First, how to keep bed bugs away?
Regularly wash and heat-dry your bed sheets, blankets, bedspreads and any clothing that touches the floor. As a result, fewer bed bugs are present. Remember to clean them when doing laundry because bed bugs and their eggs can hide in laundry baskets and containers.
Please keep reading so I can give you more specific instructions on how to avoid bed bugs.
Table of Contents
Make Sure You Have Bed Bugs
On the EPA website, you can contrast your insect with the images there. Make sure the insects are not fleas, ticks, or other pests that call for additional control or prevention measures.
Typically, adult bed bugs look like:
- About the size of an apple seed (5-7 mm or 3/16 – 1/4 inch long);
- Long and brown, with a flat, oval-shaped body (if not fed recently);
- Balloon-like, reddish-brown and more elongated (if fed recently);
- A “true bug” (characteristics of true bugs include a beak with three segments; antenna that have four parts; wings that are not used for flying; and short, golden-colored hairs); and
- Smelly, producing a “musty-sweetish” odor from glands on the lower side of the body.
In general, bed bug nymphs (also known as young bed bugs) are:
- Smaller, translucent or whitish-yellow in color; and
- Due to their size and coloring, if not recently fed, they may be almost invisible to the naked eye.
Cover Power Outlets
Bed bugs use power outlets to evade extermination, so cover your outlets. In order to remain hidden until it is safe to move elsewhere, they climb into the outlet holes. Bed bugs are able to spread severe infestations by using electrical outlets to pass through walls and into other rooms of your house or place of business.
One way to spot a bed bug infestation is by looking for their droppings, which resemble small dark dots.
Store Clothing In Vacuum-sealed Bags
Given that bed bugs are most frequently brought on trips by lodgings, this is particularly crucial. When traveling, buy regular vacuum-sealed bags and pack your clothing inside of them. By doing this, bed bugs won’t find their way into your home with you and will have less access to your possessions. Find out more about bed bug migration.
Put your seasonal clothing and fabric in the vacuum-sealed bags, then use your vacuum cleaner hose to remove the air before storing the bags. By using this technique, you can keep blankets and sweaters free of bed bugs while storing them away for later use.
Gain Professional Bed Bug Treatment
Don’t take on an infestation on your own if you are already dealing with one. Usually, using only natural remedies will not be sufficient to treat bed bugs because the process is complicated. Safely, effectively, and most importantly, permanently eradicating bed bugs from your home or place of business is possible with professional bed bug treatment.
If you have a serious bed bug problem, call your neighborhood pest control company to get rid of bed bugs for good.
It’s important to keep in mind that professionals have been trained to use the products and equipment needed for bed bug treatments.
If they are not carried out by a trained and certified professional, many of the methods used to get rid of these household pests can be dangerous.
Unfortunate cases of death and property damage have happened when homeowners attempted to handle bed bug extermination themselves. If you want to prevent any of these terrifying mishaps, be sure to call a bed bug pest control business.
Identify Bed Bugs Early Signs
Know the symptoms of a bed bug infestation and how to spot bites for you and your family.
Bite marks are typically small, red, and sometimes itchy, and they frequently appear in rows. When you are familiar with the appearance of bites, you can spot issues earlier and seek help if required.
Vacuum Floor
Not just in and around the bed, bed bugs are also present. It’s crucial to thoroughly vacuum your carpets because bed bugs frequently hide there. Only then can you be sure that all bed bugs have been eliminated.
Vacuum all box springs, mattresses, and floors, paying special attention to those areas where the walls and floors converge.) This can get rid of a bed bug problem before it becomes unmanageable.
Remove the vacuum bag after vacuuming the floors, put it in a sealed trash bag, and throw it away in an outdoor trash can. This will stop the bed bugs from escaping and returning to your house.
Check Pets For Bed Bugs
Bed bugs can be drawn to your pet’s bed, just like they are to human bedding, where they can also find warm crevices to lay their eggs and feed.
Keep an eye on the space where your pet sleeps and check the bed and the area around it.
Wash the pet bed on the highest heat and dryer settings on a regular basis, if possible.
Cut Back On Clutter
Remove clutter; the more clutter you have, the more difficult it will be to get rid of an infestation.
As these areas are particularly alluring bed bug hiding places, start by clearing clutter from against the walls.
Anything you no longer need, donate, recycle, or throw away.
