Bed bugs are not only uncomfortable pests to deal with, they’re also among the hardest types of insect infestations to get rid of. Bed bug removal is difficult because there are so many places for these tiny insects to hide. Typically, a serious bed bug infestation will require residential or commercial pest control services to ensure that all bugs and their eggs have been eliminated.
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to prevent getting bed bugs in your home or commercial facility. The following tips will help you keep bed bugs out, as well as spot early warning signs of the presence of bed bugs before a severe infestation develops.
Check Any Items Brought into Your Home or Business
The best way to guard against a bed bug infestation is to keep them from entering the premises. Bed bugs commonly get into a building or home either through foot traffic or hidden in used or unprotected items like furniture. Here’s what you can do to help prevent this:
- Thoroughly check every item, especially used furniture, for signs of bed bugs before bringing them into your home or facility.
- When you purchase new mattresses, ask for them to be sealed before delivery, as delivery trucks often haul away old mattresses or furniture that may have bed bugs.
- Regularly check your personal or business vehicle(s) for bed bugs, especially after using a vehicle to transport items to a home or patients to a facility.
How to Prevent Bed Bugs from Entering Your Home or Business
Bed bug infestations often become serious because these insects not only breed quickly but are also good at hiding to escape detection. Here’s how you can reduce the number of hiding places for bed bugs in your home:
- Keep your home or residential facility as free from clutter as possible
- Make sure all crevices and cracks are sealed on and around beds, including headboards and footboards, floor baseboards, ceilings, walls, and door frames
- Vacuum carpeted areas frequently, making sure to get behind and under beds
- Tighten any loose electrical socket faceplates and repair cracks in wallpaper, as bed bugs are known to hide in these places
How to Identify Bed Bugs
Staying vigilant is crucial to preventing severe bed bug problems. In order to spot bed bugs early and prevent them from spreading, it’s important to conduct regular, thorough inspections of beds and furniture. Use a flashlight and a tool that will allow you to part and mattress and furniture seams, such as a plastic putty knife or an old credit card, and look for:
- Rusty or reddish-brown stains on mattresses or sheets that may be crushed bed bugs
- Small, dark stains approximately the size of a pencil point that may be bed bug feces
- Adult bed bugs — brownish or red bugs that resemble small cockroaches
Contact ASAP Pest Control for Professional Bed Bug Removal Services
Sometimes, even with preventative measures in place, bed bugs can slip through the cracks. If you suspect you may have a bed bug problem in your home or business, contact us today to learn more about our bed bug removal, residential pest control, and commercial bed bug services.