Hitchhiking pests are a nuisance. They can be found anywhere from public transportation to your own home. And they carry with them a variety of diseases. However, there are steps you can take to avoid these pests from entering your life.
You may not be able to control hitchhiking pests in public spaces, but you have more power over your home. And you should take steps to protect yourself and everyone in your household.
Whether you travel a lot or not, you can likely pick up bugs along the way. Pests are very resourceful creatures and they’ll take any chance to latch on you or your stuff. Once you take them unknowingly inside your home, they can multiply and put your health and property at risk.
Here are four hitchhiking pests that can find their way to your home by hitching a ride with you.
1. Ants
The smell of food can draw ants to your grocery bags. Make sure to seal all food products before going inside your home. Once they come into your house, they are hard to get rid of.
If you spot even a single ant anywhere in your home, it’s a red flag that their colony is somewhere on your property. It’s time for an ant control measure to control the infestation.
2. Cockroaches
Out of all the hitchhiker pests, cockroaches are skilled property infiltrators. They can breed quickly right under your nose. These bugs are known carriers of disease-causing bacteria and should be eliminated immediately.
Cockroaches can enter your home by latching to bags, boxes, baggage, and furniture. They can sneak into cracks, crevices, cupboards, and drawers to hide and multiply. When an infestation occurs, you would need professional cockroach control to remove them effectively.
3. Fleas
Having no cats or dogs at home does not make you safe from fleas. These hitchhiker bugs are attracted to any warm-blooded host. They can attach themselves to your shoes, clothing, and luggage. You can carry them home unnoticed where they will wreak havoc to the health of animals and humans alike.
Fleas can cause allergic reactions and transmit tapeworms to pets. If you suspect you have fleas at home, do a flea treatment asap!
4. Bed Bugs
If you stay in inns, hotels, or similar places on your trips, you are likely to pick up bed bugs from there. These seasoned hitchhiking pests can crawl into your backpack or suitcase from any of these places. You’ll be taking home with you one of the most notorious breeders and set off a full-blown infestation in no time at all.
These pesky pests are difficult to remove on your own. You will need help from an expert in bed bug control to eradicate them and prevent future infestation.
Read also: 7 Tips To Prepare for Bed Bug Treatment
How to avoid taking home hitchhiking pests?
Protect your home from stowaway pests by doing the following measures.
- Inspect airports, taxis, buses, motels, and hotels for bed bug signs when traveling.
- Check furniture, bedding, and mattresses for bed bugs in the room you’ll be staying in for the trip.
- Keep bags and other belongings off the ground and only unpack things that you need.
- Unpack your luggage outside when you come home and wash all clothing on high heat.
- Vacuum and sanitize your luggage thoroughly before storing it.
- Prevent your kids from sitting or lying on the floor in shopping centers, airports, and hotel rooms.
Read also: Pest Control: The Benefits of Keeping Your Home Pest Free
Final Thoughts
You can stop hitchhiking pests to invade your home with the above preventative measures. Yet, if some bugs still gain entry to your home, you should eliminate them with pest control.
Looking for a trusted pest control service in Singapore? Contact us at 6970 0205!
