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.
Can you see bed bugs? Yes, bed bugs are small but visible. Once fully grown, the bugs are reddish
brown and measure around 4-5mm. They are very good at flattening themselves and hiding – this can make them hard to spot, so look for signs like blood spots or droppings.
What causes 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 their prime targets.
What are the signs that I have 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. 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.
How do I kill bed bugs? The most reliable way to get rid of bed bugs for good is to employ a professional pest control specialist to carry out heat treatments.
How to prevent bed bugs. Taking small measures like regularly vacuuming, keeping your living spaces tidy, and inspecting any second-hand furniture before you bring it into your home can help prevent bed bug infestations. Remember to check hotel rooms for signs of bedbugs so you don’t bring any home with you, too.
What do bed bug bites look like? Bed bug bites are usually raised, red, and itchy bumps on the skin. They usually appear in straight lines down the body on areas of skin that have been exposed. Sometimes, bed bug bites can cause a rash or an allergic reaction.
Where do bed bugs bite? Bed bugs will bite any area of exposed skin that they can find. The most common places to see bites are on the face, hands, feet, arms, and legs as these are usually more exposed.
Where do bed bugs come from? Bed bugs can be found anywhere. Infestations usually happen in areas with a lot of foot traffic such as hotels, hospitals, and public transport. Bed bugs attach themselves to your clothing or your belongings and hitch a ride back to your home or business.
How to get rid of bed bugs? Professional bed bug heat treatment is the best method to eliminate bedbugs by subjecting them to high temperatures. Bedbugs cannot survive when exposed to temperatures above a certain threshold.
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