests flourished and quickly spread between hotels, homes, stores, and theatres across the country.

What Attracts Bed Bugs?

There is a misconception that bed bugs are only found in dirty, poverty-stricken places. This is definitely not the case. Bed bugs feed on human and animal blood, not dirt. The pests are also egalitarian since they find the blood of both wealthy and poor humans to be equally tasty.

Although poverty and dirt will not attract bed bugs to your house, they do like a lot of dark places to hide. A house with a lot of clutter or a suitcase with a lot of clothes makes for a wonderful bed bug hideout.

How do Bed Bugs Spread?

Humans and animals spread bed bugs. After enjoying a nice meal of your blood, the little insects will find a nice place to hide for the day. Your suitcase is a prime hideout, which is how they hitchhike their way to your house or to your next hotel. Once you open that suitcase, the bed bugs will jump out and beeline it to the bed or dresser or into the carpet.

We specialize in bed bug removal in VA, MD, and DC. For service call 1.855.904. PEST.