Every day we take small steps to protect ourselves from daily dangers and irritants. We don’t think twice about wearing seatbelts, applying sunscreen or spraying bug repellent when heading outdoors. But what about insects that aren’t easily deterred? How to avoid bed bugs begins with knowing signs to spot them, and taking precautionary steps to prevent the spread. .
It’s not easy to figure out how to keep bed bugs away. Before determining what repels bed bugs, it’s important to know that these persistent parasites are quick to follow a blood meal and breed and multiply at breakneck speeds. But there are ways to decrease the likelihood of becoming their next host.
What Does a Bed Bug Look Like?
Before heading out in search of what keeps bed bugs away, you need to be able to make an accurate identification and not confuse them with other insects. Bed bugs are flat, oval-shaped and small; adult bed bugs are about 1/4 inch in length, or about the size
of a ladybug or an apple seed. Baby bed bugs are significantly smaller, about the size of a pinhead. They are usually reddish-brown in color, especially after they’ve been feeding. They have six legs, visible antennae and cone-like eyes.
Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation
Bites alone do not prove that you have a bed bug infestation – the only way to tell for sure is to find and identify the bugs, since bites from ticks, fleas and mosquitoes, as well as allergic reactions, can all resemble bed bug bites.
Bed bug bites occur in clusters or rows, and typically bed bugs feed at night. If you or someone in your family wakes up with bites, look for these other warning signs of bed bugs:
1. Small blood stains on your bed sheets and clothes.
- Tiny dark brown spots on the sheets and the underside of
the mattress and the box springs.
- A sweet or musty smell in the room.
- Dead bed bugs or their shed skins on the bed or in their hiding places.
Stay Alert While Travelling
when traveling thoroughly check your hotel room or home rental, paying close attention the bedroom. Bed bugs are usually found on or near the mattress so pull the covers back, and even the mattress pad, to take a closer look.
- When returning from any trip, give any luggage a once-over thorough check before stepping through the door.
Tips for Preventing Bed Bugs in your Home
Prevention is the best medicine when it comes to a problem like bed bugs, and there are many steps you can take to make sure you don’t bring bed bugs to your home.
• Change your bedding every week and wash in hot water and dry on high heat.
• Keep clutter picked up – bed bugs hide in books, boxes, clothing, etc.
- Vacuum thoroughly once a week. Look for bed bugs while you clean especially around the edge of the mattress and the box spring. A careful inspection of these areas will help prevent bed bugs from becoming established, and an early infestation is easier and cheaper to treat.
- If you buy used items, always carefully inspect these items Before you bring them into your home. This includes all used furniture, mattresses or box springs, bedding, luggage, bags and purses, and used clothing and books. Remember: eggs and the immature bed bugs are very small and hard to see, so look very closely.
- Stay clutter free. Remove boxes and other stored items in bedrooms.
- Keep your bed at least six inches from the walls. Don’t allow bedding to touch the floor, and keep clothing and other items off the bed.
- Seal cracks, crevices, and other hiding places. This will also discourage movement of bed bugs from one room to another. Repair and seal cracks in plaster, walls, and baseboards; repair or remove loose wallpaper.
- If you store items in a self-storage unit, inspect your items carefully before you bring them home.
- If you rent furniture, carefully inspect it before you allow it into your home.
- If you buy a new bed, covering the new mattress and box spring with new encasements and placing interceptors under the bed legs will help prevent possible infestations in the future.
- Do not buy a used mattress.
f you think you have come into contact with bed bugs
- Before you go inside your home, remove your clothes and personal belongings outside the house. Immediately go inside and shower.
- Wrap your discarded clothing and bags in a sealable plastic bag. Leave in the hot sun for three days
CALL THE EXPERTS Despite your best efforts and research about how to avoid bed bugs, the most effective route to prevention starts with professional pest control. Contact MCT Pest control – 70083998 .
