Is Your Pet Bringing Bed Bugs Into Your Home?

While there are many bugs that can make their way into a home, bed bugs are a particularly troublesome pest to have. They can be incredibly difficult to rid from a home, and like fleas and ticks, they can cause very itchy bites. While bedbugs can potentially come into your home via your pets, such as your dogs and cats, they are not the main avenue of travel for bedbugs.

However, once inside the home, bedbugs are tough to eradicate because they breed incredibly quickly. A bedbug's lifespan ranges on average between four and six months though some can survive for a year. In that short time, a single bed bug can lay 500 eggs.

Another reason why bedbugs can quickly inhabit a home is because they are incredible hiders and go for a good length of time without being seen. They can also go unnoticed due to their size as they typically are only about five millimeters. In addition, they can also go for months without feeding.

It's difficult to pinpoint how bed bugs get into a home. While many may be quick to think that their pets brought them into the house, it's not often the case. In fact, the top ways to get bedbug infestations include traveling, buying used furniture, and living in college dorms. 

Places that house people, such as hotels and Airbnb's, are prime for picking up bedbugs. The critters love nothing more than to jump into luggage and make their homes in upholstery. That's why it's not always a great idea to buy used furniture or accept used pieces from friends and family. However, if you do, be sure to inspect every inch of the furniture, including seams and cracks.

As for your pet, bed bugs will not attach themselves to them, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. While they are parasitic because they rely on blood to live, they prefer to live in houses, apartments, and buildings. In fact, their favorite places to live are in mattresses, bedding, fabric, and even behind baseboards and electric switch plates or in photo frames. However, they can potentially use your cat or dog to hitch a ride inside your home via their fur, but they will not stay on your pet.

Though bed bugs don't take up residence in your pet's fur, they can make a home in their bedding. In other words, they can live in a pet's blankets, soft toys, and clothing. Plus, even if they choose to reside on your couch or bed, bed bugs can bite pets just as they bite humans. Bedbug bites look similar to flea and tick bites and can present in the same way with red, intensely itchy bumps, as per PetMD.

If you do find bug bites, take your pet to the vet so they can do a full inspection and identify the type of bite. Luckily, unlike mosquitoes, which can transmit deadly viruses, bedbugs do not transmit disease to pets or humans. However, their itch can cause dogs and cats to bite and scratch the area and there is always a possibility of secondary infection with open skin wounds.

That said, when ridding your home of bedbugs, it's important to take your pets into consideration. After all, some treatments include harsh chemicals and fumigation, which can require removing your pets from the home for a few hours up to a few days. To be safe, speak with your pest control experts and your vet about your pet's safety before agreeing to any treatment.