Bed bugs have always been present in larger cities, but if it seems like recently they’ve been more common than ever in New York City, it’s because they have. Plenty of people have horror stories about another apartment in their complex infesting all the other nearby units, or bringing the unwanted guests home after going on a staycation. What makes this city such a magnet for bed bugs?
Bed Bugs Love To Travel
The problem isn’t messy or dirty apartments. Bed bugs don’t care whether your place is neat and tidy or a complete and total mess – although messy places do make it easier for them to go unnoticed for longer.
The reason there are so many bed bug cases in New York City is because NYC has the worst combination of size, population density, tourists, and busy lifestyles. More people and more apartments, houses, hotels, and other indoor spaces make for more reported pest infestations. There are also more people here who move often and quickly between different spaces, making it easier for bed bugs to hitchhike on clothes, bags, and other belongings to new places.
Since bed bugs also can infest nearby apartments, hotels, and offices on their own, the result is the perfect combination for a city to be rife with bedbugs.
Bed Bugs Need Comprehensive Treatment
Yet there is another, often unspoken reason that bed bugs are so common. Frequent bed bugs mean more and more bed bug pest control companies. But as bed bugs become more resistant to treatment, it is more important than ever to make sure that every single bed bug is eliminated or they can repopulate and be more resistant than ever. That requires an expertise that not all bed bug control companies have.
How to Prevent Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are small, about the size of an apple seed, and often difficult to find. If your home becomes infested with them, you’ll likely find out after they bite you, leaving behind itchy hives, bumps, or a rash. If you feel you’re at increased risk of having bed bugs, here’s what you can do:
- Vacuum often
- Wash bedding regularly in hot water and dry on high heat
- Protect your mattress and pillows by buying and using specially designed bug-proof cases
- When coming home from traveling, carefully inspect your belongings and suitcases before bringing them inside of the house.
- If you want to be extra careful, you can fumigate your suitcases by sealing them in garbage bags with pest-eliminating strips.
It’s impossible for any particular prevention method to perfectly repel bed bugs, but these steps can at least decrease the chances of an infestation.
One Hour Pest Control Bed Bug Services
If you have a bed bug problem despite all your best prevention efforts, One Hour Pest Control is here to help you. We are open 24 hours a day to answer to your pest emergencies and understand how serious a pest problem like bed bug infestation is to your wellbeing. Contact us and we will quickly and effectively address the issue.