Bringing bed bugs home is most often purely accidental. Since bed bugs travel easily and find shelter in various places of the host, it is important to consider methods to prevent the bedbug infestation. Awareness is the key that helps in avoiding the pests at residential as well as commercial properties. Conscious efforts taken during travel, at home, or at public place aid in controlling a bed bug infestation. Elimination of bed bugs is quite laborious and expensive. Therefore, it is prudent to change the ways or behavior and avoid bringing the blood parasites home.
What are the few guidelines to prevent bedbugs at home?
Furniture:
Bed bugs show more affinity to take shelter in wooden items, including furniture. Consider investing in a bed that has metal frames and is devoid of a headboard. This prevents the bed bugs from taking shelter in the bed frames as well as the headboard. Additionally, use light colored bed linen to detect bed bugs at an early stage. This guideline holds true for all the wooden furniture at home, including, cabinets, dressers, baby cribs, mirrors, sofa, etc.
Seal the Openings
Bed bugs infest in all the places at home. Seal the cracks, crevices in the floor, wall, and ceilings with silicone sealant to cover all the openings. This prevents the entry of almost all types of bugs into the house. This also avoids the spreading of the infestation across rooms or apartments.
Desist Used Furniture
Used or dumped furniture is more likely to be infested with bed bugs. Avoid such furniture even if it looks attractive. Avoid using a truck or public vehicle to deliver or for movement of furniture. These vehicles are prone to have bed bug infestation. It is quite easy to pick up bed bugs from such vehicles. Check carefully for any infestation in the furniture after the movement.
Protect the Luggage during Transit
Travel is one of the main sources through which bed bugs travel freely all over the world. Taking utmost precautions during the journey in the mode of transport or during the stay at the hotel helps to prevent the entry of bed bugs into the home.
- Inspect for any bed bug infestation at the hotel, especially near the bed area. If there is, please bring it to the notice of the hotel authorities for immediate action.
- Never place the luggage on the bed. Check for bed bugs on the luggage stand and keep it away from touching the wall.
- Upon returning from the trip, unpack all the contents and launder all the clothes in the hottest washing machine setting. Again, remember not to keep the luggage on the bed.
Avoid Pests at Public Places
- Do not toss the handbag or other accessories on an empty chair, especially in a movie theater, airport, library or at the workplace.
- This holds true even when visiting a friend who may have a possible bed bug infestation. Launder the clothes immediately after returning home.
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