Approximately 20 percent of Americans have had a bedbug problem, or know someone that has.
While these bugs don’t carry or cause disease, anyone who has suffered a bedbug infestation can confirm the nuisance they present.
They bite as you sleep, and while you might not feel the actual bite, it might leave you with flat, raised, or small itchy bumps. These might also get swollen, and turn red.
While bedbugs were mostly seen in hotels and old buses and trains, they are now making their way into urban homes.
These pests can create havoc in your life. Check out these bed bug prevention tips to protect your home from unwanted guests.
1. Inspect Old Furniture
Buying used furniture is one way to save money. If you are not careful, however, the old furniture you bring home might carry bedbugs.
Before making such a purchase, it’s important to do a thorough inspection. Bedbugs tend to hind in the dark crevices of seats. Check these areas for signs of an infestation.
By whatever chance, avoid buying used mattresses.
To be on the safe side, whenever you purchase second-hand furniture, give it a thorough cleaning or have it professionally cleaned and dried before taking it home.
Use hot soapy water to clean, placing special attention to the upholstery, crevices, and storage spaces.
If you buy a new mattress, consider buying a good quality plastic covering to protect it from moisture and dirt. This is a good way to maintain its hygiene and keep bugs away.
Aside from a visual inspection, you can do a smell test as well. Bed bugs emit a musty order. Some people say that it is close to coriander, but it becomes quite unpleasant as the infestation grows.
Couple a visual and smell test to determine whether the furniture you want to buy might be infested.
2. Inspect Bedding for Signs of Bedbugs
It’s not necessary to do this every night, but you can make it part of your general cleaning routine.
Bedbugs are small enough to fit through cracks as thin as a credit card. This makes them quite difficult to find.
Use a flashlight and check on the dark places of your bedroom for any bugs feces, molted eggs or skin.
If you notice an infestation, remove all bedding and wash them on the highest cycle and heat setting possible on your washing machine.
Consider washing all other loose items from that room, including curtains, carpets, and so on.
Also, take your mattress outside to a sunny, airy place and brush the seams and edges on the sides of your mattress as well. Clean your bed and give the entire room a thorough cleaning and vacuuming too.
It’s important to enclose your mattress and box spring in an airtight, fitted, plastic mattress protector.
Leave it outside overnight so as to ensure that you get rid of any remaining eggs and bugs before bringing it back inside.
3. Store Clothing in Vacuum Sealed Bags
This is important when traveling to prevent the possibility of ferrying bugs from the hotel to your house.
You can buy vacuum sealed bags of different sizes and pack your clothes in these before packing them in suitcases.
Bedbugs could be anywhere but you will be safer in a reputable hotel than in a cheap one. Before you settle in a hotel room, do a quick bug inspection. Only then can you bring in your stuff.
If you do find bugs, request a different room, or move to a different hotel altogether.
4. Get Professional Bug Treatment
If you have a severe infestation problem that you have been unable to remedy time and again, it might be time to call in the professionals.
A professional can safely, effectively eliminate bed bugs from your home. Unfortunately, not every company can do a good job.
It’s therefore important to get a credible bed bug exterminator in Portland, Oregon to ensure that the bugs are eliminated safely.
5. Pet Hygiene for Bed Bug Prevention
Your adorable mutt could also be bringing in bedbugs, or bedbug eggs home. Regularly inspect the dog’s bed or mat to ensure that this is not the case.
Machine wash the dog’s bedding on the highest settings and air it out occasionally to lessen the chances of an infestation.
6. Reduce Clutter
Wondering how to prevent bed bugs in an apartment? Declutter!
Besides being unsightly, clutter creates just the perfect place for bedbugs to hide and breed.
Clutter also conceals them from plain sight so that it becomes harder for you to detect the problem early on.
To prevent bed bugs, make sure your house is clutter free by doing a periodic purge of all the items you do not need or use.
7. Repel Bugs with Essential Oils
Some essential oils can repel bugs, even though they don’t kill them off completely. These oils should, however, be used to prevent bugs, not deal with an infestation problem.
Bedbug repellants include lavender, peppermint, lemongrass, and tea tree oils.
To prepare the solution, pour ten drops of your preferred oil into a spray bottle and dilute in water.
You can then use this spray on areas prone to bedbugs around your home. Your bed, curtain and curtain box, the dog’s pen, bed sheets, and clothing storage spaces are the prime areas for an infestation.
You can also spray your luggage and clothing when traveling to ensure you do not bring back anything undesirable to your home.
Do You Have a Bug Problem?
Bed bug prevention is better than elimination. By taking some precautions and consistently inspecting your home, you can successfully keep a bug free home.
However, these pesky creatures will, at times, make their way into your home despite your best efforts. If they do, don’t hesitate to call up a professional.
For residents of Portland, Oregon, Custom Bed bug has been a trusted name in bed bug elimination for ten strong years. We have one guarantee: to make you bug-free the first time.
Contact us today for a free quote!
