New research on bed bugs reveal why the spread of the tiny blood sucking insects has increased globally. This is probably because of their quest for human odour in dirty clothes in bags, wardrobes and other places. According to a recent study, the bugs are attracted to residual human odour in clothes and gather round bags or furniture where such clothes are found.

The study titled ‘Bed bug aggregation on dirty laundry: a mechanism for passive dispersal’ was published in the September 2017 issue of the journal Scientific reports.

The Sheffield scientists found that in the absence of a human host, bed bugs were twice as likely to aggregate on bags containing soiled clothes compared to bags containing clean clothes.

Results from the research suggest that residual human odour on soiled clothes acts as an elicitor of host-seeking behaviour in bed bugs. Consequently, dirty laundry left in an open suitcase, or left on the floor of an infested room may attract bed bugs.

Dr William Hentley from the University of Sheffield said: “Bed bugs are a huge problem for hotel and homeowners, particularly in some of the world’s biggest and busiest cities. Once a room is infested with bed bugs, they can be very difficult to get rid of, which can result in people having to dispose of clothes and furniture that can be really costly.

“Our study suggests that keeping dirty laundry in a sealed bag, particularly when staying in a hotel, could reduce the chances of people taking bed bugs home with them, which may reduce the spread of infestations.”

Bedbugs are tiny insects that feed on human blood. They generally live in cracks and crevices in and around beds. At night, they crawl out to bite and suck human blood. This can be emotionally or physically distressing. It could also be costly. Recently, a woman sued a rental company because they provided a bed infested with bugs which led to room infestation and skin rash.



If you regularly stay at hotels, you may be at risk of taking bed bugs home. Travelers from different part of the world may unknowingly carry bed bugs that have aggregated in their bags leading to infestation of hotel rooms. That is why even some of the best hotels in the world may still be vulnerable to bed bug infestation.

How can you tell if you have bed bugs?

Because minor infestations are a lot easier to manage, you should regularly look for signs of bed bugs. More so, if you have stayed at hotels or other places in the recent past, you may need to ascertain if you have not accidentally brought them home.

Bed bugs crawl quickly from one room to another, if unchecked. Therefore, actively look for the following physical signs (You may need a torchlight for this), mostly around the mattress, bed frame, cracks and crevices:

Rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses

Tiny dark spots which may be their poo

Skin bites which are itchy bumps on the arms, legs, face, neck and other exposed areas of the body. It is easy to attribute this to mosquito bites in tropical countries where these insects flourish. However, further investigation may reveal the bites are actually from bed bugs.




Source:http://www.healthx24.com/bed-bugs-spread/

What can you do to get rid of bed bugs?

Each female bedbug produces 200-500 eggs over 6-12 months making bed bugs really difficult to eliminate. Therefore, prevention is a your best option.

Regularly inspect your mattresses and furniture for bugs

Be cautious with bringing second hand furniture into the home

This is best handled by professionals. However, you may be able to control minor cases of infestations. In doing this, bear in mind the following principles:

You have to plan well in advance before commencing treatment because it may take months to eradicate them. Do you need inform neighbours, waste disposal agents? Where would you keep infested items? How often do you intend to monitor?

You would need to use multiple approaches to succeed. This is because some bugs may develop resistance to pesticides

Some common methods used include heat, cold, drying agents and chemicals

Check for new bugs every few days after a cycle of treatment

For skin bites, topical treatment like antihistamine or hydrocortisol creams may be needed.



http://www.healthx24.com/bed-bugs-spread/

Nice one...I know many people here on nairaland will pretend like they've never had bed bug experience before..Will I agree with the op and the writer. Many hotels and house in Nigeria have bugs. I visited one hotel as I was seating on the cushion chair,one guy said something is biting him that there is bugs in the chair .. instantly I jejely stand,left for my house then on getting home I removed every cloth on me spread it outside to be washed the following day ...I no wan hear story

Rootprof:
Nice one...I know many people here on nairaland will pretend like they've never had bed bug experience before..Will I agree with the op and the writer. Many hotels and house in Nigeria have bugs. I visited one hotel as I was seating on the cushion chair,one guy said something is biting him that there is bugs in the chair .. instantly I jejely stand,left for my house then on getting home I removed every cloth on me spread it outside to be washed the following day ...I no wan hear story

True!... If bedbugs can be found in some of the best hotels around the world you shouldn't be surprised if its found locally too...

I'm presently dealing with bed bug infestation and I can't even fathom where it came from.
It is quite stressful.