Tips For Preventing Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are tiny blood sucking parasites that are attracted to the human body warmth and the carbon dioxide we exhale.
So secretive are they that they only emerge from their hiding places at night to bite.
Thankfully, there are several ways of preventing these pests from infesting your homes.
These little bugs are repelled by light and fresh air therefore making sure you open the windows to let the sun shine in and to air the house is the first of the methods of preventing them.
Always ensure that the sheets on the bed are straightened out and the pillows fluffed out as crumpled clothing provides a conducive environment for the bugs to hide and possibly breed.
The best method is to throw back the sheets so as to let the air circulate through them, changing sheets at least once a week with hot water and bleach has been known to prevent bed bugs from breeding, then after that you put the laundry in the drier at a higher setting for about 20 minutes to kill the stages of bugs.
Should you require more protection, you could encase the mattress in a protector to create a barrier between the body and the mattress in order to prevent the bed bugs from escaping, and because bed bugs like hiding in box springs, you will have suffocated them and prevented them from biting you as they cannot bite through the encasement and they will eventually die.
Encasing is a better method of preventing these bugs than using pesticides and is a much less expensive way of preventing bed bugs.
Steam cleaning can also be a useful method of prevention and eradication of bed bugs.
By flushing out the bugs hidden deep in couches it kills the bugs, especially if you set the temperature at least 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
Care should however be exercised around electrical outlets.
Another thing to consider is that these bugs can travel into our home in various objects.
One of the ways of preventing an infestation is simply avoiding bringing stuff home if you don't know where it has been.
These pests like furniture and discarded furniture are prime areas where breeding thrives.
Contrary to popular beliefs, bed bugs can be found also in tables, electronics, practically anywhere where breeding can be supported, especially if the furniture is located in the bedroom.
This leads us to the most effective way of preventing them: pesticides.
Pesticides come in different forms including dust and liquid formulations which can be applied by an experienced pest controller.
It is usually done directly into crevices which bed bugs use as breeding grounds.
These pesticides are not put directly on bedding or furniture especially if they are in prolonged contact with people.
Most of these pesticides remain active for weeks to allow the parasites which were missed during the initial application to come into contact with the treated surfaces.
Though relying solely on pesticides is not the best approach, as one has to take other preventive measures to compliment the pest control.
Prevention of bed bugs relies more on humans altering their behaviors, observing the other preventative methods and only use the pesticides as the last resort.
So secretive are they that they only emerge from their hiding places at night to bite.
Thankfully, there are several ways of preventing these pests from infesting your homes.
These little bugs are repelled by light and fresh air therefore making sure you open the windows to let the sun shine in and to air the house is the first of the methods of preventing them.
Always ensure that the sheets on the bed are straightened out and the pillows fluffed out as crumpled clothing provides a conducive environment for the bugs to hide and possibly breed.
The best method is to throw back the sheets so as to let the air circulate through them, changing sheets at least once a week with hot water and bleach has been known to prevent bed bugs from breeding, then after that you put the laundry in the drier at a higher setting for about 20 minutes to kill the stages of bugs.
Should you require more protection, you could encase the mattress in a protector to create a barrier between the body and the mattress in order to prevent the bed bugs from escaping, and because bed bugs like hiding in box springs, you will have suffocated them and prevented them from biting you as they cannot bite through the encasement and they will eventually die.
Encasing is a better method of preventing these bugs than using pesticides and is a much less expensive way of preventing bed bugs.
Steam cleaning can also be a useful method of prevention and eradication of bed bugs.
By flushing out the bugs hidden deep in couches it kills the bugs, especially if you set the temperature at least 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
Care should however be exercised around electrical outlets.
Another thing to consider is that these bugs can travel into our home in various objects.
One of the ways of preventing an infestation is simply avoiding bringing stuff home if you don't know where it has been.
These pests like furniture and discarded furniture are prime areas where breeding thrives.
Contrary to popular beliefs, bed bugs can be found also in tables, electronics, practically anywhere where breeding can be supported, especially if the furniture is located in the bedroom.
This leads us to the most effective way of preventing them: pesticides.
Pesticides come in different forms including dust and liquid formulations which can be applied by an experienced pest controller.
It is usually done directly into crevices which bed bugs use as breeding grounds.
These pesticides are not put directly on bedding or furniture especially if they are in prolonged contact with people.
Most of these pesticides remain active for weeks to allow the parasites which were missed during the initial application to come into contact with the treated surfaces.
Though relying solely on pesticides is not the best approach, as one has to take other preventive measures to compliment the pest control.
Prevention of bed bugs relies more on humans altering their behaviors, observing the other preventative methods and only use the pesticides as the last resort.
