A new study finds that bedbugs – just like flies and other insects – have favorite colors. They really like dark red and black, and they shun dazzling white and bright yellow.
Luckily, scientists are on the case. In a new study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology, researchers from Union College and the University of Florida found that bed bugs have color preferences. Specifically, bed bugs prefer red and black and hate yellow, white, and green.
Yellow was basically as unpopular as white with all of the bed bugs tested, with green following close behind. That may be because the bugs read yellow as bright, making them want to hide from it as if it's a light. Conversely, they might see red and black as being dark, and therefore hidden and safe.
A bed bug's least favorite colors are white, green, and yellow. Scientists and observers believe it's because these colors offer less concealment. Compared to darker colors; white, green, and yellow are seen to be less safe for the bed bugs.
You may be thinking, can you get bed bugs from not washing your sheets? No—bed bugs have absolutely nothing to do with cleanliness levels. However, washing your sheets regularly gives you the opportunity to look for and remove any possible bed bug infestations.
Lemon (Or Any Citrus)
Like many other animals, bed bugs hate the smell of citrus plants. Citrus, particularly oranges and lemons, will smell gross to them. As a result, most bed bugs will not want to stick around this aroma for too long. There are several ways to make this work for you if you want to repel insects.
Technically, bed bugs can live through a cycle in the washing machine. The truth is that while washing your clothes or linens will kill most of the bed bugs, the heat of drying your items is what will ultimately exterminate any and all remaining bugs. As we mentioned above, bed bugs do not tolerate heat.
To lure bed bugs out of their hiding spots, you can use a steamer or a hairdryer to heat areas such as mattresses. Neither of these is hot enough to kill the bed bugs, but it can trick them into thinking a human host is near. You can also keep an eye out at night to locate their nests when they are most active.
Sleep in long-sleeved clothing
Lower your risk of getting bedbug bites by wearing long-sleeved pajamas with pants while sleeping. But be mindful that bedbugs can find their way to your skin under loose clothing. So wear pajamas that are more fitted around your ankles and wrists to give you the best protection.
Heat – Bed bugs use sensory structures on their antennae to detect body heat. Body Odor – Bed bugs are also attracted to the various odor molecules produced by our bodies. Body odor is also why bed bugs are twice as more likely to be attracted to dirty laundry than to clean laundry.
Rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses caused by bed bugs being crushed. Dark spots (about this size: ), which are bed bug excrement and may bleed on the fabric like a marker would. Eggs and eggshells, which are tiny (about 1mm) and pale yellow skins that nymphs shed as they grow larger.
In a nutshell, you should wash your bed sheets and pillowcases once a week, or every other week at the very least.
While unproven scientifically, it seems they may be more attracted to women than men for the purpose of feeding. Some scientists suggest it is because men are hairier and bed bugs cannot easily walk or feed on hairy skin. Smooth skin is easier for bed bugs to penetrate and bite.
Bed bugs are attracted to sleeping humans due to the carbon dioxide emitted while sleeping, as well as other biochemical signals humans give off while asleep. These chemical cues give bed bugs an “all clear" sign to come out and get an easy blood meal from sleeping, human prey.
DIY treatments include high heat, bleach, alcohol, and diatomaceous earth. Rubbing alcohol, salt, baking soda, and boric acid are not effective. Certain essential oils repel bed bugs but won't kill them. Diatomaceous earth is an effective passive method of bed bug treatment.
Bed bugs hate scents such as lemon scents, cinnamon oil, neem oil, spearmint, and silicone. They will hide from you when you use these smells.
A cluttered home provides more places for bed bugs to hide and makes locating and treating them harder. If bed bugs are in your mattress, using special bed bug covers (encasements) on your mattress and box springs makes it harder for bed bugs to get to you while you sleep. Leave the encasements on for a year.
Travel – Bedbugs may find their way onto luggage in hotels and motels with a high number of occupants. If you have stayed at a hotel or other home recently, leave bags and clothes in the garage or somewhere far from upholstered surfaces, suggests Allan Bossel, to avoid unintentionally transporting them to your home.
If you have a bed bug problem, you're probably wondering how to clean every inch of your home. Although bed bugs certainly prefer living in mattresses, they can infest carpet, too! Instead of burrowing into the carpet, the bugs will stay close to the surface. This makes it easier to vacuum them up!
If a friend stays overnight somewhere on their way to your home for the holidays, they could bring bed bugs to your home. If a friend has a bed bug infestation and they don't realize it, they can bring bed bugs over to your house, even during the day.
FACT: Bed bug infestations have nothing to do with the cleanliness of the home or the people living there. While cleaning up excessive clutter and frequent vacuuming can prevent largescale infestations, the truth is that bed bugs don't discriminate.
Regularly changing your sheets and airing your mattress is a good way to keep an eye out for bed bugs, but cleaning alone might not get rid of them. If you find yourself with bed bugs, you may need to call a pest controller in to help get rid of them.
You should treat every two weeks until activity is gone.