Bed bugs are a type of parasitic insect that consumes human blood through bites. These bugs are tan or red in color, depending on their developmental stage, with oval-shaped bodies. Bed bugs often infest spaces, such as homes or hotel rooms, and spread to other areas quickly. Some people develop bed bug bites, but they mistake them for mosquito bites or allergy rashes, according to the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection Agency. It is important to prevent bed bugs from entering or further infesting a home because the insects can be difficult to get rid of once they have reproduced and spread throughout a home. To prevent bedbugs from getting into or infesting your home, you need to be diligent in looking for and getting rid of bed bugs.
Checking the mattresses and furniture in your home regularly can allow you to prevent bed bugs from infesting your home. When you are checking your mattresses, you need to look for traces of blood, bed bug eggs, skins or dark spots that could signal that you have bed bugs in your home. Use tools such as a flashlight and a magnifying glass to look closely at your mattresses and spaces about 10 to 20 feet around them, according to the City of New York’s website.
Checking your mattresses can allow you to take precautions early if bed bugs have gotten into one mattress or piece of furniture in your home. Check in every crevice and seam of your mattress or furniture and in your pillowcases. Keep your home clean and free from clutter and regularly wash your linens to prevent bed bugs. Whenever you buy or receive a piece of furniture, especially a used mattress or couch from a friend or from a secondhand store, check it thoroughly, looking inside the box springs and protective covering, to make sure it is free from the insects.
Just like bed bugs can spread from one room to another in a house or apartment, bed bugs infections can start in a hotel or motel room. When you travel, you have to be careful because bed bugs could get into your luggage and follow you home. Whenever you travel, check your hotel room’s mattress for any signs of bed bugs. Keep your luggage off the floor and the bed so that you don’t inadvertently pick up bed bugs. Before you leave your hotel or enter you home after a vacation, check your luggage thoroughly for signs of bed bugs and wash and dry your clothing immediately as a precaution. If you have bites but don’t see any signs of bed bugs in your home or your baggage, call in a pest control specialist to do a thorough inspection of your home.
If you do find signs of bed bugs, do your best to avoid a bed bug infestation by washing bedding and thoroughly scrubbing furniture and surfaces in rooms you believe are infested. Wash and dry your bedding at hot temperatures to kill any bed bugs. Make sure to wash your bedding as soon as you see any signs of bed bugs because the insects can spread quickly. Treat your mattress, furniture or other areas where bed bugs could be hiding with insecticides. If you don’t have experience using insecticides or believe you have a large-scale bed bug problem, call a professional for help. If your mattress or a piece of furniture is badly infested, throw it out immediately. Inspecting for and treating surfaces and furniture with bed bugs can help you to avoid having a major problem in your home that could cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars to fix.
For an example of bed bug prevention please visit the Maple Leaf Quay website, where the management has been proactive in keeping the residence bug-free.