Once bed bugs are in your house, you want to eliminate them. But as you’re battling them with our natural bed bug treatment (and winning! ), you also want to take the time to do a “post mortem” of the situation to do whatever you can to make sure it never happens again.

That means finding out the most common ways bed bugs get into your house and doing what you can to avoid repeating the same mistakes. Here are three of the most common ways they get in.

You Bring Them In

The most common way bed bugs get into most houses is after someone has been to a hotel. The insects love to hide when they’re not feasting on a sleeping person, which means they’ll hide anywhere they can: under the mattress is a common one, but if the suitcase is close by, they’ll duck in there for a nap.

So, how can we make a change and prevent this? Firstly, equip yourself with a bed bug detection light to spot any signs of these unwelcome guests. If detected, promptly inform the front desk and request a new room, preferably far from the initial one. Repeat this process as needed, even if it means considering a change of hotel.

Even if there's no indication of bed bugs, it's still a good idea to use our bed bug travel spray. This 3-ounce, TSA-approved bottle (which you can take in carry-on luggage) kills bed bugs and helps to kill any that might come near you. It's safe, non-toxic to humans, and even smells pretty good!

Also, keep your suitcase off the bed and put it in the bathroom until you are certain the room is clean. Invest in luggage covers to prevent bed bugs from getting into your luggage. Remember, they crawl not just directly into the body of your suitcase but also into the seams and crevices. If you're not using luggage covers, spraying your luggage with some of our travel spray as you leave the hotel would be a good idea.

Your Guest Brings Them In

Most of us enjoy hosting friends or family, as long as they don’t stick around for too long and don’t bring bed bugs with them. If it’s just your parents, whose only vacation is visiting you once a year, you probably don’t have much to worry about. But you might be in danger if your buddy never spends more than a week in one place and likes to brag about the Airbnb and hostel he stays in.

It can be hard to address the idea of bed bugs with your guests. Most hosts are reticent to bring up their fear of bed bugs, even though it’s a perfectly normal thing to have, considering how bad infestations can get. And it’s socially awkward to say, “Can I spray your suitcase with this bed bug killer?” People will most likely be offended, but it’s up to you, depending on how (rightfully) phobic you are of bed bugs (Cimexaphobia. There, we just made up a new word.)

Once your guests are gone, get to work checking for any signs of those horrible little vampires. Wash the sheets in hot water no matter what, and watch this video to find out the most common places they hide in a room. Lay some bed bug traps and spray the bed and surrounding area to make sure. It's better to deal with a few now than wait for them to breed.

The good news? Bed bugs aren't in your bedroom. The bad news? Bed bugs have no problem traveling for a meal. Unless your guest room is in the basement, there's a good chance they'll make their way across the floor of a house to search out a meal, drawn by the warmth of your body and the CO2 you breathe out all the time.

Watch Out For Short-Term Guests

Unfortunately, it’s not just the overnight guests you must worry about.

Bed bugs love to hide, meaning they’ll head for any place that will give them cover during the day. That might be a bed frame, which your friends probably aren’t bringing over when you invite them for a barbecue. But it might also be a backpack they left on their bed, which they then packed with their Nintendo Switch to bring to your house. Once they drop it on your floor, the transfer of bed bugs is complete, and you’d better hope it’s not a pregnant female.

This can happen with any guest you have, whether they’re a great friend stopping by for the afternoon or your lawyer bringing papers in their suitcase that he recently took on a business trip.

What can you do to protect yourself in such situations? First of all, keep people away from your bed. It should be the place you escape to, not a place to drop coats during a party. Second, spray some of our bed bug sprays across the doorsill of each bedroom door, or sprinkle some insect control dust there. Even if the bed bugs find their way from your living room or dining room to a bedroom, they won’t be able to cross that line.

And Finally...

Do you know what one of the worst parts of the entire situation is? Bed bug mating is such a traumatic process for the female (it’s called traumatic insemination for a reason...don’t click that link) that she often runs off as far away as possible to hide and recover. That means leaving the bed and usually hiding in something else, like a suitcase or backpack, only to be transferred to a new location. In other words, the most likely bed bug to travel is pregnant!

So there you go, the most common ways people get bed bugs into their homes. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so do what you can to kill those bed bugs at the hotel before you even pick them up. And if they do make it to your home, exterminate them with extreme prejudice with this all-in-one bed bug eradication kit!

Our natural, plant-based Bed Bug Patrol Killer Spray provides an all-natural solution to infestations of bed bugs, as well as fleas, spiders, and other common indoor bugs. Our 100% natural solution is made in the USA. It relies on the power of natural ingredients like citric acid, clove oil, and peppermint oil to naturally deter these bugs from living in your furnishings and upholstery. Just spray our solution on affected surfaces twice per day, and it will get to work on exterminating your bed bugs and preventing their return. To keep you safe from bed bugs on your travels, arm yourself with our Bed Bug Blasting Travel Spray, which comes in a handy, TSA-approved travel-size bottle for your convenience.