One of the worst pest problems any homeowner in Melbourne can face is a bed bug infestation. Like many other bugs and insects, these are also attracted to residential areas because of the continuous supply of food and a comfortably warm atmosphere to live in.
Once an infestation starts, it mostly seems like it will never stop as these insects just seem to multiply faster than we can eradicate them and hide in places that we can never seem to find. They seem to fit in the tiniest of cracks and spaces and they can be found in almost any room in the house.
Prevention is better than cure and it is always better to prevent an infestation from happening instead of having damage caused to your home and pocket. The key to preventing such disasters is to first know the basics about bed bugs and how they gain an entrance into your haven. These pests are known to tag along onto clothes, bags and other carried items from public places.
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Keep Power Outlets Covered
Bed bugs are known to hide in every place possible during an extermination process, which means that they will easily climb into power outlets to stay out of sight during extermination. Keep a lookout for insect feces that look like dark spots.
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Use Vacuum-sealed Bags for Storing Garments
None of us are strangers to finding those perforated clothing items and cursing every creepy crawly for its power to destruct the choicest of fabrics. Placing those extra garments that need to be stored away, in vacuum sealed bags, should help avoid such disastrous situations.
This can be easily achieved by using the cleaning hose to remove the air before storing the items away until the next season.
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Use the Extra Help
Try not to go overboard with the DIY techniques and know when to ask for professional help.
If an infestation gets bad it is always better to get the professionals involved instead of putting more at risk by delaying treating the infestation by professionals.
Remember trained and certified professionals can see and understand more than the untrained eye.
Also, it is essential to ensure that the people you are hiring are certified and able to perform pest control and removal procedures.
- Keep a Look out for the Signs
Help your friends and family understand how to identify signs of bed bug infestations, and the bites and rashes caused by the same.
Many times you do not know you have bed bugs until you see little red bumps in rows on your skin that make you itch. So once you spot such marks on the body of your family or yourself contact a good pest control company immediately to deal with these pesky creatures.
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Regular Cleaning is a Must
All pests are drawn to dirt. Regular cleaning will not only help to keep the inside of your home clean but will also help you spot any bed bugs if they have found a way in.
It is important to know that bed bugs do not only reside near your bed and can be found very often in other rooms or parts of the house.
Vacuuming places where the floor and wall are connected along with the floors, mattresses, mats, and carpets can help prevent a bug infestation.
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Take Care of Your Pet
For the love of our furry friends and the adoration they have for us pet owners, make sure that your pet's items and furniture are also regularly cleaned.
Pet's beds and items usually have their warmth or particles of food and can attract insects and bugs. Regularly checking the area that your pet rest in, should help keep creepy crawlies at bay.
Washing your pet's bed with the highest heat and dryer settings can help prevent pests by cleaning out any bacteria that can be an attraction to these insects.
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Tidy up Your Surroundings!
All pests are attracted to dirt and untidiness. Start tidying up your surrounding taking keen efforts to ensure that there is no litter or mess against the walls.
Keeping everything neatly stored will ensure that insects do not take advantage of the building-up litter.
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Keep Your Mattress Covered
Use mattress-covers to ensure that your mattress is always covered and not open to bacteria collection from the dust and perspiration that it comes in contact with.
Mattress-covers can help prevent an infestation if one of a supreme cloth quality that has no folds is used.
Keep in mind that this cannot help get rid of an infestation and will only prevent bugs from finding a place to live in.
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Make Use of Climb-up Monitors
Climb-up monitors are helpful in determining if you are about to have a pest infestation. Having these placed under the foot of each bed post will help you keep a regular check on the status of your home while also ensuring that insects are not climbing up your bedpost to snuggle into bed with you.
Having climb-up monitors placed does not ensure that insects cannot reach you through other means or other parts of the house.
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Examine Your Furniture Regularly
Regularly inspecting your furniture from time to time will help you notice any signs of bed bugs or other insects.
If you intend to purchase used furniture make sure you inspect the furniture before purchasing and taking it into your home so that you aren't getting complimentary little friends for the price you pay.
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Be Careful with Purchasing Used Items
Though used items or second-hand products may really seem to be a finance-saving blessing it may just end up carving out a larger hole in your wallet than you ever expected.
While purchasing used or second-hand items, make sure you thoroughly inspect the item to ensure the extra weight is good quality material and not a home of well-settled bugs.
Some items may look clean but can have some frightful surprises in the vents, linings, carved designs or folds.
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Use Only Your Own Belongings
Avoid using items that do not belong to you as you don't know what kind of insects will be hiding in parts of it. Unless you are cleaning an item yourself you cannot really be sure of the hygiene maintained for the same.
Blankets, clothes, furniture covers, tablecloths etc. that do not belong to your home but may be lent to you, can be infested with bugs waiting to enter your house.
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Keep Your Guard up
Making it as difficult as possible for bed bugs to enter your home will be helpful in preventing the same. Bed bugs can be picked up from a mall, restaurant or even a healthcare facility. Therefore ensure that you are regularly checking your items and house to prevent the same.
Repairing or applying Silicone caulk to the outside and inside of your walls can help seal up any potential entry points for these insects.
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Watch out for Bed Bugs!
These insects can be found in the most commonly visited places and in parts of a room that you might never suspect them to be found in. Make sure you aren't giving them a free ride home.
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Return Home From Your Vacation ALONE
No, we don't mean you should leave your family behind, just the pests. One of the disadvantages of travelling often is the possibility of bringing home bed bugs in your baggage from places you have visited or stayed in.
You never know when the infestation on a particular couch or restroom piles on to you to make it to your property in Melbourne. Hence while travelling or on vacation, it is important to inspect any room or place you might be staying in or making your travelling luggage vulnerable in.
Look for rust-coloured marks on the bed and maybe lift a few covers, cushions or other parts of the furniture to ensure that you don't have some unwanted room-mates that may get too attached to you.
While repacking to return home ensure that the luggage is placed on a rack or placement away from the bed and other furniture. Once you are back home, it is best to unpack away from the bedroom and stay clear of couches or other furniture that these insects can easily run into from your bags(if there are any).
Do this even if you are sure that the room you stayed in had no creepy crawlies, as it is possible they could have tagged along during any other part of your journey.
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Be Extra Careful With Shared Laundry Equipment
If you use shared laundry equipment or facilities ensure that you aren't taking home anyone else's bed bugs along with the freshly done laundry. Shared laundry rooms are known to be one of the main places that bed bugs transfer from one place to another. Try not to place your laundry items on countertops or floors.
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Be Sure of Bed Bugs
It is best to first make certain that you are indeed dealing with bed bugs before hiring any pest control services for the same. They are 1/4 of an inch in length and hide in warm nooks and crannies all over your property.
They are also known so bite mostly on the hands, face, and neck of humans and can cause allergic reactions or aggravated bumps on human-skin.
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Bonus Tip
Having your bed placed away from a wall will make it more difficult for bed bugs to move to other parts of your humble abode.
Here are the best preventive measures you can take to avoid a bed bug infestation, however in case one still occurs pull out the big guns by hiring a trustworthy pest control service with trained professionals to deal with the problem instead of relying on any DIY procedures that can be harmful and cause more damage.
Trained and certified professionals possess the knowledge to better deal with the situation and carry out removal and control procedures safely.