How to Prevent Bed Bug Infestation?

Have you ever experienced the annoyance of a bed bug infestation? If not then consider yourself lucky. But for those of you who have, this article is going to explain how to get rid of and prevent this nuisance. Once you have had a full-on bed bug infestation in your home, only professional help can get rid of these tiny home invaders.

A bed bug infestation is not so common any more thanks to modern-day hygiene standards. However, you can encounter these critters from time to time. Especially if you are someone who is on the lookout for second-hand furniture in bargain shops. 

Second-hand furniture is the most common reason that brings bed bugs into your home. So, when you are selecting any piece of furniture, be vary of any dark spots that can possibly be sings of bed bug feces. If you are someone who travels a lot, check your hotel rooms for infestation as well.

What is a Bed Bug Infestation? 

Before coming to any conclusions, it is important to know whether your home has actually been infested or not. A bed bug is easy to spot and is visible to the naked eye. If you or your family members have been complaining about rashes or red spots on the body, then it can be a sign that the bed bugs have infected your home. But a skin reaction alone cannot be an indication of the presence of bed bugs as every person reacts to it differently. Spotting insects in your sleeping area can be another potential reason to speculate the presence of bed bugs in your home. Bed bugs have a distinct appearance that can be used to differentiate them from other small bugs. 

A bed bug is brown with a flat and oval-shaped body. It is the same size as an apple seed and may not be flat if it has recently fed on a host (animal/human). It is not harmful or dangerous but can be a source of anxiety if present in larger amounts. Their small size and their insane breeding rate make them really hard to get rid of once they take root in your home. 

Tips to Prevent Bed Bug Infestation

1. Inspect Common Places Carefully: Your bed or your hotel room’s bed are the most prone to infestation. Ideally, you would want to avoid touching the hotel room’s mattress at all, knowing all the strangers that have used it before. Make sure you pick a hotel that has nice and clean rooms. Also, checking the mattress carefully can help you spot any bed bugs that might be present. 

If you have rented a hotel room or home, look for dark brown and red blood spots and casings. Start by pulling the sheets and focus on the corners and around the headboard of the mattress to spot any signs of bugs. Lift the mattress to check underneath it as well. Use torch light if the light in the room is dim and check under the bed as well. Follow the same procedure when it comes to checking your home mattress as well. In case you spot such signs, immediately report to the hotel management if you are in a hotel. If you’re in your own home, you can always follow DIY remedies to try and get rid of the infestation at home.

2. Use a Protective Cover for Your Home Mattresses: If you have had to experience the nuisance of a bed bug infestation before then you would go to any lengths to ensure you won’t have to go through it again. Purchasing mattress covers to protect your mattresses can help reduce the chances of an advanced infestation. Although using covers for your mattresses won’t stop the infestation, it will help in preventing it from spreading. How? Because the covering will trap any insects present and will eventually kill them as they won’t have anything to feed on. 

3. Be careful When Purchasing Second-hand Furniture: As mentioned before, used beds and mattresses can carry a great risk of bed bugs being present. If you are redecorating or buying furniture on a budget, be extra careful. When purchasing second-hand furniture, ask them how they deal with bed bugs. The same goes for used clothing as well as it carries the same risk of exposure to these insects. Make sure to wash the clothes and put them through the dryer on high heat before bringing them to your house. 

4. Declutter Your House: The clutter in your house will only give bed bugs more space to hide. So make sure to clean your house more often and get rid of the extra clutter. Don’t leave cardboard boxes lying around since bed bugs like to hide in cardboard. Use plastic containers for storage instead of cardboard boxes. 

5. Vacuum More Often: Not only will cleaning your house help you reduce the mess, but it will also keep the bed bugs at bay. Vacuuming is said to be an effective DIY remedy to treat bed bugs at home. One thing to make sure of when using this method is to effectively dump your waste. Bed bugs can find their way back into your home if the waste is not properly treated.

6. Monitor Pets for Suspecting Infestation: Although they don’t live on pets, they do feed on them. If you have pets, make sure to maintain a regular washing routine to prevent the spread of an infestation. Closely monitor your pets for signs of agitation or insects in their fur.

Conclusion 

If your home falls victim to this infestation, it can be really hard to deal with. Prevention is the first step to avoid this nuisance in the first place. You can always apply DIY remedies to treat it at home. Maintaining a regular vacuum cleaning routine can be another way in reducing its spread. If the infestation gets out of control, you may require professional help from a fumigation company to spray, sanitize, and clean your home.