Bed bugs are a nightmare to deal with. These pests are notoriously difficult to get rid of and are just as hard to spot, as they’re able to hide in the seams of furniture, between cushions, in the folds of curtains, as well as many other hard-to-spot locations throughout a home. Once they’ve found their way inside, it can be months before a home is free of their presence. Don’t waste time and money dealing with an infestation. Instead, follow these tips from Contemporary Management Concepts, LLLP on bed bug prevention.
If furnished apartments aren’t your style, secondhand furniture is a great way to decorate your home without having to break the bank. But secondhand furniture can have a major hidden downside: bed bugs. Before settling on that retro couch that will perfectly complement your living room, take some time to inspect the furniture you’re buying for the common signs of bed bugs. These signs include rusty or reddish stains, small dark spots, tiny yellow eggshells, or live bedbugs themselves. It’s also important to avoid taking furniture off the street, as a whole variety of pests could have made it their home during its stay outside, and secondhand beds should be avoided at all costs, as it can be nearly impossible to remove bedbugs from them. If secondhand furniture is purchased, it should be thoroughly cleaned before being brought into the home.
One of the most common ways bed bugs end up inside of a home is by hitchhiking inside of a travel bag. When traveling and staying in a hotel or other form of lodging, take some time before unpacking to search for any signs of bed bugs. This process should include looking for rusty or reddish stains on the bed, looking underneath furniture for bugs, and placing your luggage on top of luggage racks and not on the floor or on the bed. Once you’re back home, all clothes should be put in the dryer for at least 15 minutes, as high temperatures can typically kill any bed bugs that may have hitched a ride home.
A little cleaning can go a long way when it comes to preventing bed bugs from infesting a home. The more clutter there is scattered throughout a home, the more hiding spots bed bugs will have, allowing them to grow in numbers rapidly. Eliminating clutter eradicates a major area where bed bugs could be hiding out, and also has the added benefit of keeping the home looking great.
Unfortunately, bed bugs can’t always be prevented, and once they’ve made their way inside, getting them out can be nearly impossible without the right tools. If bed bugs have made their way inside of your home, it’s important to call a pest control company early, as the longer you wait, the worst the infestation can become. Homeowners should also be careful when using any homemade remedies, as if they’re used improperly they can cause the infestation to spread further throughout the home.