“A single bed bug, however, can result in thousands of eggs, which leads to infestations. Because of this, whether you have encountered a bed bug infestation or not, you’ll want to follow the advice mentioned below.”
Preventing Bed Bugs in Your Home
We have created a quick list of recommendation to help guide you through bed bug prevention. We realize that some of these recommendation are easier to follow than others. However, following these guidelines will greatly reduce your risk of a bed bug infestation. We created this list based off of our experience and knowledge from working in the bed bug industry for many years. Remember that is it much more difficult to eliminate a bed bug problem than to prevent bed bugs from entering your home.
Prevent picking up bed bugs when you travel
Hotels can be a prime target for bed bugs. Often a simple weekend getaway can become a major problem if you carry bed bugs back into your home. Follow these instructions to avoid making a vacation turn into a nightmare.
Check your room for bed bugs
Bed bugs look like a small black or peppered stain on bed frames, sheets, and mattresses. Make sure to closely inspect the cracks and seems of the mattress and sheets. If you can, lift the mattress and box spring so you can look underneath the underside seams. Learn more here.
Luggage
Never put your luggage on the floor or in a suitcase when you’re in your hotel room. Additionally, make sure to inspect the luggage rack in your room closely. Basically, you should inspect any area where you plan to set down your belongings.
Always follow these steps when you get home:
- When you first arrive keep your luggage and belongings outside.
- Put all of the contents in plastic bags.
- Make sure to wash, and then dry, all of your clothes and linens on high heat.
- Put your empty luggage in a large black plastic bag.
- Put the bagged luggage in the sun and let it remain exposed to “cook” for several days.
- Make sure to rotate the luggage, as if it has been exposed to bed bugs they will migrate to the cooler areas.
- Make sure to keep the suitcase sealed in the bag until you next use it.
Quick Tips on Sanitizing linens to prevent your bed bug infestation
Here is a quick step by step breakdown for sanitizing your linens
- Seal in trash bags before you bring then into your home or where you wash them. This keeps bed bugs from entering the structure of your home.
- Put the bag inside the washing machine and open the top.
- Grab the bag from the bottom and empty the closes into the washing machine.
- Immediately re-close the bag.
- Dispose of the bag outside of your home.
We recommend that you check out the office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion for more information.
