Bed bugs are so tiny and flat that they can conceal themselves in spaces as small as a credit card. They are typically found near their food source, the bed, but as an infestation spreads, their hiding places become overcrowded and spread out.
Bed bugs can breed in blankets, sheets, and comforters. You may see them on the surface of your blanket, but they will also be hiding inside the fibers. If you try to remove bed bugs without thorough inspection and treatment, they will return repeatedly.
Do Bed Bugs Like Blankets?
Bed bugs are not like most other parasites. Other parasites, such as fleas, dwell on the host. They are small enough to avoid detection by the larger host animal. Bed bugs do not behave in this manner. Bed bugs, like mosquitos, cannot travel from one host to the next. Instead, bed bugs stick to one location. This location must be close to where a person sleeps for them to feed. They can only come as near as a blanket or bedspread.
Can Bed Bugs Bite Through Blankets?
Bed bugs can crawl into blankets and stay there but cannot bite through the fabric. Bed bugs have a unique mouth configuration that prevents this from happening—they use their long straw-like tongues to suck up blood.
But their other mouth structure is just as important. Above the straw-like snout, they have a shorter claw-like projection: Their function is to scrape the skin and prepare it for feeding. Even if they could reach the skin behind your garment, their feeding straws couldn’t pierce it. And even if somehow this happened, blood is too thick for them to suck up through a straw.
How To Check Your Bed for Infestation Signs?
One of the most common indicators is waking up with red, irritated skin or bite marks absent before bed.
Additional indications of a bed bug infestation include:
- There are blood stains on your pillowcases and bed sheets.
- Dark brown or rust-colored stains on the linens and mattresses.
- Ivory-colored eggshells. Due to their light color and tiny size, they are often difficult to detect.
- Occasionally, you can observe live bed bugs roaming your pillows, duvets, and mattress. Once they have fed, they are easier to identify because they become redder and swollen.
Blanket Bed Bug Treatment
Laundry is the simplest way to treat bed bugs in blankets before committing to this course of treatment. Blankets must be washable at a temperature that the washing machine can handle. Before transporting it to be laundered, however, you should securely bag it first. This is done by placing your blanket in a secure bag before laundering it on high heat with detergent.
Conclusion
If you have successfully eradicated all bed bugs from your bedding, lock your clean linens in strong plastic bags. Make sure that any holes are sealed. Other sprays should be avoided since they are frequently ineffective and might leave stains and an unpleasant odor.
Hiring a professional will also be the best option to prevent bed bugs from returning. Contact your local pest control company immediately if you see any signs of pesky bed bugs. Tornado Pest Control LLC offers a wide range of services, including bed bug treatment and prevention. We can help you get rid of these pests, so give us a call today!
