Unfortunately, we face the possibility of bed bugs entering into our home year round, not just around the holidays or summer break when people tend to travel a lot. A-Tex Pest Management will explain the threat of bed begs coming into your home and what you can do to prevent them from becoming a problem.
Can Bed Bugs Hitch a Ride on Clothes & Luggage?
Bed bugs are what many will describe as hitchhikers. They travel from place to place on clothing, back packs, purses, and luggage of those who might have a current bed bug infestation. As many of our high school graduates have gone off to college, they will stay in a dorm, or rent out an apartment or house. With a building full of kids to interact with alongside their studies, bed bug prevention is the least concern on their mind. How about your friends or other extended family?
How Do You Prevent Bed Bugs?
Bed bug prevention sometimes gets away from all of us. So what can be done to prevent an unwanted visitor in your home? Other than never allowing people into your home, let’s face it, you can’t do a head to toe body search and rummage through everyone’s belongings before you allow them in. So the next step is making your home unsuitable for bed bugs. Bed bugs like to hide in cluttered environments and small spaces in which they can hide during the day. Having a clean home is step one. Have plenty of space between furniture and objects. Concentrate on bed bug hot spots as well. Couches and beds are the preferred place that bed bugs like to dwell. Anywhere people will sit for long periods of time draw bed bugs because this gives them the chance to feed on the host. Since bed bugs are blood drinkers, they require a bit of time to get to a host and feed. Regularly vacuum your furniture, especially couches and chairs. It may seem a bit extreme but after a gathering and your visitors leave is a good time to do a light cleaning of all areas to remove any possible bed bugs. Vacuum your carpets and steam clean them. Wash curtains and couch covers in the living room to kill stragglers. If you have college kids visiting for a time, insist they do their laundry when they first get home. Make sure all bedding is washed weekly. Be sure to wash everything with hot water and use high heat in the dryer. This will kill any unwanted passengers.
Professional Bed Bug Pest Inspections, Treatment, Control, Removal & More in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park Texas
Spraying your home with pesticides doesn’t prevent bed bugs from entering your home. Your best bet is regular cleaning, washing all clothes and linens and being vigilant in preventing a bed bug infestation. After that, if you’re concerned you have bed bugs, you can have a bed bug inspection conducted in your home and treated if found. If you are concerned about bed bugs or other pests, A-Tex Pest Management is here to assist you.