11 unexpected places bedbugs can hide
Bedbugs got their name for a reason: They tend to live on or very close to beds.
The pests — which bite humans but aren't known to spread disease — typically live within eight feet of where people sleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Unsurprisingly, the most common areas of infestation are places like apartments, dorm rooms, and shelters, the CDC website adds.
But in less common cases, bedbugs can may infest areas with no beds at all — think public transit, movie theaters, and libraries. Those cases are all the more concerning given that bedbugs have been "spreading rapidly" across the US, Canada, and parts of Europe in recent years, the CDC notes.
The reasons for this surge still aren't clear, though increased travel, bedbug resistance to pesticides, ineffective pest control, and lack of knowledge about bedbugs could all play a role, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
No matter the cause, it's good to be aware of the many places bedbugs make appearances. Here's a guide to some of the most unexpected places bedbugs hide.
1. Hotel rooms
AP/Alastair Grant
OK, maybe it's not too surprising that bedbugs can live in hotel rooms. But it's good to remember that bedbugs can infest even clean hotels. After all, these pests aren't attracted to dirt. They're attracted to warmth, blood, and carbon dioxide, according to EPA. Those things are found anywhere humans sleep.
This is why the EPA recommends thoroughly inspecting every hotel room for bedbugs before you bring your belongings inside. Otherwise, the bugs could latch onto your stuff and travel home with you — but more on that in a bit.
You don't need any special tools to sweep for an infestation. You can see everything you need to see with the naked eye. Here's a complete guide to checking your hotel room for bedbugs.
2. Your suitcase
Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
If you do stay in a hotel room that's infested, there's a chance bedbugs could end up inside your suitcase. And since the critters are expert hitchhikers that can live for months without a blood meal, there's a chance you could bring home live bedbugs — the absolute worst vacation souvenir.
When you're traveling, the EPA suggests keeping your suitcase off the bed and the floor. Instead, stow it in the car, the hotel bathroom, or on a luggage rack (just make sure you inspect the luggage rack for evidence of bedbugs first).
EPA guidelines also say to keep your suitcase zipped up whenever you're not using it. A recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports found that bedbugs are attracted to dirty clothes and will travel across a room to congregate on them. An unzipped suitcase full of laundry could be an open invitation.
And finally, when you get home, don't store your luggage underneath your bed. The EPA recommends the garage or the basement instead.
3. Furniture that's not your bed
Alexs Safronov/Shutterstock
If a room is heavily infested, bedbugs can expand their territory to include the seams of chairs and couches, the spaces between couch cushions, the folds of curtains, and the joints of drawers, according to the EPA.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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