Do you know the best hitchhikers in your home? Bedbugs. They move from one infested site to a new one by traveling on bedding, luggage, furniture, boxes, and even clothing. Even though they typically feed on blood every seven to ten days, the bed bugs are quite resilient and can survive several months without food.
They can physically survive a year without eating. Bed bugs cannot fly, but they have the speed to make up for their flying inability. They quickly move over walls, ceilings, and floors. This article will help you keep your home clear of bedbugs and provide you with sufficient information to avoid infestation.
Where Do Bed Bugs Hide?
Bed bugs enter homes undetected by hitchhiking on clothing, luggage, used furniture, and other items. Their bodies are flat, and since their size equals the width of a credit card, these oval bugs can fit into the tiniest spaces.
These insects do not make nests like bees and ants but instead, live in hiding places in groups. Their first spot of camouflage is in mattresses, bed frames, headboards and box springs. All of these spaces provide them easy access to bite people at night.
With time, bed bugs may scatter through bedrooms to other protected areas and crevices. They can spread to nearby rooms and even apartments. Because these bugs solely survive on blood, the presence of bedbugs in the home does not show an accumulation of filth in residence. Bed bugs are most likely to be found in even the immaculate looking homes and hotel rooms.
Signs Of An Infestation
If you wake up with itchy patches on your skin that did not exist when you fell asleep, there is a substantial chance that your bed is infested with bed bugs, if you have bought used furniture. A bed bug infestation would give you many signals that should ring alarms in your head.
The signs include blood stains on beddings and musty and offensive odors from the bug’s scent glands. Rusty, dark spots of excrement, fecal spots, shed skins and eggshells can be found in the hiding spots of bed bugs. If you find these signs around your home, it is high time to start taking steps to free your home of bedbugs and prevent their return at all costs!
Precautions To Avoid An Infestation
- Check Secondhand Furniture
When you purchase secondhand furniture, you unconsciously invite bedbugs to the party. It is essential to check the furniture for signs of an outbreak at the house of the seller. If you purchase even a dining table or couch that you keep away from the bedroom, it is necessary to examine the furniture before installation.
- Use Protective Covers
Since bedbugs survive only on blood, they are most likely to be found in your bed. After all, that is why they are called bed bugs! To avoid an infestation, we suggest you purchase protective covers for your box springs and mattresses to eliminate the hiding spots.
Find the lighter colors for encasements because that would make it a lot easier for you to spot the bugs. Make sure that the covers are tear-resistant.
- Keep Clutter To The Minimum
The more clutter you gather, the more likely are you to get bed bugs. Clutter would help the bugs survive in large clans around your home. So to avoid the permanent residence of this nuisance, we suggest that you develop a routine of DE cluttering every two to four weeks.
- Vacuum Often
In context with DE cluttering, we suggest that you vacuum as often as your schedule allows. Cleaning the home regularly will prevent any successful hitchhikers from staying. The vacuum cleaner would quickly clear out bugs which you may not recognize because of their appearance being similar to specks of dust. After vacuuming the areas around the bed, it is better for you to store the cleaner in a plastic bag.
- Avoid Shared Laundries
If you share a laundry facility, we would suggest you be extra careful. Be vigilant while transporting your items to be washed. Carry them in clean plastic bags. The facility could have an infestation that could carry on to your clothes. That is why we suggest that you move your laundry directly into the carrier from the dryer instead of folding it then and there. The high heat of a dryer can also help you kill bed bugs.
- Try Isolation
If you live in a shared residence, you should try to isolate your unit. The outbreak of bed bugs in one room can continue to spread across the entire house. You can prevent this by installing door sweeps that discourage movement in and out of hallways.
Try sealing up the cracks and crevices around light sockets and baseboards to stop the passage of the bugs through your walls. We suggest that you invest in a high-quality bed bugs spray and try to vacuum your space often. You should wash your linens and other stuffed materials too.
- Invest In Portable Heating Units
Consider buying a mobile heating unit if you suspect that your items have been infested with bed bugs. The heating chamber will kill the germs and clear out your issue in no time. It is advised to check all the instructions on the heating unit before starting to use it. It is always better to be aware!
Final Thoughts
In the fast track life, no one has the time or energy to spend on cleaning bed bugs. You can only try to avoid these by being tidy and careful about your home. Vacuum often and keep the areas around your bed clear.
Have more tips? Please share them with us in the comments section below.
Author Bio:
About Michelle Joe: Michelle Joe is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences, and express herself through her blogs. You can find her on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
