Bed bug infestations are on the rise and are becoming increasingly common in homes and businesses. These bloodsucking parasites have been associated with humans for thousands of years. But what attracts bedbugs to human environments is still unknown to many of us.
This blog will shed light on some factors beyond human control that attracts bed bugs. This may sound too vague but read the entire blog to believe it.
By the end of the blog, we will also furnish some tips to keep bed bugs away from you and sleep peacefully.
So, without much ado, let’s jump into the top uncontrollable factors that attract bed bugs to human environments.
- Carbon Dioxide:As warm-blooded humans, we exhale carbon dioxide naturally, which shockingly attracts bed bugs. When you are asleep, there is little or no movement, and because of exhaling, a cloud of carbon dioxide stays around you that signals these pesky bloodsuckers that since you are in an inactive state, it is the perfect time to launch an attack on you.
- Body Heat:Body heat comes second as a major bed bug’s attractant. Bed bugs love the warmth, and the average human body temperature is warm enough to attract bed bugs. As long as you are alive, breathing in and out, and giving off body heat, you are inviting bed bugs to sink their jaws into you.
- Skin:Bed Bugs are not predators. They love to feast on easy meals like we humans who have no idea what is going on. They will leave no opportunity to get through your skin. However, they are lazy and prefer soft skin, which means the callous on your toe is relatively safer than the soft forearm skin. But, just like bed bugs, we also love soft skin, so toughening up the skin to stay protected from bug bites? No thanks!
- Blood Type: So, what’s your blood type? Oh no! We don’t intend to tip bed bugs. But, your blood type is also a bed bug magnet. Yes! That is right. According to some recent experiments with mosquitoes, hematophagous are attracted to some blood types as people with different blood types have different body scents that attract bed bugs.
- Clothing:While wearing long sleeves pajamas can keep bed bugs away from one part of the body, it may just funnel the problem to some other exposed area such as your face. Moreover, the color of your clothes also attracts bed bugs. It is observed that people who wear dark-colored clothes attract more bed bugs than people who prefer to wear light-colored clothes.
How do you stop bedbugs from biting you?
Now that we know of the uncontrollable factors that can attract bed bugs to us, the best route we can take is to prevent ourselves from bug bites. Here is a quick list of top prevention tips to keep bed bugs away.
- Keep your room well-ventilated and avoid placing plants in a room, as it can affect the level of carbon dioxide.
- Keep your body covered while you sleep with a quilt or a blanket.
- Maintain cleanliness by washing bed sheets, pillowcases and blankets regularly.
- Prefer using light colors, such as green, yellow, and white for clothes, bed sheets, curtains, and pillowcases. This will keep the room bright and fresh and minimize the risk of bug bites. You can green, yellow, and white colors.
Final Words
We all deserve sound sleep and wake up without any bed bug bites. While it is clear that some factors are beyond our control, we can always try the aforementioned tips to reduce the chances of these critters feasting on us. In case of a severe bed bug infestation, it is always advised to seek the help of pest control professionals to get rid of bed bugs and your worries for good.