While most people think of bed bugs as being a problem only to those individuals that live in crowded and unsanitary conditions, this is simply not true. These parasitic insects move from place to place in the luggage and clothing of unsuspecting people. Whether your house is spotless or filthy, bed bugs can be a problem. This means that if you return from a location that may have an infestation your safest bet is to get going with a little preventative bed bug control.
Bed bugs have the worst reputation, and in truth they absolutely deserve. Once you have an infestation these parasitic insects can be expensive and troublesome to get rid of. By taking a few preventative steps before entering your home from a possibly infested location, you can avoid getting an infestation of your own.
Everything that has traveled with you must be de-bugged before you bring it into your residence. This prove difficult because bed bugs are resilient and awesome at hiding. Heat, when properly applied however, can catch them in even the most clever of hiding spaces, and kill them before they have the opportunity to start setting up camp in your territory.
This can prove difficult by most common means because luggage is impossible to launder and subject to a high heat dryer and clothing can only be exposed to high temperatures in certain ways. Some bed bug treatment recommend line drying your clothes in the hot summer heat. This method is archaic and usually no thorough enough to prevent the little boogers from moving in.
The greenhouse effect that is created by a locked car left in direct sunlight will kill just about anything. Put your luggage and your clothes in your car, roll up the windows, lock the door to prevent theft, and leave your car in the sun for several hours. The temperature in your car will rise rapidly, and the bed bugs will definitely die.
Coming back from an infested location on a cold, overcast day will render this method of treatment ineffective. Another alternative for situations such as these is to wash your clothes at regular settings, but then dry them until they are painfully hot to the touch. Once they are this hot to you, you can be relatively certain that any hitchhiking insects will be dead. Keeping your clothes in the drier far longer than normal will not hurt durable items, and even if a few articles are lost it will cost you far less than the alternative will.
You can’t fit your luggage into the washer or drier, so it will have to be vacuumed. Use your vacuum hose attachment to check every crevice and corner of your luggage for these crafty little hiders. They may be in exterior compartments and pockets so make sure that you are thorough. All it takes is a mating pair to reak havoc on your house. Another very important thing to remember when using this preventative option is to never bring your vacuum into the house before changing the bag or emptying the canister. Bed bugs can escape from these and enter your home anyway, and then all of your hard efforts will have been for naught.
By following these steps to the letter you can ensure that you don’t bring the infestation home with you. While bed bugs are common to homes that are overcrowded and in a constant state of disarray, they are not limited to such location. Using extreme caution when returning home from potentially infested locations can help you keep your home free and clear of these parasitic insects.
