Here are two emails that we received from bed bug victims this week:
“i believe i may have bedbugs have 2 bites and found a desiccated bedbug casing this morning, in the bed! i had bedbugs about 2 years ago and got rid of them, but now they may be back! i would very much like for someone to come inspect and treat if need be as soon as possible!”
“got rid of bed bugs about two years ago, now they are back.”
We’re sorry that these people are suffering from reinfestations. Bed Bug elimination can be very stressful on a victim, and to have to go through it a second time is very frustrating. It’s possible these people got problems from their buildings, but it’s as likely that these victims didn’t change their habits enough after their first experiences with bed bug.
Vigilance is the best defense against bed bugs. You need to change your patterns to avoid or interrupt bed bugs’ paths back into your home. If you’re a past victim, try to understand how you got bed bugs the first time and don’t let the bed bugs hitchhike home with you the same or any other way.
- If you got bed bugs from a hotel, it doesn’t mean you can’t go on vacation, but you should throw your clothes in the dryer when you return from a trip and vacuum your suitcase.
- You still can go to the movies, the park, and school- but when you return home from public places that you believe are suspect, immediately disrobe and place your clothing in sealed plastic bags. Place that clothing in the dryer or send it to dry cleaner, and throw out that bag! Keep your purse or laptop bag inside a sealed plastic bin.
- Eliminate clutter from your home. Bed bugs love to hide in clutter.
- When at the gym, keep your gym bag and clothes in a large, sealable plastic bag inside your locker.