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4 Ways to Keep You Safe from Bed Bugs

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Bed bugs are tiny insects that feed on blood. They can cause welts and itching on the affected spots of your skin. This article discusses some ways by which you can protect yourself from taking these pests home after you have been exposed to them.  

Check Hotel Beddings

Very many people use hotel beds so it is easy for one traveller to infest a bed and expose other hotel guests. Be vigilant when you decide to spend a night at a hotel. Check the mattress and bed for signs of bed bugs. Common signs to look out for include egg casings and faecal stains. Ask for another room if you suspect that bed bugs are present in the room you were given.

Keep Belongings Elevated

You can also protect yourself from bed bugs by placing your personal effects such as suitcases and coats on an elevated surface such as a table. Bed bugs do not fly or jump so they will be unlikely to get into your belongings if you keep those belongings on a raised surface that is far from the bed. It is advisable that you pick a surface that is hard and flat. Such a surface will not have a hiding place for bed bugs. Keep this precaution in mind each time you leave home.

Clean Luggage and Clothes Immediately

Put all your clothes in the washer as soon as you get home after travelling. Use the highest temperature setting in the dryer so that any bed bugs in those clothes are killed. Treat the suitcase with a recommended chemical. Vacuuming may not be helpful because it may be difficult to access all the places where bed bugs could be hiding inside that suitcase. This precaution should also be implemented once your children in boarding school return home.

Choose Chairs Carefully

Try to avoid sitting in upholstered chairs when you visit schools, hospitals or nursing homes. Such chairs may be harbouring bed bugs that can get into your clothes. Instead, pick a chair that has no cushions. Avoid leaning on nearby fabrics like curtains and blankets.

Bed bugs are hard to eliminate using DIY methods because they hide in the hardest-to-reach places such as inside cracks in bed frames. It is, therefore, advisable for you to contact a pest control professional (such as one from Ausmic Pest Control) as soon as you detect a bed bug infestation in your home after you have travelled. That professional will confirm that bed bugs are present and use appropriate eradication measures.


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