How Likely Are Bed Bugs in Clothes to Aggregate?
WouterBed bugs do not live on clothes, but they can live in folded clothes and even on shoes and bags. You should put your clothes in zippered bags or spray them with ninety-percent alcohol if you find them. If you do find bed bugs on your clothes, you must act quickly.
Before washing any clothes, you should sort them thoroughly. Then place the piles in large trash bags. Do not open the bags until the last step. If you find the clothing you need to wash, put it in the machine. Once it is completely dry, put it into plastic bags or seal them. Do not transport the items until you are sure that they are bug-free. If you can’t find any of the clothing, you can store it in a plastic bag.
Bed bugs do not live very long without food. Their shells are similar to nail shells. This means that their bodies will stay in place for a long time without drying or decaying. This means that you will most likely find dead bed bugs in corners of your home, or in your clothes if you are not careful. Also, look for their feces on your clothes, which is liquid and dark red or black. Fresh feces will sit on the fabric in tiny droplets.
A study conducted by Sheffield University found that bed bugs are attracted to clothes with a high level of dirt. In fact, they were twice as likely to aggregate on bags containing dirty clothes as on clean clothing.
