Do bed bugs hide in clothes? This seems to be the question most people ask, especially for those who do not understand how these bugs spread from one person to the other.
In this article, I seek to present the answer to the question: Can bed bugs live in Clothes or Hair?
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How Do Bed Bugs Spread from Person to Person?
Bed bugs spread from one person to another in the clothing or luggage of travelers. The bugs are picked up from infested areas, particularly in public places such as motel rooms. They are then carried back to your place of residence.
In the case of an exceptionally serious infestation, these insects travel through on pipes, ceiling openings, floor, and walls within buildings.
Another method they are transmitted into your home is through bringing second-hand items such as furniture at home.
Bed Bugs in Hair
Can Bed Bugs Live in your Hair?
Never, bed bugs can hide in your hair to move from one place to another, but can’t stay there for long.
It is important to understand that these bugs rarely hang out in your hair or on your skin. They like to nest in an area that is out of sight unless when they are feeding.
In the event that you see them crawling on you the whole day, it’s probable that what you are dealing with are lice, ticks, or fleas, as opposed to bed bugs.
You are unlikely to find them in your hair since, unlike ticks and lice which have claws that help them to traverse in hair.
Can you carry Bed Bugs in your Hair?
It is possible if you have long and covered hair. In most cases, they cannot navigate in your hair since they lack claws for doing that.
Symptoms of bed bugs in hair
As already stated here above, Bed bugs do not reside in the hai for long as fleas or lice do. Therefore if bed bugs can be found in the hair, it would be because they are temporarily hiding there waiting to move to other parts of the home.
Die major symptoms of bed bugs in the hair are:
- Brown speckles in hair – Bed bugs are brown in color and therefore you may see the brown speckles moving in the hair and they could be bed bugs
- The irritating effect of insect crawling – If you are highly sensitive enough you may feel bed bugs crawling in you hair
- Bed bugs shells and nits on hair -Â Since bed bugs molt regularly it is possible you may come into contact with the bed bug shells
Bed Bugs in Hair Pictures
Here are some of the pictures you may not want to see showing bed bugs in hair. The tiny nature of bed bugs may sometimes make them hard to spot when crawling in the hair.
How to Kill Bed Bugs in Hair Using Natural Methods
There are several natural ways you can completely get rid of bed bugs in your hair. First, you need to know that sometimes it’s extremely difficult to make your home-proof from these bugs once they infest your rooms.
They are hardy insects known to thrive under any prevailing condition, live long without feeding, and reproduce at an alarming rate.
Although there are chemical extermination choices in your local market, a few people would like to have their rooms sprayed with chemicals.
Also, with time, the bugs have become resistant to some extermination chemicals. This is really proving to be a big issue in homes.
But, here is the option to deal with this issue head-on:
- Inspect your home repeatedly
Early detection of these bugs and prevention are the best resources you have to fight or kill bed bug infestation. Therefore, don’t hesitate. First, get a mirror and a flashlight.
These tools will help you spot the tiny and small eggs of these insects which your naked eyes cannot see.
The possible areas of infestation and look at include bed frames, around mattresses, and any place that is cracked or has crevices. So, start there.
- Remove any spotted Bed Bugs physically
Start a war against the bugs by flicking them out of their hiding areas using a business card. Use a paper towel to crush them. Catch them using sticky tape or vacuum them up. Use any possible means to get rid of them.
- Dry-clean all your Bedclothes
Collect all your bedding or any other suspicious washable clothing or items close to the sleeping region, including sheets, blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals. Wash them and dry in hot series. The high heat will eliminate all the eggs and bugs.
- Freeze it if washing the Infested Items is not possible
Some household items cannot be washed. In such an event, put such things in a freezer and set the temperature extremely low. That will kill both the eggs and bugs as well.
- Vacuum Exhaustively
Another choice you have is to vacuum your rooms including all likely places for their hideout. Repeat this process for some weeks daily if these insects seriously infest the home. Immediately through away the vacuum sack far away from your compound.
- Try Using Essential Oils
Orange oil, cedar oil, and tea tree oil are known to exterminate the bugs on contact. Combine the oils with water and spray the mixture on the affected area using a spray bottle. Do this daily until you are sure that they are completely killed.
Bed Bugs on Clothes
Can Bed Bugs Stay on Your Clothes All Day?
It’s most unlikely but possible that bed bugs can stay on your clothes all day. There exist several myths about these mysterious bugs. First, you should know that they exclusively live in hidden places such as mattresses.
They are a misnomer and terribly nondiscriminatory in nature. They can be found at any place or location. They can travel on your body, including on top of your clothes.
However, they don’t like heat and thus, would probably hide inside your clothes close to the heat of your body. They mostly travel on items further removed from the body, such as shoes, luggage, and backpacks.
