There are plenty of misconceptions floating around about bed bugs in Lakewood – and it’s important to separate fact from fiction. 

Do bed bugs only invade dirty homes? One of the most common misconceptions that people make about bed bugs is that you’ve only got to worry about them if you have a dirty home. Although some pests may be more likely to infest poorly maintained homes because it means easier access to food and water, bed bugs aren’t interested in your leftovers. 

Bed bugs feast on human blood, and they’re just as likely to invade clean homes as they are dirty ones. Having a bed bug infestation isn’t a result of your housekeeping skills, and keeping a clean home won’t necessarily prevent bed bugs. 

Do bed bugs travel on clothes? Bed bugs aren’t interested in dirty homes, so how do they pick which homes they’d like to infest? As it turns out, bed bugs are one of the few pests that get around by hitching a ride on people and our belongings. These critters are also called parasitical hitchhikers and get from one place to another by climbing onto your luggage, bags, clothing, or other personal items. 

However, bed bugs are more likely to cling to your suitcases or luggage than they are to your clothes. Since humans move around a lot, using clothing doesn’t give bed bugs the best hiding spots – but they may still use clothing if they have no other choice. 

To pick up bed bugs and bring them into your home, you have to travel to a place where there’s an existing bed bug infestation. This could be a hotel, airport, train station, or even a friend’s house. Any place where there’s regular human activity has the potential to house bed bugs, and some of these critters may follow you back home.