Do bed bugs live on people's clothes - do they live in the closet and can the parasites be transferred from other people

Reader Question:

Anna

We came to visit our relatives for a few days, they are quite close people, so you can't just say to our face our dissatisfaction - they will be offended. The thing is that there are bedbugs, there are a lot of them, and I find them even on the blanket. We're in another city, so we can't go home so easily. We will have to stay here until the end (probably not) or move to a hotel (which is more likely). It's still unclear what to do with things, because now that I've seen the parasites, I think they could have gotten into our suitcases as well.
The situation is difficult, because all the clothes need to be cleaned as quickly as possible. You may have to take them to the dry cleaner, but it would be a shame to give them away in such a condition. What if there are big bugs, no one knows. One thing is clear, we're not coming here again, because it's a lot of stress for me. My husband's sister does not see the problem, saying that the house is old, bedbugs are here often, they do not disturb, as they do not bite. It's a nightmare, but there's nothing to do, everyone chooses their own way. The question is different, can bed bugs live in your clothes, closet and blanket. I hope for a quick answer. Thank you.

The author of the portal answers the question:

Habitats of parasites

To find out if bedbugs live in the clothes, it is necessary to understand the principle of inhabiting the living space. Thus, pests try to settle closer to the sleeping place of a person. Once in the apartment/home, they first find the host. Then they choose a hidden area where they can remain unnoticed.

First of all, there is an infestation of the room where a person's sleeping place is, the insects hide inside the construction of the bed, sofa.

As they multiply parasites is becoming more and more numerous. And this is happening rapidly, as a result, there is a need to find new habitats.

Where and how to find bed bugs

You should look for signs of parasites in the areas:

• inside the sockets;
• under the carpeting;
• inside the upholstered furniture, which is next to the bed;
• in the lighting fixtures installed near the sleeper;
• in closets, on shelves and clothes, underwear, but this is possible provided that closet items are not used for a long time;
• on the back walls of the decor elements;
• behind the baseboards;
• in the cracks of the floor, walls;
• at the joints of the wallpaper (if the coating has broken away from the surface).

Bed bugs spend most of the day in a dormant state.

They are in hidden areas and crawl out at night.

Measures to detect pests:

• strips of double-sided tape inside furniture, on the floor near the bed, along the baseboards, on the walls, if there is no way to stick them, then leave the adhesive pads or strips of ordinary tape;
• The container with the liquid - installed so that it was possible to install the foot of the bed inside, the same is done with the other three;
• inspection of the room at night with a flashlight or sudden switching on of the light between 2 and 6 o'clock.

Appearance of bloodsuckers. What bed bugs and their eggs look like on clothes. Close-up photos

Insects are easily recognizable. External signs:

• dark coloration (brown, maroon, brown), the larvae of bed bugs on clothing are lighter in color;
• 6 legs;
• 1 pair of tendrils;
• elastic chitinous covers: the body enlarges several times after eating;
• The proboscis is short but powerful.

Adults differ from larvae in appearance mainly in size and coloration.

If the home is infested, things can also contain insects.

Bed bugs look the same in a clothes closet as they do in a nest in any other area:

• merchandise bedbugs live in groups;
• They leave traces of life - dark stains that are difficult to remove;
• there will be a specific smell in the closet where the insects exist, reminiscent of old cognac;
• where the parasites live, you can also find brown husks (this is the chitinous shell that bed bugs shed during molting);
• females make a clutch in their clothes: eggs are light in color, oval in shape, with a lid on one side, the length of such a formation is 1 mm.

The main pathways of spread and movement

After getting the answer to the question whether bed bugs live in clothes, you need to know how they get there. Pathways of entry for bloodsucking insects:

• through the ventilation shafts from the neighbors;
• inside the home appliances, brought sofa, bed or other furniture;
• on the clothing (which the person wore) or along with the items (when purchasing);
• insects crawl out of travel bags after traveling.

Bed bugs are active at certain times in a person's home. It is not accidental that they are active at night, but because they can get a portion of food unnoticed by a sleeping person. During the day, the parasites are not active.

They can be seen at this time only if a person has not spent the night at home for a long time, and the insects are pretty hungry.

Can I bring bed bugs on my clothes home from guests?

This possibility is present. Bedbugs crawl out of shelters at night, so a guest who stays in an infested apartment until morning risks being bitten.

And the parasites can even be brought home if, for example, some individuals did not have time to hide, linger on clothing or leave a clutch of eggs.

Pests pounce on a guest who is sleeping in a new place, also because of hunger, for example, when the homeowner himself has just returned from a business trip/travel.

What kind of clothes parasites like

Parasites prefer to settle among things that have creases, the texture of the material is embossed, which allows the parasites to comfortably settle. They prefer seams, but do not like fur products, as they are difficult to move around. In addition, bed bugs are more likely to inhabit things that still retain human scent (clothing, pajamas), but here the parasites are easy to detect.

Regarding the type of fabric, pests infest closets with clothes made of natural and synthetic materials, they do not care about the properties of the fibers.

Peculiarities of parasitization

If the clothes closet/closet is next to the bed or couch, however, the pests can inhabit it almost immediately after entering uninfested areas.

Do clothes need to be treated?

To get rid of parasites, you should use a variety of products. However, when choosing them, it is necessary to remember about the safe use of things after the end of treatment. The advantage of using an insecticide is its prolonged action, so that the larvae that appeared after spraying the poisonous substance will also die. This is because bed bug eggs on clothing are unaffected by many poisons.

