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How to prevent a bedbug infestation?
To avoid a bed bug infestation in your home, it's important to take preventative measures. While no one is immune to these pests, there are several helpful tips and specialized bed bug control products to reduce the risk of infestation.
First and foremost, it's essential to maintain a healthy and clean lifestyle. This means regularly cleaning your home, including carpets, curtains, sheets, and blankets. Bed bugs often hide in cracks and crevices in furniture and walls, so it's important to clean often-neglected areas.
Next, it's recommended to regularly check your bedding for any signs of infestation. This may include blood stains, bed bug droppings, shed skin, or dead bed bugs. If you detect these signs, it's important to take immediate action to eliminate the pests.
It's also advisable to be vigilant when traveling or buying secondhand furniture. Bed bugs can easily hide in suitcases, bags, and furniture, so it's important to inspect these items carefully before bringing them into your home.
Finally, if you suspect a bed bug infestation in your home, it's important to contact a pest control professional to effectively eliminate the pests. By using these simple preventative tips, you can significantly reduce the risk of bed bug infestation in your home.
Preventing bedbugs at home:
To prevent a bed bug infestation in your home, it's important to take a few precautions. First, avoid bringing home furniture or items left on the sidewalk, as this can lead to an infestation. Be careful when purchasing items from another home or store, and disinfect them as much as possible. When buying secondhand clothing, be sure to wash it in hot water and dry it on a high heat setting for at least 30 minutes.
It's also important to regularly inspect furniture and other household items, especially cracks, creases, seams, and tears in fabrics, as these are places where bed bugs can hide. Keep your home as clean as possible and avoid leaving clothes or toys on the floor. Wash your bedding and clothing regularly in hot water and dry them in the dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
It's also important to keep an eye out for dark red, black, or brown stains on your sheets, mattresses, and box springs, especially at the ends and seams. You can protect your mattress with a bed bug encasement, which will prevent bed bugs from infesting your mattress and also allow you to detect them more quickly if they are present. You can also equip the legs of your bed with bed bug monitors to prevent bed bugs from accessing your bed through their legs and to detect their presence early. By following these precautions, you can significantly reduce the risk of a bed bug infestation in your home or apartment.
How to prevent a bedbug infestation when a neighboring apartment has an infestation?
Unfortunately, there are no preventative measures that can 100% guarantee that bedbugs won't spread from one home to another. However, there are certain precautions you can take to limit the risks and detect the presence of these insects early, making it easier to eliminate them in the event of an infestation. Here are some of these measures:
- Avoid areas known to be infested and declutter your home.
- If your home is adjacent to an infested home, ask your landlord to carry out a preventive inspection during treatment.
- Use bed bug covers to protect your mattress and box spring and make it easier to detect any bed bugs.
- Install bed bug monitors on the legs of your beds and furniture to prevent insects from accessing them and detect their presence.
- Immediately report the presence of bed bugs to your landlord or property manager for prompt and effective treatment.
How to prevent bed bug infestations after a hotel stay.
If you have to stay in hotels, whether for vacation or for work, be careful. These are often very crowded places where bedbugs can also be found:
Bedbug precautions before leaving for the hotel:
- Choose light-colored plastic suitcases for two reasons: bed bugs are less attracted to this material, and the light color makes it easier for unwanted insects to see. If you have suitcases made of textile or dark-colored materials, wrap them in a tightly sealed white plastic bag.
Bedbug precautions to take when you arrive at the hotel:
- When you arrive at the hotel, make a proper inspection of the room before bringing your luggage into it.
- Inspect the bed thoroughly and then examine all folds in the mattress and box spring, the back of the headboard, the wall, the pillows, the bedding, the bed skirt, the bed frame and the footboards.
- Take a flashlight and check the inside of the closet, paying particular attention to cracks and crevices.
- If you discover traces of bedbugs, notify reception as soon as possible and request another room or simply change hotels.
- Always place your suitcases in the bathroom.
- Keep your clothes in sealed plastic bags at all times. Also provide bags for soiled clothes.
Precautions to take against bedbugs when returning home:
- Place your luggage on a hard surface outside your home, away from any areas where bedbugs might be likely to crawl and/or hide.
- Take out all your personal belongings and examine them carefully, especially your hairbrush and makeup bag. Wash all your clothes or fabric items in hot water and then put them in the dryer for at least 30 minutes on the hottest setting.
- If possible, put non-washable items in the dryer at the highest temperature possible for at least 30 minutes.
- Vacuum your suitcases and dispose of the bag in an outdoor trash can. Then clean your appliance's brushes, accessories, and tank with hot water and detergent. If it doesn't have a bag, empty the contents of the tank into a plastic bag and seal it tightly before disposing of it.
How can you prevent a bedbug infestation when you have a raging infestation at work or when you have to visit residents who have bedbugs?
If you have to work in a home that is infested or suspected of being infested with bed bugs, it is important to take precautions to avoid bringing bed bugs home. Here are some of them:
- Wear light-colored clothes
- Wear clothes that can be machine dried.
- Wear completely smooth shoes.
- Wear disposable shoe covers, leg warmers, or protective suits.
- Hang your coat on the shower curtain rod.
- Always keep your suitcases as far away from the bed as possible.
- Avoid sitting on upholstered furniture.
- If you need to visit multiple homes and only one of them is infested or suspected of being infested, plan to visit it last.
- Use white plastic bags to make it easier to detect the presence of bedbugs.
