With travel season approaching, the threat of bed bugs in your home may soon be worse. Bed bugs seem to be everywhere, and they usually travel in someone’s suitcase after a trip. Bed bugs have even been found at major tourist attractions, movie theaters, clothing stores and even restaurants! With the warmer weather and people out and about, you need to know how to keep bed bugs out of your home.
Reduce your risk of letting bed bugs come in to your home by limiting the ways they can get it, namely through stuff. One good example is used furniture. While that great sofa or bookcase that is out by the curb may look brand new, it could be harboring a secret colony of bed bugs. These critters love to hide in upholstered pieces of furniture, but they also don’t mind hanging out in wooden structures, too, such as bookcases, night-stands or dressers.
When you are traveling, make sure you take precautions with your hotel room. As soon as you get in, place your luggage on a luggage rack, not on the floor or bed, and then do a hunt for bed bugs in the room.
Since bed bugs avoid the light, you’ll have to hunt them down. Check crevices, in the backs of pictures, between the mattresses and more. If you find any evidence of the bugs, notify the hotel manager. Even if the room appears clean, you should still take precautions, such as leaving your suitcase closed when you aren’t using it.
If you live in an apartment, then you may be particularly vulnerable to bed bugs that may wander in from the neighbors through cracks in the floors or walls. To help guard against contamination, remove furniture away from the walls and frequently check bedding and clothing.