Tips on How to Keep Bed Bugs Away and Out of the House

Did you know that a bed bug can go for 18 months without feeding?

Bed bugs are resilient pests that can pose a real problem in the household. These bugs thrive in the dark, semi-warm areas of the home and typically hide in hard-to-reach-places like narrow cracks and crevices.

While a bed bug’s bite doesn’t trigger an infection, it is quite painful and could lead to welts and swelling.

Since bed bugs can invade any home, it is essential that you learn how to keep bed bugs away when you’re in and out of the house. Read on for some practical tips on beating back these critters.

Inspect Your Hotel Room

You must be careful whenever you are traveling.

A wise thing to do is to always make it a point to inspect each room you use. Remember that the cleaning staff may not uphold similar standards of hygiene to yours.

Once you get your room, make it a point of checking for any signs of bed bug infestation. Your inspection should focus on the mattress, curtains, and any upholstered furniture.

Search for any small, rust-colored spots as they are the typical sign indicating the presence of bed bugs.

When you are inspecting the bed, ensure you raise it and check under the mattress, bed frame and headboard.

While bed bugs come out at night to feed, they are known to keep to a short radius around the bed during the daytime.

If the bed is clear, remove any bedding and check the corners and folds of the mattress. These are some of the most popular hiding places for bed bugs.

While you are carrying out your inspection of the room, make sure to keep your luggage outside.

Bed bugs have the ability to live in luggage for almost a week. If you suspect that your clothes might be infected, put them in a sealed plastic bag.

Once you get back home, set the sealed clothes in the washer, and turn on the highest heat setting possible.

Regardless of where you have been staying, make it a habit to inspect your luggage before getting it inside your home. It is always good to vacuum and handwash the bag with hot, soapy, water.

Inspect Second Hand Furniture

Purchasing second-hand furniture is an affordable way to furnish your house. But while it can be great on your wallet, it can potentially expose you to bed bugs.

Don’t take the seller’s word for it; you should inspect the furniture before buying it.

Check the seams of the upholstery for bed bugs or the residue they leave. As a general principle, never buy any second-hand mattresses.

If the furniture you intend to purchase looks like it has a clean bill of health you will still need to clean it for good measure. Place it in your garage or a shed while you clean it. Vacuum the upholstery and any fabric thoroughly.

Use hot, soapy water to clean the furniture after vacuuming with extra care taken on drawers and other crevices.

Seal Laundromat Clothes

A laundromat can be one place where you pick up bed bugs that ultimately end up in your home.

When you arrive at a laundromat, inspect any seat before you use it to avoid getting them on your clothes.

Pack any clothes you want to take to the laundromat in sealed plastic. An open clothes basket exposes your clothes to the pests, unlike plastic which keep them covered.

If you prefer to use laundry bags, it is advisable that you wash them on every trip along with your clothes.

When you’re cleaning your clothes use the hottest temperature the fabric will allow. The same goes for when you are drying them.

If you prefer to use a laundry basket, then do not place it on the floor or near any seats. You should also inspect the basket before you use it.

Once your load is done, check the table you want to use for folding them for bed bugs. Alternatively, bag your clothes and fold them when you get home.

How to Keep Bed Bugs Away: Bring in the Professionals

Professional bed bug control teams usually come in once people have an infestation. But they can also help you in preventing bed bugs from taking over your home.

A bed bug company can carry out an assessment of your home to identify areas in which you need to change things to prevent infestation.

When you hire professional, be sure to request them to use Integrated Pest Management methods to help you deal with any that might already be present.

Inspect Your Bedding

Regularly checking your bedding is an essential part of keeping bed bugs at bay in your home.

You don’t have to do an inspection every night. Rather, the best time to do it is when you are washing them. Once you remove your bedding, take a look at the bed for any signs of bed bugs or bed bug residue.

Take your bedding and place it in the washer while using the highest possible heat setting that the fabric will allow.

The combination of heat and water will finish off any bed bugs that might have been hiding in your bedding.

While your bed linen is being cleaned, you can take out your mattress and brush it. Using a scrub brush, hit the seams and other areas of the mattress to get any bugs or their eggs out.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

Bed bugs are resilient and can go for more than one year without feeding. If you do not take the proper measures to keep them out of your home, they can hide for long and still manage to attack you.

Prevention is better than cure, and you need to know how to keep bed bugs away as it is much easier than killing them once they infest your house.

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