- If you must go into a heavily infested home, change your clothes before going elsewhere.
- If possible, undress before entering your home. (e.g., a garage or porch) Place your clothes in tightly resealable bags.
- Place the clothes directly into a bag, then take them directly to the washer or dryer, then throw the bag outside the house.
- Wash all your clothes as soon as you get home and throw away the bag they were in outside.
- Dry your clothes on the highest heat setting for 45 minutes.
- Thoroughly inspect the bed for signs of bed bugs.
- Avoid placing your suitcases on or near the bed. Instead, place them at the bottom of the bath.
Wear light-colored clothes
Light-colored clothing makes it easier to detect bedbugs that may have latched onto you during your stay. Loose-fitting clothing should also be avoided.
Before going out, you can also shake out your clothes.
Wear clothes that can be machine dried.
Choose clothes that can eventually be tumble dried. Running your clothes on high for at least 30 minutes will help eliminate any bedbugs that may have been hiding inside.
Wear completely smooth shoes.
Wearing smooth shoes gives bed bugs less opportunity to cling to them than shoes made of porous materials. Also, avoid shoes with holes or large openings, such as sandals and high heels. Choose clean shoes without laces.
Wear disposable shoe covers, leg warmers, or protective suits.
If you often work in bedbug-infested areas, you should know that there are disposable shoe covers, leg warmers, and protective suits (e.g., Tyvek®). They protect your shoes and clothing from bedbugs. Their pale colors make it easier to spot any bedbugs that might be crawling around. At the end of the operation, you can remove your protective clothing and dispose of it in a garbage bag, which you should seal tightly and throw away outside. This will give you peace of mind.
Hang your coat on the shower curtain rod.
Avoid hanging your coat in closets, on chairs, or even on furniture. Instead, opt for hanging it on a hanger attached to the shower curtain rod. If there's no shower curtain rod, try to find a spot away from bedrooms and other clothing in the home. Also, choose a well-lit room rather than a dark one.
Always keep your suitcases as far away from the bed as possible.
If you need to bring documents, suitcases, or equipment with you, bring them in a bag that you can seal tightly (e.g., giant ziplock bags). Keep your belongings away from bedrooms. If possible, hang the bag from the shower rod. If convenient, you can place your belongings in the bathtub or on a smooth surface, such as a table. Also, choose a well-lit room.
Avoid sitting on upholstered furniture.
If you absolutely must sit, look for unupholstered furniture. Bed bugs much prefer to live in upholstered furniture. Whether it's chairs, armchairs, or couches, bed bugs like to settle in them because the material often allows them to lay their eggs. Additionally, creases and crevices make it easy for bedbugs to hide after feeding. Also, avoid sitting on or being in direct contact with any bed.
If you need to visit multiple homes and only one of them is infested or suspected of being infested, plan to visit it last.
If you have several different homes to visit during the day and one of them has a bed bug problem, plan to visit it last. This will minimize the risk of spreading bed bugs to other homes.
Use white plastic bags to make it easier to detect the presence of bedbugs.
When using plastic bags to store clothing or equipment, always choose white bags. The light color of the bags makes it easier to spot bedbugs.
If you must go into a heavily infested home, change your clothes before going elsewhere.
If you easily see bed bugs moving around in a home in broad daylight, it's likely that the infestation is significant. Notify the person on the premises so they can inform their landlord. If the person is the landlord, they should hire a professional exterminator. Heavily infested homes present a higher risk of contamination. If possible, reschedule your appointment for a date when a professional bed bug extermination has been performed. However, if you must work there, wear protective clothing. If you are unable to wear protective clothing, change your clothes and store them in a tightly sealed bag until you can dry them in the dryer for at least 30 minutes on the hottest cycle. Shake out and clean your shoes with a cloth before going into other homes.
If possible, undress before entering your home. (e.g., a garage or porch) Place your clothes in tightly resealable bags.
When you return home, it is best to remove/change your clothes outside. Then place them in a tightly resealable bag and run them through the dryer to kill any bedbugs that may have been hiding inside.
Place the clothes directly into a bag, then take them directly to the washer or dryer, then throw the bag outside the house.
All clothing that could be contaminated during your work should be placed in tightly sealed white plastic bags. When you return, it is important to take them directly to the washing machine and then to the dryer.
Wash all your clothes as soon as you get home and throw away the bag they were in outside.
Open the bags directly in the washing machine or dryer to prevent insects from falling to the floor. Regular laundry is not an effective way to eliminate bed bugs. It is important to wash the clothes at the highest temperature for more than 30 minutes.
Caution: Dispose of bags outside as soon as they are empty. Contaminated bags left lying around or reused could spread bed bugs and ruin your efforts.
Precautions to take when moving to avoid bedbugs.
- You can ask your future landlord if the property has been infested with bedbugs in the last year.
- Store all laundry in tightly sealed plastic bags. Don't overlook any openings where bed bugs could be hiding. Choose white bags because they make it easier to see any bed bugs that might be on the surface.
- Seal all your cardboard boxes with tape so that no gaps are left open.
- Avoid using the provided blankets. Place them in a tightly sealed bag and bring your own.
- Ask your prospective moving company about their bed bug policies. Inspect the truck yourself. If possible, vacuum it and dispose of the vacuum bag in an outdoor trash can.
- A canine inspection of the home and the truck bed can also be carried out to ensure that there are no bedbugs during your move.