One of the most common questions we get is, "How to prevent bed bugs?" At ThermoPest, we’re here to provide the answer.
Preventing bed bugs is a must. No one wants to find an infestation in their home or their business. Unfortunately, once a bed bug infestation takes hold, it can be difficult to eliminate them completely – but there are some preventative steps you can take to help ensure an infestation doesn’t take hold.
Bed bugs are successful hitchhikers, easily travelling from one place to another through furniture, clothing, luggage, and infested items. Because bed bugs hide in mattress seams, box springs, bed frames, wall voids, and other places, they often go unnoticed until the infestation has spread.
Taking proactive measures to prevent bed bugs is the best way to avoid a costly and time-consuming battle against them.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the best ways to prevent bed bugs. We will talk about how to minimise their chances of spreading and what to do if you suspect an infestation.
Bed bugs don’t just appear on their own. These tiny insects spread by hitchhiking on objects or people moving from an infested area to a new location. Some of the most common ways bed bugs enter a home or business include:
Bed bugs love to hide in upholstered furniture, bed frames, and couches. Always inspect used items carefully before bringing them into your space.
Hotels, shared laundry facilities, and public spaces increase the risk of bed bugs spreading through suitcases and clothing.
Bed bugs can transfer easily if infested items come into contact with clean belongings.
Apartments, hotels, care homes, hospitals, and other rooms with high foot traffic are especially vulnerable to bed bug infestations.
Understanding how bed bugs spread is the first step in preventing them from invading your home or business. If you suspect that you have bedbugs in your home, speak to a professional pest control company.
Once bed bugs get in, they are difficult to remove. Taking preventive steps can help stop their ability to spread. Here are some steps to take for integrated pest management:
Before bringing any furniture into your home, be sure to inspect it carefully. Pay close attention to mattress seams, bed frames, box springs, upholstered furniture, and crevices in wooden furniture – these are all favourite hiding spots of bedbugs. Look for shed skins, bed bug excrement, eggs, or signs of activity like blood stains on bed sheets.
After travelling, always wash clothing and dryer directly on high temperatures to kill any hidden pests. Use a hot dryer cycle for infested items like bedding, blankets, and other fabric-based belongings.
If you suspect exposure to bed bugs, you should store your clothing or bed linens in a sealed bag until washed.
Bed bugs hide in clutter. This can make it harder to detect an infestation.
Be sure to keep your bedroom, furniture, and storage areas clean and organised. Avoid keeping piles of clothing, boxes, or hanging linens near your bed or sleeping area.
Bed bugs aren’t the sort of souvenir you want to bring home with you from holiday.
Before unpacking, check the mattress, headboard, bed frames, and other furniture for signs of bed bugs. Keep your suitcase on a luggage rack instead of placing it on the floor or bed.
Bed bugs hide in wall voids, cracks, and crevices, especially in shared buildings. You can use caulk to seal gaps in walls, headboards, floors, and furniture.
Remember to pay special attention to areas around electrical outlets, baseboards, and wallpaper edges.
Bed bugs can move between clothing in shared laundry facilities.
You should always transport clean laundry in a sealed plastic bag to prevent exposure. Avoid leaving clothes on communal surfaces where bed bugs might be lurking.
One way to help prevent an infestation in your home is to vacuum frequently.
Don’t just focus on the bedroom! Bedbugs can infest other rooms in your house, too. Regularly vacuum your entire house, focusing on soft furnishings, carpeted areas, your mattress and box springs, etc. This can help to discourage movement of bed bugs.
The best way to prevent bed bugs is to know what to look for.
Train staff in hotels, hospitals, and care homes to recognise early signs of infestation. Be vigilant about inspecting bedding, furniture, and spaces where people sleep.
If bed bugs do make their way into your home or business, eliminating them can be extremely difficult. These pests are resistant to many traditional insecticides and can survive for months without feeding.
There are a few reasons why bed bugs are so hard to kill.
1. Rapid Reproduction: A single female bed bug can lay hundreds of eggs. This leads to a population explosion in just weeks.
