Bed bugs hitch rides in boxes and bags all year, including winter. They hitchhike with unsuspecting travelers until they make their way to homes. These bugs use the same techniques to spread all year; however, although they use some more than others at certain times. In winter, these annoying pests may hide in certain places and travel in ways to adjust to their prey. If you want to keep bed bugs at bay in the coldest months of the year, you must take measures for pest control in Austin, TX. Below are some ways these bugs will try to get inside your house this winter
Hitching Rides with Travelers
Bed bugs are nocturnal and stay in dark, warm, and hiding places to rest during the day. They nestle in and remain very still in these places. Bed bugs only come out at night to look for food. They can survive without feeding for up to forty days.
Try to find a new home and host, they sneak into open suitcases and bags travelers use. When a traveler zips up the bags to leave, they pack up the bugs too. And they bring the bugs back with them to their homes.
Hiding in Boxes and Bags
Bed bugs also sneak into all types of bags and boxes, including grocery bags, cardboard moving boxes, and even purses. Also, they don’t just live in and around beds. Indeed, they can live anywhere they can eat, access moisture, and stay warm and hidden. They tend to stay in beds to have a few minutes of uninterrupted feeding to take enough amounts of blood.
Hiding in Furniture
Bed bugs may hide inside bed frames and stow away inside other furniture. They often take up different hiding places inside a bedroom. They could hide around wardrobes, nightstands, closet organizers, desks, and other bedroom furniture. And when the furniture is moved, the bugs tag along, expanding their invasion.
When bed bugs hide, they look for warm, hidden, tight, or hard-to-reach places where food is nearby. Because they have flat bodies, they can squeeze into small cracks and crevices. Also, they may lay eggs inside furniture. These eggs are not often visible until they hatch and perpetuate the infestation.
Hitching Rides on Winter Clothing
Carbon dioxide given off by breath, sweat, and skin attracts bed bugs. In some instances, the bugs follow carbon dioxide all the way back to one’s clothing. Also, clothing offers them a good hiding place.