Prevention Tips for Bed Bugs

When bed bugs find their way into your home, it can be a nightmare. They can hide in almost every crack and crevice in your dwelling: in mattresses, in box springs, in cracks in your furniture, in between your wall, under carpeting—the list goes on and on. Take the initiative to take preventative measures to ensure your home is safe from bed bug infestation. 

Inside Your Home

Once bed bugs make their way into your home, they can be hard to detect and get rid of. That’s why it’s important to do everything you can to prevent them from infesting your home. To prevent bed bugs in your home: 

• Inspect your furniture (beds, couches, nightstands, etc.) as often as possible for signs of bed bugs.
• Use a mattress cover to protect your mattress from getting infested.
• Vacuum around your home often to suck up any potential traveling critters.
• Declutter your home to reduce places for bed bugs to hide.

While Traveling

Bed bugs can be a huge problem in hotels, so it’s important for you to do everything you can to protect yourself and your loved ones when traveling. In general, try to look for hotels with good ratings; these hotels are less likely to have a bed bug infestation. When you get to your hotel room:

• Check your hotel mattress for bed bugs before laying or sitting on it.
• Check the nightstand and other furniture near the bed.
• Try to keep your luggage away from the bed and off of the floor (hotels usually have luggage racks for this).

When you get home from your trip:

• Wash your clothes as soon as you can.
• Keep the clothes from your trip separate from other clothes to prevent contamination.
• If you can’t wash your clothes right away, keep them in your luggage and away from your home (in your garage, if possible).

Other Ways to Prevent Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are pesky and can find their way into your home in more ways than you think. Here are some extra tips to prevent them: 

• Be careful at laundromats; your clothes can pick up bed bugs from the previous users’ clothes.
• Cover power outlets around your home; bed bugs crawl into them when moving in between furniture fixtures.
• Check your pet’s bed regularly. Bed bugs are also attracted to dog and cat beds and tend to nest in those areas, as well.
• Be cautious with second-hand items. When buying used items from second-hand stores or garage sales, look out for bed bugs and properly clean them before bringing them inside your home.

Contact U.S. Pest Protection for Help with Your Bed Bug Infestation

Have you noticed that even after trying to prevent bed bugs, they still found their way into your home? You don’t have to worry because U.S. Pest Protection has your back! We offer a variety of quality pest control services to ensure your home is bed bug-free. Contact us for your free pest inspection today!