Photo by Castorly Stock
Article courtesy of Jerry Wang DIYPestWarehouse,
Did you know that most American beds are quietly harboring allergens long before guests arrive? A surprising 58% of people never clean their mattresses, and another 31% do so less than once a month, allowing dust, dirt, and allergens to accumulate. Even more concerning, the American Lung Association reports that roughly 80% of U.S. homes have dust mite allergens in at least one bed, meaning that even a spotless guest room can trigger sniffles, itchy eyes, and restless nights.
To make matters worse, your guest bed could also be harboring pests. Pest control expert, Jerry Wang from DIYPestWarehouse, who has been working in the pest control/pesticide industry for over 15 years identifies six common culprits that may be hiding in your guest bedroom and shares simple steps to protect your visitors:
- Dust Mites
- Holiday Risk: Guests with allergies or asthma may experience congestion, sneezing, itchy eyes, or difficulty breathing.
- Expert Tip: Use allergen-proof covers and wash sheets weekly in hot water.
- Fleas
- Holiday Risk: Pets visiting with guests or sitting on beds can transfer fleas, leading to itchy bites.
- Expert Tip: Treat both pets and sleeping areas with vet-approved flea control products.
According to Jerry, “Most people don’t realize there may be an insect problem until there are guests inside the room. For example, fleas may lie dormant until they sense movement in the area or when they detect body heat. Fleas are also popular if guests travel with pets that don’t have a flea collar. Not only do dogs have fleas, but cats also have fleas. I get calls from people who have fleas in their home but don’t have any pets. Then they realize that when they had guests a few weeks/months ago, a pet travelled with them, which ended up bringing the fleas inside.”
- Carpet Beetles
- Holiday Risk: Larvae can irritate skin or damage fabrics in guest rooms.
- Expert Tip: Vacuum regularly and launder bedding and rugs frequently.
He adds, “Carpet beetles would be by far the most common, surprising encounter when I enter a rarely used bedroom. The reason is that those insects are extremely easy to spot because they shed and leave an empty brown looking shell on the surface. Sometimes you can even spot them on the wall as they will crawl all over the place and not just limited to the bed.”
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