While bed bugs aren’t threatening to your home or health, you shouldn’t have to share your home with them. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to keep these nuisance pests away.

Preventing Bed Bugs

As with any other pest, prevention is key. Bed bugs live anywhere people frequent. Keep the following tips in mind to help prevent pests from invading your home.

• Vacuum regularly: Bed bugs are great at hiding. They’ve been known to hide in carpets, rugs, and cracks in the floor. Don’t forget your furniture!
• Take safety precautions when traveling: Bed bugs are stow-a-way pests. They will latch on to a traveler’s clothing or belongings and infest planes, trains, and hotels.
• Seal cracks: repair or seal cracks on your walls, ceilings, and along your baseboards.
• Eliminate clutter: Bed bugs hide during the day, so if you have excess clutter, you’re just providing them with more areas to hide.
• Wash your bedding regularly: bed bugs are attracted to warm areas where they can feed and lay eggs, which generally includes your bed. Wash your bedding regularly on the highest heat and dryer settings.
  Wash your pet’s bedding regularly: if you have a bed for your pet, toss it into the washer and dryer as well. If that’s not possible vacuum it.
• Be wary of used furniture and second-hand clothing: inspect all second-hand items before bringing them into your home, even if they look clean. Second-hand goods are one of the biggest transporters of bed bugs.
• Use a mattress protector: encase your mattress and boxspring using protectors. While they won’t eliminate a current infestation, they will protect your mattress from getting infested.

How Do I Know If I Have Bed Bugs?

A physical sample of an actual bug or egg is required to be 100% certain that you have bed bugs
Bite symptoms are a good indicator but cannot be diagnosed with 100% certainty
The most effective inspections are conducted by a qualified pest management professional

Experts in Bed Bug Control

If you’ve been vigilant and bed bugs have still found a way into your home, it may be time to contact the professionals. Bed bugs are one of the most difficult pest to eradicate. Fortunately, we have the tools and experience to effectively treat and help prevent this common household pest. So give us a call today to help keep bed bugs out of your home, for good!