Bed bugs are tiny creatures – usually circa 5mm in size – which makes them great at hiding from the human eye. Most commonly, their body is shaped like an oval, and they carry a rusty brown skin colour. However, like many other bugs and creatures – they cannot fly.
These nasty bugs come out at night, and feed off your blood – hence leaving a nasty bed bug bite mark. Although many of them carry a disease, they won't spread it. But their bites can be unbearable for some people, not to mention the constant itching and scratching.
5 easy ways to prevent bed bugs entering your home
1. Wash Your Bedding regularly
This doesn’t have to be an exhaustive task that you carry out daily, but every time you wash you bedding it’s definitely worth inspecting it too.
Likewise, it’s important to wash your bedding regularly. I would advise you using the highest heat and spin setting to wash your bedding – which will get rid of any nasties and ensure that your bedding comes out fresh. The extreme heat will kill any bed bugs that may be hiding in your bedding.
2. Inspect Second-hand Furniture Before Buying (and your own furniture too)
Purchasing second-hand furniture is a great way to save cash, but it can also be a very easy and preventable way for bed bugs to enter your home.
If you are looking to buy second hand furniture, be sure to give it a thorough inspection before handing over your money. The most important part to check is along the seams of the furniture – look out for any sign of bed bugs or their droppings.
It’s probably best to give it a really good was before using it, even if it looks in good condition. I would advise hoovering any furniture with fabric and using hot, soapy water if otherwise.
3. Remove as much clutter as possible
Clutter is a great hiding place for bed bugs. If you have managed to pile up a load of clutter, it increases your risk of getting bed bugs and also makes it much harder to defend against them. Most prominently, clutter near your walls are favourable for bed bugs – so bare this in mind when you next give your room a sort-out.
4. Cover Up Your Power Outlets
Bed bugs love electrical sockets as a hiding place, as people very rarely think to check them. They hide in there until they deem it safe to come out – which is usually at night. It’s also apparent that these nasty little creatures may use your plug sockets as a method of transport to explore other room sin your home, meaning a further spread of the infestation.
5. Be vigilant when travelling
When traveling, you carry a risk of bringing bed bugs back home with you. To prevent this from happening, it’s important to check your hotel room bed bugs before you open up your suitcase and start unpacking. The places you need to inspect are: bedding, furniture and curtains. If you do spot signs of bed bugs, always speak to reception and request a room change, pointing out the problem.
Definitely do not take your luggage into the room until you are bed-bug free. Bed bugs will attach themselves to your suitcase, and clothes – living for up to a week, meaning they stand a very good chance of returning home with you. If you suspect that your clothes may have become infested, make sure you differentiate them from others by using sealed plastic bags – this will help to stop them from spreading further. Upon your return home, wash the infected clothes on the highest heat immediately to completely get rid of the these nasty pests.
If you do encounter bed bugs, give me a call and I will get those nasty creatures out of your room and you can enjoy a good night’s sleep without being disturbed! However, if you need my help, just contact me here