To prevent your possessions from turning into a bed bug haven, organize and store them properly.
Cover Mattress
Place the mattress and box springs in encasements, such as mattress safe covers. Although it keeps the mattress from becoming infested, this does not get rid of an infestation.
Mattress covers are full-mattress enclosing zippered covers. These kinds of covers are used for box springs and mattresses made of non-vinyl.
To ensure durability and resistance to tears and folds, these casings should be made of high-quality fabric, usually cloth. There are no creases around the zipper where bed bugs could hide.
Apply Bed Bug Monitors
Bed bugs can still find their way to you through other routes, though, so monitors like ClimbUp Monitors are designed to fit under the feet of the bed frame to help.). If you suspect you have bed bugs, it’s also a helpful tool for keeping an eye on your bedroom.
Each bed post’s foot should have the devices underneath it.
So that you can recognize and quickly eradicate bed bug infestations, clean these devices frequently and look for the source.
Inspect Furniture Regularly
Look for bed bug traces on each piece of furniture. Start your search with used, vintage, or antique furniture that has cracks or is in poor condition.
Before purchasing used furniture, conduct an initial inspection.
Always Check Used Items
Used items, even safe products like electronics, can make the ideal bed bug hiding places.
Even if something “looks clean,” you should always conduct some simple inspections on any delicate items you intend to bring into your house.
Before buying any used electronics, check the vents.
Bed bugs can easily hide in the vents of devices like stereo receivers, TVs, computers, remote controls, and game consoles.
Avoid Moving Blankets
Use your own blankets when moving instead of those provided by the moving company. A bed bug infestation from another person’s possessions could be present in the blankets because they may not have been cleaned frequently. See more about How To Wash Throw Pillows In Easy Tips?
Seal Home From Bed Bugs
There are numerous ways for bed bugs to get inside a house. They may move around on the fur of birds, rodents, or pets. They may also be picked up at movie theaters, on public transportation, in medical offices, and while traveling in clothing and luggage.
Cracks both inside and outside of your home can be filled or repaired with silicone caulk. Keep in mind that a bed bug can fit through any opening that is large enough to accommodate a business card.
Verify the screens and windows for any rips or other damage.
Beware Of Bed Bugs In Public Places
Bed bugs are parasitic pest that can be found in a variety of unexpected locations, including store dressing rooms.
They can be found on the carpeted floors and in the padded seats of the changing rooms.
Hang your belongings on the provided wall hooks rather than the cushioned furniture provided in dressing areas to prevent unintentionally bringing them home on your clothing or purchases.
Do-it-yourself Freezing May Not Be Reliable
The temperatures must stay very low for a considerable amount of time before the pests are killed by freezing. Thus, it’s possible that home freezers lack the necessary cold to kill bed bugs. The EPA notes that freezing items outside in bed bug-infested areas may work, but there are numerous variables that can influence this method’s effectiveness.
Kill Bed Bugs With Heat
Be extremely cautious if you try this method. Bed bug heat treatment requires specialized equipment and extremely high temperatures; turning up the thermostat or using space heaters won’t do the trick.
If the contents of black plastic bags inside the sun become hot enough, bed bugs in luggage or other small items may be killed. The temperature of the room or container must be higher than 113 degrees Fahrenheit in order to kill bed bugs with heat, ensuring that the heat is sustained and reaches the bugs wherever they are hiding.
Store Items In Plastic Containers
On smooth surfaces like glass or plastic, bed bugs have trouble moving their legs. Spreading can be avoided by keeping your storage items in a plastic container or bag.
Don’t Spread Bed Bugs To Other People
Traveling from one place to another, bed bugs are capable hitchhikers. Therefore, if you dispose of a mattress or piece of furniture that has bed bugs, cut it up or otherwise destroy it to prevent someone else from taking it and getting bed bugs.
Make Use Of The Experts
According to the EPA, increasing your chances of eliminating bed bugs is possible by hiring a seasoned, responsible pest control specialist.
Ask that the IPM approach be used if you hire an expert, and make sure the company is reputable.
Final Words
The main topic of the article was how to avoid bed bugs. So, having read the entire article, do you now have a thorough understanding of how to prevent bed bugs?
Once more, please read our posts if you want to learn more about bed bugs. Please post a comment if you have any queries regarding how to prevent bed bugs.
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