Households and businesses can be affected by bed bugs across the nation, when the right conditions exist for them to live and breed in.
It is possible to prevent bed bugs from entering your home through several methods, but it is still possible for them to find their way in despite following these steps.
They are experts at keeping themselves hidden, staying in narrow crevices where they cannot be seen. They can also be found anywhere in the room with shelter and the right temperature, especially in and around the beds.
If you want to avoid expensive pest control treatments, you need to know how to prevent them from entering your home in the first place.
1. Identify their characteristics
They are found in warm, hidden places and grow to be about one-quarter inches long.
Itchy bed bug bites are usually small red welts that appear on your skin in rows. Bed bug bites are an obvious sign of their presence, provided you know how to identify them.
2. Always inspect second-hand items
Before bringing them into your home, you should always thoroughly inspect second-hand clothing, books, and even electronics. Even seemingly clean items could harbour bed bugs. Bed bugs can enter electronic devices through their vents.
3. Look for bedbugs on your pets
Bed bugs can make your pet’s bedding just as much of a home as your own. Make sure that you regularly wash your pet’s bed on the highest heat setting, in addition to checking the bed and the area around it.
4. Monitor for bed bugs
Bed bug monitors sit beneath your bed frame. Bed bugs will become trapped if they walk over these so it allows you actively monitor your bed bug situation.
5. Get rid of clutter
It is much more difficult to get rid of bed bugs when you have a lot of clutter. Many bed bugs hide around the corners of walls, so having a lot of clutter makes it an especially complex problem.
6. Get a mattress cover
Mattresses should be covered with zippered casings to prevent mold growth. A good quality fabric is necessary to ensure durability and resistance to tears. Also, the zipper should not be folded around, so bed bugs have no place to hide.
7. Keep your furniture in good condition
It is a good idea to check your furniture regularly for signs of bed bugs. Ideally, antique/vintage furniture and furniture with cracks should be checked first. Check your used furniture before buying it if you are buying it used.
8. Prevent bed bugs from entering your home
There are many ways in which bed bugs can enter your home. Silicone caulk can be applied to cracks outside your home to prevent insects from getting in. You could also place a business card in any crack large enough for bedbugs to enter.
9. Preventing bed bugs while traveling
Travelers and their clothing and luggage are among the main ways bed bugs spread. Transport may be provided from one hotel room to another for the bed bugs.
While on the road:
– Check for signs of an infestation in the room you are staying in. Neither the bedsheets nor the mattress seams should be rusted.
– Bed bugs can be found by lifting furniture and checking it. Check underneath mattresses, bed frames, and headboards. Night time is a good time for them to come out, but they tend to hide in areas that are within 5ft of the bed during the day.
– Ensure you do not bring any luggage into the room or take any with you. Look at your luggage on a rack away from the bed.
– When you return home, check your luggage thoroughly. Keep it out of your bedroom and away from your bed whenever possible.
– As soon as you get home, place all the clothing in the dryer and dry them on high for about 15 minutes.
