How to Prevent Bed Bugs from Spreading

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Many wonder where bed bugs hide, how they can spread easily and ways to prevent them from spreading.

In this article, we will discuss how these pests can spread from one place to another. We will also include important steps on how you can prevent it from happening.

How Do These Pesky Blood-Sucking Critters Spread?

The answer is simple - they stick to what they do best, which is to hitchhike to homes through your luggage when you ride on buses, trains, planes and when staying in infested areas. Most infestations start weeks after homeowners have stayed or travelled in infested rental accommodations.

Bed bugs can also spread quickly through discarded mattresses and box springs, upholstered furniture, books, shoes and other items that are heavily infested. Most of the time, these items are innocently picked up and brought home by people.

Ways to Prevent Bed Bugs from Spreading in Your Home and Other Places

If you are one of those people who are currently dealing with bed bugs, you must feel the moral obligation of preventing these pests from spreading. Admitting to having an infestation at home is embarrassing, as most people will take this as a sign of unhygienic and unsanitized conditions in your household.

While this can be true for some who aren’t able to declutter and clean regularly, an infestation is still possible regardless of how spotless a home or travel accommodation is. Once bed bugs get in the property, they will reside in it and breed within a few weeks, thus making it difficult for anyone to get rid of these pests.

So, do the following to prevent the spreading of bed bugs:

Wear clothes that are free from bed bugs

If your home is infested, make a daily routine of getting dressed prior to going out. Do the following tips:

Plan what you want to wear. Place your clothes in the dryer and set it at the hottest setting. Run the dryer for about 30 minutes.
Once that is done, give every item a shake to loosen dead bugs stuck on the items. Put them in a clean and sealable plastic bag immediately.
Get dressed after you’re completely prepared to go out.
You can get dressed inside the bathroom, in the bathtub, or anywhere in your home that you know isn’t infested.
As soon as you are dressed, leave immediately. Avoid brushing against anything where bed bugs could be hiding and don’t sit or lean on anything.

Inspect your briefcase, backpack, purse, or any bag that you bring inside and outside

Prior to dressing up and leaving your home, it is a good idea to check the things you are going to bring outside with your belongings. This is also an effective step to take once you arrive home. Follow these tips below:

Take everything out of your bag, briefcase, backpack, or purse and check for signs of bed bugs. Throw away anything that you can clean and where the bugs could be hiding.
Use a brush of a vacuum cleaner to clean up any debris in the bag or simply throw it in the dryer with the clothes you will be wearing in the same setting.
Place it in a sealable white plastic bag and store it in areas where bed bugs aren’t likely to be hiding. It shouldn’t touch anything, which means you should put it on top of a chair or near your bed. Doing so will only require you to brush or vacuum it every time you’re going to use it.
You can also hang it inside the closet. Make sure that it is only touching the closet rod and is far enough away from other items.

Prepare your clothes for the next day to make sure they are bed bug-free

To save time and effort, do the first step at night when preparing your clothes for the next day. Don’t forget to place them in a sealable bag after taking them out of the dryer, seal it tightly, and store it away from infested areas.

Store belongings inside sealed bags and carry spare sealed plastic bags when travelling

When packing your items, place them in plastic bags and keep them stored in these bags until you get inside your accommodation. Put them inside clean bags after using them instead of just leaving them in your room.

Avoid placing your luggage near any furniture, beds and walls in hotels or motels

Furniture, beds and walls are areas frequented by bed bugs. Avoid placing your luggage near these areas or simply put them in the bathroom. If you brought your car and there is a secure parking area, you can leave your other belongings there instead of cluttering your room.

Be responsible enough to inform guests about your bed bug issues prior to any planned visit

It is your obligation to prevent your guests from bringing home bed bugs from your place and dealing with the same issue that you are currently experiencing. Inform them beforehand to decide whether they should still come to your place or choose another place to meet up.

Use treatments or call for experts when the bed bug infestation is uncontrollable

There are treatments that you can use to control and prevent a full-blown infestation in your home. If you notice that your bed bug problem is getting out of hand, an expert exterminator can help, along with continuous monitoring after the treatment.

One can prevent bed bugs from spreading by simply being responsible enough to alert others to the situation they are currently dealing with. Also, be knowledgeable of the treatments you can use for controlling and preventing bed bugs from spreading.

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