How Long Do Bed Bugs Live on Clothes
The question on the number of days or months bed bugs stay on clothes may have varying answers depending on several other factors. For example, the answer depends on whether or not the clothes in question are worn regularly or if they are left untouched for several months.
If bed bugs infect you your clothing, and you d wear them on a regular basis, then bed bugs will stay in the clothes forever till the day you get rid of all of them using pest control methods.
However, if you abandon clothes infested by bed bugs in the wardrobe and stay away from the house, then ned bugs would die naturally at the end of their lifespan due to a lack of food (blood). On average a bed bug has a lifespan of 4 to 6 months. That then means it would take about 6 months for bed bugs living in your clothes to die out.
Bedbug Sprays for Clothes -(Top-rated)
Are there bed bug repellents for clothes? Well, yes, there are many sprays one can use to get rid of bed bugs on clothes. There are many sprays you can use to do that.
Some of the 5 best-rated sprays you can buy to kill bed bugs on clothes include:
- MDX Concepts Bed Bug Killer with Natural Organic formula
- Harris Bed Bug Killer – the toughest odorless bedbug spray for bed bugs on fabric
- EcoRaider Bed Bug Killer Spray for clothing and is both child and pet friendly
- Eco Defense Bed Bug Spray with fast-acting natural compounds
- RestEasy Environmentally friendly Bed bug spray
FAQs on Bed Bugs in Clothes
Below are the frequently asked questions about bed bugs in clothes. In this section, we seek to address all aspects of this issue exhaustively:
Can you Carry Bed Bugs in your Clothes? Do bed bugs travel in clothes?
Of course, you can carry bed bugs in your clothes. However, they will likely hide inside the clothes because they don’t like being exposed to heat.
They would rather be close to body heat. So check your clothes properly, bed bugs may be traveling in your clothes!
Do you have to Wash Your Clothes if you Have Bed Bugs?
Yes, you can definitely wash your clothes if you think they are infested with bed bugs. However, you should expose the cleaned clothes to hot air to kill the remaining bugs.
Can Bed Bugs Survive in the Washing Machine?
It is possible, but it depends on the set temperature of the machine. Extreme temperatures kill all the bugs.
Do bed bugs eat clothes?
Well, bed bugs do not bite clothes. Unlike cockroaches or rats, bed bugs just stain the clothes with their feces and eggshells
Bed Bugs on Clothes Pictures
Here are some of the rare pictures of bed bugs on clothes you will ever come across. As you can see in the picture, bed bugs tend to crowd in a corner where they lay eggs and reproduce rapidly.
How to Eliminate Bed Bugs in Laundry!
The cheap and simple way to get rid of bed bugs is through washing bedding and clothes. It is a critical way to control them.
Laundry may eliminate some of the bugs but not all. It is the drying heat, which may kill the remaining eggs and bugs. Using a couple of commonsense practices, your clothes can easily be disinfected. But the question remains, how do you get bed bugs out of your clothes?
Well, here are key laundry steps you can use to control bed bugs in your clothes:
These steps encompass: organizing clothes; doing laundry and exposing to air or heating; and keeping washed, clean clothes.
- Arranging garments:
- Pre-sort your clothes in the infested location using the same procedure during your normal laundry and place each of the sorted clothes in its plastic bag. Follow the washing and drying processes discussed above.
- Isolate the clothes that are dry and clean to avoid making them wet. You can as well dry them in a dryer.
- Cover the plastic bags before moving your washing. By doing so, it will help in preventing the transfer of the bugs into other places not infested either in the Laundromat or your home.
- Doing Laundry and Exposing your Clothes to Air or Heat:
- Into your dry-clean-only, dryer, or washer, tip each bag.
- After emptying each bag, fold and wrap the paper with the opening being at the center.
- Put the emptied sacks into a clean one immediately and deal before disposing of them.
- At the hottest temperature, wash and dry your wear.
- Use dryer or dry-clean-only where possible following the right procedure.
- Keeping the Cleaned Clothes:
- Immediately you remove the clothes from the dryer, and fold them. Don’t avoid spreading the clean and dry clothes on the table before inspecting to see whether it has bed bugs.
- Keep in bags the clean clothes until you get at your residence or home.
- Put away your clothes from the laundry after ensuring that you have successfully eliminated the bugs.
- Otherwise, store the folded laundry in the plastic sack and take away garments as required. This way, you will prevent re-infesting the clothes.
External References on Bed Bugs in Clothes
- 1: Cornell College – What You Should Know About Bed Bugs
- 2: Bed Bug Supply – Can bed bugs live in my hair or on my body?
- 3: Scientific American – Myths About Bed Bugs
- 4: The University of Minnesota – Laundering Items to Kill Bed Bugs
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