If you still haven’t had to deal with bed bugs in your lifetime, you are indeed among the lucky ones. Bed bugs are a widespread pest around the UK. They survive equally well in both domestic and commercial environments, as long as they have a safe place to hide and a source of regular meals – human blood.
Can those nasty intruders nest in your pillows, how to spot and recognise them, and what kind of bed bug treatment to initiate after that? Learn all you need to know in the following short paragraphs.
Can bed bugs live in pillows?
Yes, they do. In fact, they can exist virtually everywhere. Bed bugs are known to favour the debris of your mattress, and yet you can find them in tens of other exotic places: the bed frames and headboards, nightstands, chairs, couches, curtains, and even under your wallpapers.
The heavier your bed bug infestation, the more widespread it becomes. That’s why you shall waste no time and act immediately after seeing the first signs of a problem. Severe bed bug infestations should be approached by a professional, using bed bug heat treatment, bed bug spray treatment, or a combination of both.
What types of pillows can get infested?
Sorry for delivering the bad news again. Bed bugs can survive in literally any type of pillow known on the market. The list of potential hiding places includes:
- Feather pillows;
- Down pillows;
- Microbead pillows
- Memory foam pillows;
- Buckwheat pillows, etc.
Do they prefer any particular type of pillow? Not really. All they want is to be close to your body and use it as a food source during the night. In the case of pillows, that would be your face, your neck, your shoulders, and the upper parts of your chest and back.
When and why do bed bugs nest in pillows?
Pillows are usually not where a bed bug infestation originates. In other words: if the pests have already reached your pillow, it means that they are probably in your mattress and all around it too.
Why migrating to the pillows, though? It is a result of the process of laying eggs. A female bed bug rarely stays in one place after mating. She tries to avoid other males until all of her eggs have been laid successfully – a process that lasts four to six weeks. So, she starts moving around and eventually reaches your pillow on the way.
How to tell if there are bed bugs in your pillow?
The most common red
flags of bed bug infestation in your pillow include:
- Bites of unknown origin on your face and neck;
- Red or brownish staining caused by blood or faeces;
- A sweet yet repelling odour around your bedding;
- Dead bugs and old bed bug shells.
Spotting bed bugs might be tricky if you are inexperienced. Anyway, once you define your problem, you shall immediately begin to plan proper treatment.
How to make them go away?
Bed bugs cannot survive high temperatures, so that’s going to be a vital part of your success story. Sometimes, washing your pillows will do the magic, and sometimes it won’t – it all depends on the infestation levels. In this case, calling a professional bed bug exterminator would be the wisest thing to do in the long run.