2. Resistant to Chemicals: Many over-the-counter sprays fail to kill all the bugs. This leaves behind survivors that continue breeding.
3. Skilled at Hiding: Bed bugs tuck themselves into mattress seams, box springs, headboards, and wall voids. This makes them difficult to reach.
Traditional pest control methods often require multiple chemical treatments over several weeks or months. However, this can be costly, time-consuming, and ineffective.
The best way to kill bed bugs completely is with professional heat treatment. This process raises the room temperature to a level that bed bugs cannot survive, ensuring that all the bugs are eliminated in one treatment.
1. Heat penetrates deep into crevices and hiding places where bed bugs retreat.
2. Unlike insecticides, heat treatment is guaranteed to work because bedbugs aren’t immune to heat like they are some chemicals.
3. Heat treatments kill all life stages, from eggs to adult bed bugs. No stage can survive high temperatures.
DIY methods often fail, and infestations spread quickly. Contact us today for professional bed bug extermination with guaranteed eradication.
Yes, bed bugs are small but visible—though they are very good at flattening themselves and hiding. Once fully grown, the bugs are red/brown and measure around 4-5mm. Can you see bed bugs?
Bed bugs can be found anywhere that humans live because they feed on human blood. This attracts them to any environment where they can hide out—with mattresses and upholstery the prime targets. What causes bed bugs?
Bed bugs are difficult to identify in the early stages of their life cycles. Most infestations are discovered due to bite marks and itching from residents. Pest control professionals can usually identify droppings on bedding, uncover the places where the bugs hide and even smell the strong, sweet odours of a mature infestation. What are the signs that I have bed bugs?
Getting rid of bed bugs is not an easy task. Predominately, this is due to the nocturnal nature and ability for bed bugs to hide in small cracks and crevices. Sightings of bed bugs, it normally indicates that there is a serious bed bug infestation and requires a professional bed bug treatment. How do I kill bed bugs?
We are often asked what do bed bug bites look like? The problem is that bed bug bites can be easily confused with other insect bites. Each person bitten by bed bugs reacts differently, but there are some typical indicators. What do bed bug bites look like?
They get their name because they hide in areas that are related to the bed, such as a mattress, pillows, box springs, bed frames, and other furniture. They usually remain close to the host and usually bite at night when we are sleeping. Where do bed bugs bite?
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) have existed for thousands of years and gradually adapted to feed on humans. They’re not caused by poor hygiene – but common in places with high human turnover like hotels, dorms, public transport, and shared housing. They hide in beds, furniture, or cracks in walls and reproduce quickly.Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) have existed for thousands of years and gradually adapted to feed on humans. They’re not caused by poor hygiene – but common in places with high human turnover like hotels, dorms, public transport, and shared housing. They hide in beds, furniture, or cracks in walls and reproduce quickly. If you need a bed bug exterminator near you, get in contact with one of our team today. Where do bed bugs come from?
Bed bug heat treatment is a method used to eliminate bedbugs by subjecting them to high temperatures. This approach relies on the sensitivity of bedbugs to heat, as they cannot survive when exposed to temperatures above a certain threshold. How to get rid of bed bugs?
One of the most common questions we get is, “How to check for bed bugs?” You Check for bed bugs by inspecting mattress seams, bed frames, and furniture for small reddish-brown bugs, tiny black fecal spots, or shed skins.
Yes we do emergency pest control in homes or commercial premises to minimise disruption and risk to health. We can advise you about the most effective insect control solutions for your particular problem.
During the initial treatment on first visit a pest controller will assess entry points, recommend various methods based on the infestation and place bed bug monitors if required.
We treat a wide range including bed bugs, carpet beetles, clothes moths and more. Whether you need moth control or insect control we will tailor our approach to the species and environment.
Yes. All our expert pest control services comply with strict health and safety regulations to protect people, pets and property so you will have a safe and pest free environment after treatment.
Yes, our local pest control teams can help with any pest control needs quickly and effectively.
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