How to Avoid Bedbugs

For many people, even the mention of the word bed bugs is a little too much exposure.

Bed bugs won’t hurt you, but they will take up residence in your home and it is pretty

hard to get rid of them once you have them. There’s also the stigma of bed bugs being

attracted to filthy, dirty places which also isn’t true, but a stigma is a stigma.

What a bed bug really wants is to find a nice warm place to live and breed, and a nice

host or two to feed on at night. Yes, bed bugs will drink your blood and while it doesn’t

hurt or itch like a mosquito bite, you can still see where it happened and it isn’t a pleasant

thought.

The best way to deal with bed bugs is to avoid them in the first place. If you can prevent

them from getting in, you’ll never have a problem and never have to go through the

headache of getting rid of them. Here are some proven tips for keeping bed bugs out of

your life.

Kid’s Sleepovers

Sleepovers at other kid’s houses are a great way for bed bugs to latch onto your kid’s

clothes and find their way back to your place. No one is really to blame and it’s just

something that can happen, but you can take steps to prevent it.

Aside from prohibiting your kids from ever sleeping out again, try throwing all their

clothes into a hot washing machine a soon as they get back. Bed bugs don’t like the heat

and a trip through the hot washer and then the drier should take care of them. You can

also inspect everything to be extra sure.

Secondhand Furniture

Free furniture or secondhand furniture from a thrift store is great to use in your home, but

the potential for bed bugs is always there. Bed bugs like hiding in the cracks and crevices

of furniture, so look over it thoroughly before you position it where you want it to go and

leave it.

Basic Housekeeping

While bed bugs aren’t attracted to dirt, they will hide and breed in cluttered rooms and

areas of the house if they are already inside. By performing basic housekeeping and

reducing the clutter in your home, you’ll also reduce the number of bed bug hiding spots

and keep the issue to a minimum.

Travel Tips

Traveling is one time where bed bugs can definitely hitch a ride back to your house in

your luggage or clothing. Even though it’s the last thing you want to think of, taking

some precautions can save you a whole lot of trouble and inconvenience later. Here are

some good tips to follow:

Use the luggage racks provided by the hotel.

You can also leave your luggage in the bathroom while you inspect the room.

The bathroom is the least likely spot for bed bugs to hide.

Check all the way around the edges of the mattress and behind the headboard.

Look for tiny black spots or blood stain on sheets.

Let the hotel staff know immediately if you see any telltale bed bug signs.

Check your luggage and clothing again before you leave the hotel, even if you

didn’t find anything the first time.

Not Sure?

If you just aren’t sure, you can check through your own bedroom and living room, just to

be certain. They will leave the same signs as in the hotel, and if you happen to see an

actual bug it kind of looks like an apple seed.

If you end up killing a bed bug, they will have an almost sweet smell that isn’t totally

unpleasant. If you do discover that you have bed bugs in your house, it will be almost

impossible to get rid of them on your own.

Bed bugs are incredibly resilient and they’ll keep coming back over and over and over

again, despite your best efforts. Pesticides will kill them, steaming and fogging will kill

them and exposure to heat and cold will kill them. However, if you aren’t an expert and

trained in their ways, you’re only headed for frustration.

Call in a professional bed bug removal company and have them do their thing. Look for

a company that has experience and will guarantee their work. It also helps if you can

speak to some satisfied customers to get the full picture.

Resources

http://www.foamite.com

Foamite

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20513823,00.html

Health.com