How Fast Can Bed Bugs Spread?
Bed bugs are nasty creatures that feast on the blood of humans and pets. If you never had to deal with bed bugs, then you are lucky. Once bed bugs infiltrate a home, they usually cause a ton of raucous bites on their host family members, itchy spots, and other discomforts. Unfortunately, bed bugs are hard to eradicate, and no matter the size of the infestation, they will require a professional bed bug treatment service. In addition, many people wonder about the different ways that insects can spread from contact to contact. Let’s explore how fast bed bugs spread:
Within the home
Compared to other crawling creatures, bed bugs are generally slow to procreate. One adult female will lay one to twelve eggs per day. The egg takes roughly a week and a half to hatch and then up to seven weeks to become an adult. It may seem that bed bugs crop up from nowhere and suddenly attack, but they are often growing their families over weeks or even months before you’ll even notice their arrival. So it’s safe to say that if there are many adult bed bugs in an infestation, it has been there for several months or longer. Technically, bed bugs can travel from room to room within a home within minutes, with one female bed bug responsible for up to 500 offspring throughout their lifetime.
From one home to another
Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers and travel long distances by hitching a ride on items such as clothing, luggage, boxes, and used bed linens. You can often find bed bugs in areas with a high turnover of overnight guests like hostels, hotels, cruise ships, and even hospitals. Bed bugs cannot fly but crawl quickly. They can move on average three feet within a minute. If one place has an infestation, it could be simply an overnight stay at an infested hotel or a long plane ride that can bring critters to new living quarters.
Person to person
Bed bugs are not transmitted directly through person-to-person contact. If so, they would be a bit more like lice that jump from an infected person to another non-infected host. Instead, beds bugs need humans for food, but not much else. They hitch rides in luggage seams, clothing, furniture, and other places that they can hide during travel. So while a bed bug can make its way home on your child’s backpack, you won’t find it on their skin or hair upon arrival.
Bed bugs feast during the night, often between midnight and early morning. Bites are not noticeable for at least 24 to 48 hours in most cases and up to 14 days in some other circumstances. Because bed bugs are a growing problem in the United States, checking travel items and clothing after a trip is crucial. Some savvy travelers wash their travel clothes and luggage immediately after returning home.
Hire professional bed bug extermination
If you believe that you may have an infestation, do not go at it alone. Instead, contact a bed bug exterminator to find out what your options are. By doing so, you eliminate any chance of bed bugs finding solace in your home.
Bed Bugs Arizona offers a free, in-home bed bug inspection and a one-year warranty on all bed bug services. No obligation. We specialize in apartment communities. Our fast, certified technicians provide the Pro-Treat Plus method of bed bug removal to Phoenix and surrounding cities in a 100-mile plus radius including Flagstaff, Globe, and Casa Grande. Veteran and senior discounts. Call now at (602) 962-8806.
