Bed Bugs Keep Coming Back – Why and What Should I Do?
Despite your efforts in getting an exterminator or using tools and equipment to get rid of bed bugs, there are times when you just don’t know why these pests are coming back. Well, there are many possible reasons why these pests are continuing to seek refuge in your home and feel comfortable returning to your place.
Why are Bed Bugs Returning Even After Treatment
There are several reasons why these pests are returning even after you got your home treated. You see, there are two types of treatments used by exterminators. One is focused on using insecticides while the other is heat treatment.
With insecticides, exterminators will normally inspect and schedule several treatment sessions. After the initial treatment, the exterminator will request you to sleep in the room no earlier than a day or two later, just to make sure that you don't inhale the residue of the sprays. Sleeping in the room will help to detect whether the treatment was effective and if follow-up treatments are necessary.
Most cases require another treatment, as the initial treatment has left out a few younger bed bugs that are resistant to pesticides. The second treatment will most likely be successful and will exterminate all the bugs.
Most of the time, people see this as being too expensive, which is why they only ask for a few rooms to be treated. They believe that it is enough for bed bugs hiding in other rooms to die, since they will be exposed to the same pesticides during the treatment. This is the main reason why these pests reappear, even after a treatment.
Learn how to choose the right exterminator here.
Aside from insecticides, another popular treatment that exterminators use is heat. When the treatment is done properly, it can exterminate all bed bugs on the initial visit. Though it is effective, inexperienced individuals may not perform the treatment correctly and may leave some areas untouched. This may cause a re-infestation and your money will be put to waste.
In addition, leaving it all to the experts even after a heat treatment may still cause reinfestation, especially without continuous monitoring. Making all efforts possible to prevent a reinfestation is the key to preventing these pests from re-entering your home. What makes people consider not getting this treatment is the price. It is expensive and most people cannot afford it.
The main reason behind these pests returning and reinfesting in your home is when the exterminators do a poor job. You can also be the reason for a reinfestation. If you ever carry them again in your home after any of the aforementioned treatments, it can cause a reinfestation and lead to these bugs finding new places to hide in your home.
How to Prevent Bed Bugs from Returning in your Home
Keeping a watchful eye out after getting professional treatment is effective in preventing the pesky critters from returning to your home. Yes, it takes a lot of effort, but it is worth it. The following are some of the things you can do to prevent a reinfestation:
- Vacuum regularly.
Even without any signs of bed bugs, make it a habit to vacuum regularily as it can help in capturing even the smallest bed bug eggs or nymphs that were able to survive the treatment.
- Stop the urge to change rooms.
It may be tempting to make a vacant room your new bedroom, but there is a high risk that your bed is still infested. Moving it to a vacant room will only spread the bed bugs in your home. So until you confirm that there are no bugs lying around, hold off your plans to move rooms.
- Use mattress encasements
Bed bug mattress encasements will seal off your bed from the bugs wanting to hide in it or those hiding to escape. You can get a complete bed bug protection kit for your bed to obtain maximum protection for your bed after the treatment.
- Keep a watchful eye out and use bed bug traps and monitors
Create a routine where you inspect everything in your home thoroughly for bed bugs. You can also use bed bug traps or active and passive monitors to detect any of these bugs roaming around your home. Another option is to use bed bug interceptors as these are effective tools to detect and trap remaining bugs attempting to crawl down or climb up your bed or furniture.
With all of these tips mentioned, you can potentially prevent them from coming back and soon achieve a bedbug-free home. Make an effort to keep your home protected from bed bugs even after the help of an exterminator.
