Preventing Visitors from Bringing Bed Bugs into Your Home
Bed bugs often get into homes by clinging to luggage and clothing. As a result, one of the top ways that these hitchhiking pets could get into your home is when you have houseguests, especially those who have traveled from a different area to see you, potentially staying in hotels or spending time around other travelers on the way.
As the holiday season approaches, having some preventative steps ready to protect your home from any bed bugs that your visitors might have brought with them can be valuable in stopping an extensive infestation.
How to Manage House Guests and Bed Bugs
Short of disinviting everyone from your home, there is no reliable way to keep bed bugs out. But by being vigilant and taking a few precautionary measures, you may be able to prevent bed bugs from becoming established, or at the very least catch an infestation early so that you can get rid of it more quickly. The most effective steps include:
- Setting the Beds Away from Walls – Beds against the wall provide an easy way for bed bugs to transfer from the bed to the rest of the room, and also opens up a lot of hiding spaces such as baseboards and electrical sockets. Putting a few inches between the bed and the wall means that you will have an easier time limiting the spread of bugs.
- Keeping Sheets Off the Floor – Like beds near walls, sheets that touch the floor are an easy way for bed bugs to get up and down from the bed. Tuck any sheets and comforters around the mattress and avoid the use of bed skirts in guest rooms.
- Using Light Sheets – When your guests have gone, lighter colored sheets will make it easier to check the bed for any bed bugs left behind since the dark colored bugs and any blood smears will stand out more clearly.
- Having Guests Unpack Belongings – If possible, have guests remove their clothing from suitcases and hang it or store it in dressers. Then store the suitcases in your garage. This is another way to remove bed bug hiding spots and also limits the chance that any bed bugs clinging to the folds of luggage getting into your home.
- Cleaning Extensively – Once guests are gone, perform an extensive cleaning of the space, including washing all sheets and mattress covers, vacuuming floors, and inspecting for any bugs that may have hidden away. If you find any, treating them now can drastically reduce the cost of bed bug treatment and prevent them from spreading.
If bed bugs have come into your home with your holiday guests or you find bed bugs at any time of the year, 24 Hour Pest Control can remove them. Our NYC bed bug control targets bed bugs no matter where they are living inside your home. Get started with a call to our team.
