Ah, the holidays. A time of wonderment with loved ones far and wide. As families across the nation gather together, so too can bed bugs. These pests are notorious hitchhikers that can hide in belongings.
To avoid having children nestled all snug in their beds while dozens of bed-bugs dance by their heads — make sure that none of these pesky insects crash the party.
Every traveler needs to be aware of the possibility of picking up bedbugs along their journey and take preventative measures to avoid infesting their final destination. Bed bugs are everywhere and can survive extreme temperatures.
How to Avoid Bed Bugs
When holiday guests arrive with their suitcases and bags of gifts be cautious that they are not unwittingly bringing along these unwanted hitchhikers. To help prevent picking up bed bugs it is recommended to look for common signs of an infestation.
Using the S.L.E.E.P. acronym [Survey, Lift & Look, Elevate, Examine, Place]
- Survey any new location when arriving for signs of a bed bug infestation.
- Lift and look for red, brown or reddish brown spots on bed clothing, examine crevices in the mattress and box springs, furniture, baseboards and picture frames.
- Elevate your luggage on a luggage rack, keeping it away from the walls and bedding.
- Examine luggage for signs of bed bugs when repacking and on returning home.
- Place any clothing that can tolerate it into a dryer at highest heat setting for at least fifteen minutes.
While bed bugs are not disease carriers, their bites can cause itchy welts, trigger an allergic reaction. These insects feed primarily on humans. The are extremely hard to find, as they are the size of an apple seed and they are blood suckers. Meaning they survive on blood meals.
If you believe you may have brought them to a location where you are a guest, be sure to notify the host as soon as possible. The sooner you find bed bugs, the easier it is to mitigate. When dealing with a bed bug infestation, don’t panic. Be wholistic in your approach.
It can sometimes take a few days for the skin to react to bed bug bites. That means you could be unaware of a bed bug issue until well after leaving the infected area. This could mean you unwittingly transported bed bugs to a new location for them to infest.
Some Ways to Prevent Bed Bug Infestations from Escalating
De-clutter – Bed bugs can hide almost anywhere; boxes, baskets, stuffed animals, furniture, etc… Cleaning up infested areas can help to lessen the infestation. Clean bedding, linens, curtains, clothing and all types of material that can tolerate it in hot water and dry them at the highest setting. Place items that can’t be washed, such as stuffed animals or shoes in the dryer and run on high for 30 minutes.
Vacuum – Vacuum around bed frames, bedding and mattress seams often and replace vacuum cleaner bag, disposing old one immediately in sealed plastic bag.
Mattress Covers – Encase both mattress and box springs in tightly woven covers.
Call a Professional Pest Management Specialist
The top three locations that pest professionals report as finding infestations are single family homes, apartments and hotels. Bed bugs are notoriously elusive and a difficult pest to irradicate. They can survive high heat or extreme temperatures. They are found in all 50 of the United States and can survive several months without feeding.
Bed bugs lay up to five eggs a day and more than five hundred in a lifetime. It is highly recommended to turn to a professional pest control specialist if you suspect or discover a bed bug infestation.
The Bug Stops Here is a full service pest control and exterminator company serving Bohemia and Nassau County, New York and businesses located in Long Island, New York serving all of New York City; Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and surrounding area. For twenty years, our team at Pest Control team has been comprised of professional exterminators who provide high quality pest control services for both commercial and residential properties throughout New York. Our team of extermination professionals can get rid of a variety of pests, ranging from cockroaches, termites, ticks & fleas, bees, wasps,hornets, rodents, ants to bed bugs. Our goal is to provide you with the best pest control services that exceed both your standards and those of the industry as a whole.