Whether you’ve always lived in an apartment and never had to worry about bed bugs before, or you’re renting a new place and want to be prepared, it’s important to know how bed bugs can get into your home and what you can do to prevent them from doing so. To prevent bed bugs from infesting your home, it’s important to understand how they can come in and how to keep them out. Read on to learn more about these pesky pests and how you can prevent an infestation from happening in the first place!
Bed Bugs are Hitchhikers
Did you know that bed bugs are hitchhikers? They will hitch a ride on clothes, furniture, luggage, or even hair. It’s important to be aware of this so that you can take the appropriate precautions. The most common way they enter homes is through used furniture and clothing from infested households. If you suspect someone might have had an infestation in their household, never bring anything used from there with you.
Secondhand Furniture
Check secondhand furniture before bringing it into your home! Buying secondhand furniture? Before bringing the piece inside, wipe off any surface that may have met the ground. This will make sure you don’t bring in any unwanted critters.
Next, use a vacuum cleaner to suck up dust bunnies or debris from the crevices. Finally, if you’re still concerned about bringing in any unwanted pests with you, spray the piece of furniture down with an all-natural pest repellent before bringing it inside.
Traveling
We’ve all heard about the places you should avoid traveling to due to the prevalence of bed bug infestations, but what can we do to ensure that we’re not bringing them back with us? Avoiding certain hotels is a good start, but to keep them out of our homes, we must be vigilant. Here are some tips on how you can avoid bringing those pesky little pests back with you
Inspect Hotel Rooms
When traveling for business, the last thing you want is to find a bed bug in your hotel room. When you check-in, inspect the room for signs of infestation. Bed bugs may hide in seams of mattresses or other furniture, behind pictures on walls, or between window units. If you see any evidence of an infestation, alert the front desk immediately before unpacking.
Check for bedbugs when you return home from traveling. When you return from a trip, check for bedbugs before unpacking. Bedbugs are small insects that feed on human blood. If they’re in your luggage or other personal belongings, they’ll find their way out when you take them out of the bag. They can also spread if you bring them back with you on clothing, shoes or in the folds of a carry-on bag.
Prevent Infestation
To prevent bed bug infestations, be sure to do a thorough inspection of any secondhand items that you bring into the house. If you see any signs of bug activity (ex., blood or fecal matter) on an item, discard it immediately. Pay special attention to items like used furniture, mattresses, and clothing before bringing them inside. These are all common hiding spots for bedbugs.
