Bed bugs are known to be great hitch hikers. They move from infested areas to their new premises through bedding, boxes, furniture, luggage and clothing. Although they feed on blood in a span of five to ten days, they me be very tough as some may go for several months- even years, without feeding. Bed bug prevention is much easier compared to eliminating an existing infestation. They were even termed the hardest pest to fight by the 2015 bugs without borders survey. So, are you looking to avoid bedbugs? Read the tips below to get a scope on how you can safeguard yourself from an infestation.
Replace your beddings every 2-3 years.
Even though this seems like a small time period to change your mattress, it’s more efficient as you will be able to fight the problem at it’s source. Once your mattress is infested, it may be hard to tell how many bugs are in there, locate where they are and exterminate them. Furthermore, bedbugs can linger just anywhere in your house hold but most of them will be located in your mattress.
Contact a professional.
It’s always recommended to DIY when dealing with cockroaches, mice, termites and spiders. For bed bugs however, home methods just won’t cut for it and most of the times bedbugs go deep into hibernation making it impossible to completely exterminate them. Professional care involves heating the infested area to 118F constantly for a duration of 70 minutes, something impossible for non-experts. They poses special bedbug removal tools for exterminating bedbugs even in the most hardest part to reach where they breed. To get professional help on bedbug extermination click right here.
Encase your mattresses and boxes.
This helps in removing any potential hiding place in your bed and makes sure that your mattress doesn’t get infested to the point of being thrown away. The bedbugs will find it hard to penetrate the fabric and crawl into your mattress. If you happen to come back home with bedbugs, you will be able to identify them before they penetrate your mattress thus making it easier to deal with them accordingly. If your mattress has already been infested even with its cover present, it’s advisable to dispose of the same without trying to remove them.
Vacuum your floor more often.
Bedbugs thrive well under dusty conditions. Your carpets and rugs if not properly vacuumed may offer suitable breeding grounds for bed bugs. Vacuum at least once weekly. Otherwise, if you suspect a bedbug infestation, vacuum daily until sure that the threat has been exterminated. If you do have bedbugs, failing to vacuum your floor may facilitate their spread.
Inspect everything you bring back home.
Before bringing any content back to you your home, inspect for any traces of bedbugs. When you buy second hand furniture check all the crevices for the bug and make sure that you wash beneath the furniture too. On the other hand, wash all your second hand clothes and pass them through a hot cloth dryer to kill all eggs if present. You can put them away in a plastic bag if you don’t have the time and wash them later.
Sure bedbugs can be a menace especially if you don’t know how to deal with them. Not only do they feed on your blood but their bites are irritating and itchy. It is best to get professional help to exterminate bed bugs from your home.