Whether it’s in your own home, a hotel, or an apartment building, the last thing you want to encounter is bed bugs. These minuscule insects can lay waste to a mattress, and cause some extreme irritation while doing so. As such, they must be stopped at all costs.
The question you might have, though, is how to prevent bed bugs. Are there things you can do to keep them at bay? Yes, and we’re going to tell you those things below.
Clean Regularly
Our first tip is to clean regularly. No, cleaning regularly alone won’t stave off bed bugs. However, what it will do is force you to inspect your home, and by inspecting your home often, you’ll be able to spot a bed bug infestation early in its existence.
This is important, as getting to an infestation early gives you the best chance of saving your possessions. If an infestation were to go unspotted over a long period of time, your possessions would likely already be under attack.
Not only should you vacuum your home on a regular basis, but dust your shelves and countertops as well. Make sure to look behind vases and other knick-knacks. Bed bugs could be hiding in the most discreet of places.
Keep Your Eyes Open
When bed bugs show up, they leave all sorts of clues behind. If you want to identify the existence of bed bugs in your home, you need to know which clues to look out for. In essence, you need to keep your eyes open and be vigilant.
One of the surest signs of the existence of bed bugs is the existence of bed bug feces. If you see dark smears on your sheets, mattress, box spring, or other bed components, there are probably bed bugs present.
You should also keep an eye open for bed bug skins. These possess a brownish-yellow appearance and can be found everywhere from your bed to your carpet and otherwise.
Bed bug eggs are also something you should look out for. These are white in color and, again, will typically be found in bed components and other such areas, like rugs, for instance.
If you do spot any of these signs, take action immediately. The longer you let them go, the more trouble you’re going to have to deal with.
Mind Your Luggage
Bed bug infestations are fairly common in hotels and motels. As such, they tend to cling to visitors’ luggage. This can be a problem when the visitor returns home, as they bring their luggage inside and inadvertently bring bed bugs in with them as well.
The fix? Take a look at your luggage before you bring it inside. If there are any signs of bed bugs (like feces or eggs or bed bugs themselves), sanitize the luggage until it’s entirely void of infestation.
Note, there are also things you can do to keep bed bugs away from your luggage. Namely, you can spray it with a bed bug prevention spray.
Inspect Used Furniture
Let’s say you’re buying a used chair at a thrift shop. That’s fine. But before you bring it inside, make sure to check it for bed bugs.
There could be bed bugs hiding in any part of any piece of used furniture. They could use that furniture like a Trojan horse, discreetly making their way into your house where they soon will be hatching baby bed bugs like wildfire.
In addition to inspecting this furniture, it’s also a good idea to treat it. Wondering how to treat bed bugs? A commercial spray is the best option, though there are some DIY concoctions you can try as well.
Wash Transported Clothing
Did you just move your clothing from one location to another location? For instance, maybe you moved your clothes from a hotel room to your bedroom? If so, you should wash it as soon as possible, regardless of whether or not you wore it.
See, you can control your own environment (to an extent), but you can’t control others. As such, anywhere you go outside of your home could be a den for bed bugs. If only a few of these bed bugs make their way onto your clothes, your home could be a major breeding ground in no time.
By washing your clothes promptly, you ensure that the bed bugs don’t have time to lay eggs. In essence, you counter the problem entirely.
Utilize Encasements
Another thing you can do to protect your home from bed bugs is to encase your mattress and your box spring. These won’t entirely prevent bed bugs from infesting your bed but will do a decent job of staving them off, giving you more time to act.
You can buy encasements online for between $25 and $50. Their quality varies, so be sure to read reviews and make an informed choice.
Tidy Up
Our last piece of advice is simple: tidy up. The tidier you keep your home, the less risk you’ll have of dealing with a bed bug infestation.
See, bed bugs love cluttered areas. They give them places to hide. So, if you leave clutter all over your home, you’re almost sure to attract bed bugs at some point or another.
Invest in shelves, containers, and other organizational devices. By keeping your possessions in order, you will stave off bed bug infestations.
It Is Possible to Prevent Bed Bugs
Simply put, it is possible to prevent bed bugs. Just put these tips into action, and your home should remain bed bug-free in perpetuity.
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