How To Prevent Bed Bugs

Want to know how to prevent bed bugs from spreading? That really is the sixty-four thousand dollar question when it comes to these particular critters. They don't just appear on their own or naturally - they are literally spread, shared or transported to any place they are found, so prevention is huge. You can pick up a few hitchhiking bedbugs just about anywhere you go including a friends house, a hospital, a hotel, the bus, your favorite restaurant, etc. If you do, preventing them from spreading throughout your home or business becomes job one.

Benjamin Franklin said that an once of prevention is worth a pound of cure and that absolutely applies to the possibility of having a bed bug problem to deal with. Here are a few things that you can do in the way of prevention:

• In a hotel: To prevent bed bugs in hotel, always do a thorough inspection of any place you plan on staying - BEFORE bringing your luggage in. Check the stitching in the bedding, between the mattress and box springs, gaps/cracks in the bed frame and/or headboard. You're looking for dark spots, castings and the actual bedbugs, of course. They can also hide in electrical outlets, door frames, curtains, nightstands, etc. The EPA has a great article about how to find bed bugs, including bed bug pictures, that you can check out HERE.
• You can prevent bed bugs when traveling with a bed bug defense plan that includes using bed bug monitoring stations. When you arrive at the hotel, place them under and in the bed, turn off the lights and go to dinner, run some errands, etc. Come back in a few hours and check the traps to see if you have caught any. If so - leave!
• At home, these same traps can be used as an on-going monitoring system. Keep them under the bed(s), in closets, where you store your luggage and anywhere you receive visitors. Check them on a regular basis for early detection, which makes eradication so much quicker and easier. It's important to follow label recommendations and replace the traps in a timely manner. Our traps work extremely well and will provide the early detection you need for prevention.
• Also at home, we cannot stress enough how important good quality mattress protectors are for bed bug prevention. If you bring them home they will want to hunker down in your mattress and box springs - that's their number 1 target. Good mattress protectors will mitigate that problem by keeping bed bugs out, which not only helps to prevent a bigger problem, but also protects the investment you made in your bedding.
• How to prevent bed bugs now: Try our Bed Bug Exterminator Sprays These products kill bed bugs. If you think you see bed bug signs use the bed bug prevention spray. If you've been traveling or had visitors that you suspect may have bedbugs, wash all clothing, too, to help prevent a bigger problem from developing.
• How to prevent bed bug bites: One of the things you want to look for are bites. Bed bug bites don't usually hurt, so you may not notice them for a couple of days after you've been bitten. That can make it tough to know exactly where you were bitten. If you have bites, you probably have picked at least a few of the critters up too, unfortunately. We have bed bug bite images to help with identification, but lots of insect bites look similar. There are also bed bug pictures on that page.
• How to prevent bed bugs in apartment: Unfortunately, bed bugs can travel from apartment to apartment through the walls - the electrical outlets, a/c vents, cracks and crevices, etc. So if your neighbor has bedbugs you will really need to stay ahead of the game. Use clear silicone caulk and seal up every crack/crevice you can find to make it more difficult for them to get into your space. Use plenty of the monitoring stations, mattress covers, the spray on a regular basis. If they get in, you want to make sure you know as early on as possible and that they have as few place to hide in as possible, too.

Prevent Bud Bugs

Really, when it comes to preventing bed bugs, a little common sense and a proactive approach are the two main ingredients. If you think that a place that you go to on a regular basis may have bedbugs, really you should stop going there if possible. Folks always want to know why they keep coming back, and it's often because the people keep going back to the same place(s) and picking them up over and over again.

As far as being proactive at home goes, the use of good mattress covers, traps, laundry additive, etc. are extremely important if your risk is medium or higher. It's really a small investment compared to what it can cost to hire a professional bed bug exterminator. And the peace of mind is priceless. On the road, just take your time and do a really thorough inspection before settling in to any place you plan to stay at. Again, that investment in time pales in comparison to the frustrating pain in the keester you'll deal with if you bring a real bed bug problem home with you.

Bedbugs aren't the only critter that may invade your home. Check out this article for some insightful info about other household pests:

-13 Common House Bugs and How to Get Rid Of Them-