When it comes to the possibility of having to deal with bed bugs, the best defense is a great offense. Most often, bed bugs are acquired when we visit those places where they already reside—such as hotels, dorm rooms, or even a friend’s home.
8 Steps to Prevent a Bed Bug Infestation
There are ways to avoid the possibility of a bed bug from making your home their new home. We have curated eight top practices known to prevent an all-out infestation.
- Not Under The Bed: Don’t make a habit of using the area under your bed to store items. Doing so will create an ideal situation for bed bugs to hide and still be near your mattress. There is also the good possibility that you will unknowingly store an item infested with them.
- Plastic Containers: Bed bugs have a difficult time crawling in or around items made of plastic or glass. When needing to store those items that may attract any form of bug, including bed bugs, the use of glass containers or plastic storage bags will go a long way to prevent any ability to spread.
- Keep It Clutter-Free: When possible, keep all clutter up and off the floor—this includes clothes. If a bed bug has found a way to latch onto a piece of your clothing, then you will run the risk of it making your closet or your dresser its new home.
- Specialized Encasements: Purchase a mattress or box spring cover for your bed termed dust-mite proof. Using such a cover will aid in creating a defensive zone between you and any possibility of bed bugs.
- Regularly Vacuum: When you make it a point to vacuum regularly, you are preventing and removing the occurrence of any and all stray bed bugs. When you have finished vacuuming, make sure to empty the bag or the canister in a trash can outside to prevent the bed bugs from getting loose again in the house.
- Take Precautions When Traveling: When traveling and using a motel, hotel, or even a dorm room, make sure to inspect the entire space before unpacking any of the clothes and belongings. Areas to pay attention to are the carpet, curtains, walls, and surrounding areas. Most important is to thoroughly inspect the bed for any evidence that bed bugs may be present.
- Wash Everything When Returning Home: As soon as you return home, you should wash everything you took with you to ensure that you do not have bed bugs that may have hitched a ride home with you taking up permanent residence in your home. It is highly advised that the first thing you do when returning home is to wash all your clothes, purses, backpacks, and luggage.
- Wash Bed Sheets Weekly: One of the best preventions against bed bugs is to make sure that you wash all of your bedclothes at least once a week. They should be washed at the highest and hottest temperature possible, as the heat will aid in the killing of any live bed bugs and their eggs.
All of the above tips are suggested to prevent a bed bug infestation. If you suspect you already have a bed bug problem, you should call upon the nearest bed bug exterminator near you. By taking action early on, you will prevent the headache of a more costly treatment in the future.
AANTEX Pest Control offers a variety of free inspections and services the entire Bay Area. 1-800-471-5555