So, if you don't treat things, bed bugs in your clothes will continue to parasitize.

Do bed bugs bite through clothes?

They can only bite through epidermis that is not covered with anything.

Signs of insects

Pests can be detected by a number of characteristic manifestations:

• bites: neck, back, abdomen, face, limbs - upper, lower;
• unpleasant smell At home, those people who are familiar with the aroma of old cognac will immediately understand what its source is;
• Dirty clothes: brown husks, dark spots that merge into stains, as the fabric easily absorbs any liquids, even biological ones;
• insects, the shells of their eggs remain in the folds of things, inside furniture.

Destruction of bed bugs in clothing

To clean the room, you need to find and destroy insect nests. All furniture should be checked. It is freed from things. Clothes are cleaned from traces of pests, but some of the closet items cannot be saved.

There are different methods of exterminating bed bugs: physical, chemical and improvised means.

Heat and cold

These are the simplest and safest methods. The methods of temperature exposure are less suitable for cleaning the entire room from vermin. But they can be used to get rid of pests on things at home:

• parasites are killed instantly by temperature above +55 ° C, so often use a steam generator, boiling method, you can wash things in the washing machine (select mode +60 ° ... +90 ° C), but bed bugs can not tolerate the temperature of +45 ° C, they die in such conditions for 45-60 minutes;
• clothing pests die in the cold, the lower the temperature, the faster you can achieve the desired: death of parasites comes instantly at -25 ° C, if the value of this parameter is -17 ° C, you need to keep the insects longer in such conditions (several hours).

The best effective chemicals (preparations)

You must first understand how to treat things for bed bugs. The basic rules:

• The insecticide-based product is sprayed on the balcony or in the yard;
• The procedure is performed wearing gloves, a protective mask and goggles;
• You can wash things no earlier than the end of the period recommended by the manufacturer (for example, in 1-2 weeks), this time is set aside for waiting for larvae, which will kill the offspring.

Do not use insecticide-based liquid detergents to wash your clothes.

The parasites should be eliminated with the help of sprays:

• Raptor contains cypermethrintetramethrin, after treatment the aroma of mint appears, the drug begins to work in 15 minutes;
• Raid (cypermethrin, imiprotrin, pralectrin), such a product can kill various insects (flying, crawling);
• Perfos-P is an insecticide, characterized by an unpleasant odor, effective for 2-3 weeks after spraying;
• Clean House - The composition includes substances of pyrethroid class, they have a devastating effect on the nervous system of bed bugs, regardless of where they are (inside furniture, on clothing);
• Combat: The active ingredients are pyrethroids, the product affects the nervous system of insects.

Folk methods of action against bed bugs

Consider non-aggressive handy toolsbut it is important to remember that most of them do not kill insects. You need to understand how to get rid of bed bugs in your clothes under these conditions:

• Prepare a strong smelling solution based on vinegar (1:1), if you have stocks of this substance at home, you can try to soak clothes in it, but in this case the insects will die and the impact of the strong smell will not provide the desired result - this method is only used to scare pests out of the room;
• washing with denatured alcohol, bed bugs in clothes will die quickly, but eggs remain, they can be removed from things, separately filled with poison or destroyed mechanically.

Essential oilsAll of these substances, which are effective in repelling insects from the apartment, should not be used to kill parasites on clothing because they can leave stains that are difficult to remove.

Video tip (photo + video): how to properly treat clothes if you suspect bed bugs on your clothes

How to wash clothes after bedbugs

You need to study the properties of the fabric. This will help you understand how to treat clothes against bed bugs:

• mechanically remove visible individuals, then burn them, or else the pests will survive;
• run the washing machine at high temperature (choose the one that best suits the conditions of care of the fabric);
• The longer the machine washes, the better - in this case the probability of parasites' death is higher;
• If there is a drying function, it is recommended to steam the clothes after washing for at least 20 minutes, you can use a steam generator or iron together;
• It is allowed to boil things on the stove (if it is permissible taking into account the properties of the fabric).

Reviews: what to treat clothes against bed bugs

Expert tips

Anna

Entomologist, researcher. Work experience of 16 years.

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- I recommend physical methods of fighting bed bugs, even if there is no steam generator or washing machine at home, you can act the old-fashioned way: put clothes in the freezer, boil on the stove, treat with an iron (you need to iron or direct a stream of steam);
- When using any of the methods (treatment with chemicals, exposure to cold, high temperatures), it is important to put things in a bag, hermetically sealed, which will prevent the spread of insects;
- Considering that it is possible to destroy pests with less aggressive means (discussed above), it is not advisable to use concentrates, professional products for destroying insects on things.

Conclusion

If bed bugs get home, very soon they will spread around the room, forming nests in other places, not only inside the couch, bed. To avoid such consequences, it is advisable to learn more about them:

1. The insects live closer to a person's sleeping place. As their numbers increase, the pests spread, increasing the area of infestation - they are found in closets where things are stored.
2. Bed bugs can enter an apartment in many different ways: through the ventilation, windows, doors, cracks in the walls and floor, and through things that are brought home. Before you start pest control, you need to block their pathways into the apartment.
3. Methods that are acceptable to use against bed bugs on clothing: exposure to heat, cold, gentle insecticides. It is better to consider poisonous substances of moderate hazard (III and IV class). Folk remedies are ineffective in this case, you can use only the method of soaking in vinegar and alcohol (if the properties of the material allow it).