Calling pest control while just about to go on a preventive mission for bed bugs might be a little too much. No one wants a bed-bug infested home, however, there are some things you can do to prevent these pests from invading your home.
Clear the clutter.
The first thing you can do is to clear out the clutter. Bed bugs, like any other pest, like cluttered areas where they can hide and breed. The more clutter you have, the more space they have to hide in. To clear your space, you’ll have to throw away anything you don’t need, organizing your belongings, and vacuum any possible bed bug areas.
Vacuum everything.
Vacuums can suck up anything from dirt to small objects, and especially bed bugs. If you vacuum your home thoroughly, you’ll be able to suck up anything that these bed bugs can hide in and use as their home. The things you should vacuum are the furniture, the bed frame, box springs, and the mattresses, curtains, the baseboards of your walls, the floor–basically your entire house.
Heat wash or dry all your bed sheets, clothes, or any kind of fabric into the washer.
An easy way to kill bed bugs is to wash your sheets on high heat. Dry your clothes on the normal setting, then crank up the heat for about 15 or more minutes. Clean all of the fabrics you have in your home, including pillow cases, bags, or anything that can is and clean or dry on the highest heat.
Spray insecticide.
Lightly mist everything such as cupboards, the bedding, the box springs, the entire kitchen, walls and windows, light fixture coverings, any cracks on walls or wood or flooring, under tables and chairs, couches and sofas, or any small places that they can crawl into and lay eggs. They squeeze into the smallest and tightest spaces.
Steam your furniture.
Bed bugs hate and are sensitive to heat and steam. Steam can get into spaces, all of the nooks and crannies, which cannot be reached, like the insides of a couch, where bed bugs can be hiding their nests. Other things that can be steamed are floors, curtains, carpets, any places in the house that do not have electrical wiring. For faster drying times, use dry steam. These bed bugs can also hide under fixtures and displays such as lamps and frames, and also the handles of drawers.
Seal all crevices and cracks.
Use sealants to seal all the holes, cracks, and crevices that you can see on your walls, ceilings, floors, any of the outlet covers, the entry and exits of pipes.
Regularly treat your home.
Clean, clean, clean! Keep your home tidy and spot and clutter-free. Remember, the clutter will serve as the nests for these bedbugs. Change your bed sheets weekly, and wash them with your clothes in hot water.
If you stay on schedule, there will be no need to call professional pest control. Just remember, and never ever forget that dirty homes is where insects and infestations thrive.
