Ten Ways to Stay Bed Bug-Free This Winter

The winter season can pose a lot of problems for your home, and the last things you want to deal with are creepy crawlies in your bed. Bed bugs are nasty little hitchhikers, and an infestation, unfortunately, can happen to anyone. They thrive in warm temperatures and carbon dioxide, which makes your sleeping area the perfect home for them. Bed bugs, however, can hide in other places, such as outlets, behind wallpaper, or just about narrow crack or crevice. No homeowner wants bed bugs, and luckily you don’t have to.

How You Can Keep Your House Bed Bug-Free

Since bed bugs can appear in anyone’s home, keeping them out might seem like a daunting task. Bed bug prevention, however, is easy to do and all it requires is some routine cleaning and careful habits. By frequently cleaning your home and eliminating areas where they can hide, you already have significantly reduced your chances of a bed bug infestation. Here are ten ways to keep bed bugs out of your home.

• Knowing how to identify bed bugs. Knowing is half the battle, which is why it’s important to know whether you have bed bugs or not. Bed bugs are about a 1/5 of an inch long, reddish brown, with a flat, oval body. They like to hide anywhere that’s warm and full of carbon dioxide such as your bed as well as small cracks and crevices like your electrical outlets.
• Be careful with secondhand items. Shopping for secondhand items can help you save a great deal of money, but there can always be a risk involved. You never know where your secondhand items will come from, which is why it’s important to be cautious when you purchase anything secondhand. A good rule of thumb is to always immediately wash any secondhand clothes and to thoroughly inspect secondhand furniture. Avoid used mattresses, as they are likely to have bed bugs.
• Use a protective cover on your mattress. It never hurts to be cautious, which is why you should add a protective cover on your mattress. Protective covers block a lot of potential hiding places for bed bugs and helps to make them more visible in case of an infestation. Make sure you purchase a high-quality protective cover that is tear-resistant and check them frequently for tears.
• Reduce clutter in your home. Bed bugs like warmth and they could be hiding in your clutter. Keeping your home clutter free, not only helps to keep bed bugs out of your home, it makes it easier to get rid of an infestation.
• Vacuum frequently. Bed bugs can accumulate in other areas besides your bed, such as your floors, especially where floor and wall meet. If you suspect you have bed bugs, vacuuming the floors helps to eliminate an infestation before it gets out of control. When vacuuming the floors, make sure to dump what’s vacuumed in a sealed bag and dispose in an outdoor garbage can.
• Cover outlets. To avoid extermination, bed bugs will use your outlets as a hiding spot. To check for an infestation, inspect your outlets for bug droppings which will look like little dark dots. You can find outlet covers at any local hardware store.
• Be aware of the warning signs. It’s important to know the signs of a bed bug infestation, especially if you could be currently experiencing bed bug bites. Bites will look like tiny red marks that appear in rows and can feel itchy.
• Be cautious coming back from a trip. Bed bugs do travel, which is why you should exercise some caution whenever you travel. A good rule of thumb is the DREAM system. Determine whether the room you’re staying at has a bed bug infestation. Raise furniture and search for bed bugs, especially under the mattress, bed frame, and headboard. Examine your luggage away from the bed in case there are bed bugs. Assess your luggage when repacking and heading home. Move all your clothing out of your luggage when you get home and put it in the dryer for 15 minutes on the highest setting.
• Be vigilant in shared laundry facilities. Sometimes they’re impossible to avoid, especially when your washer or dryer breaks down, but shared laundry facilities are the perfect breeding ground for bed bugs. It’s best to carry your laundry in plastic bags versus an open clothes basket, a avoid placing your clothes on the countertops or floors.
• Get professional help. When in doubt, get some professional help, especially if you know you have bed bugs. A professional pest control service has the right tools and knows how to best remove your bed bug infestation.

Nobody Wants Bed Bugs

You should never have to deal with bed bugs, especially in your own home, and luckily you don’t have to. By routinely cleaning your home and keeping enough clutter away, you can prevent bed bug infestations. It never hurts however, to have some professional help.

Call Boz Pest Control to schedule your pest control service and protect your home!

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