Don't Call It A Comeback: Tips For Preventing The Return Of Bed Bugs
Posted on: 24 May 2018
Dealing with bed bugs can be a time-consuming and frustrating experience. Once you've finally put your bed bug problem to rest, chances are you don't want to deal with it again. Unfortunately, it only takes a single mistake for bed bugs to make a roaring comeback.
To keep bed bugs from making an encore appearance, you'll want to follow the helpful tips listed below.
1. Check Your Luggage for Hitchhikers
Bed bugs are prolific travelers, so it pays to inspect your luggage for any unwanted traveling companions. Before setting foot inside your home, unpack your suitcase and inspect it for any signs of bed bugs. Gather all of your clothes and put them through a hot dryer cycle to kill any stray hitchhikers.
As for your suitcases, place them in a garbage bag along with some chemical pesticide strips and keep them sealed up for at least two weeks. This will allow the pesticide to do its work while at the same time providing enough time for bed bugs to die of starvation.
2. Be Wary of Secondhand Furniture
A good deal on a secondhand sofa can easily turn into a nightmare if it's infested with bed bugs. Before bringing any piece of used furniture home, carefully inspect every inch of it for bed bugs. If you're still not sure about your secondhand furniture being bug-free, don't bring it home, period.
3. Check Your Pets
Fleas and ticks aren't the only pests Fido and Fifi can bring in after time spent outdoors. Bed bugs are drawn to animal hosts just as much as they are to their human counterparts. Check your pet's bedding for any signs of bed bug infestation. Washing and drying your pet's bedding on the hottest available heat settings can also stop infestations before they begin.
4. Invest in a Mattress Encasement
Mattress encasements serve two purposes -- they make spotting future bed bug infestations easier and they keep any lingering bed bugs inside your mattress from getting out. Keep in mind that you'll need a separate encasement for each mattress and box spring. You should leave your mattress inside the encasement for at least a year, as this will give bed bugs enough time to starve and die out.
5. Cover Your Power Outlets
Bed bugs can take refuge inside of power outlets during extermination and migrate through your walls to infect other areas of your home. Placing plastic covers over your power outlets can help prevent any lingering bed bugs from coming through.
For more information and help getting rid of an infestation if you have one, contact companies like Affordable Pest Control.
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