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How to prevent a bedbug infestation?
To avoid a bedbug infestation in your home, it is important to take preventative measures. Although no one is safe from these pests, there are several useful tips and specialized bed bug control products to reduce the risk of infestations.
First of all, it is essential to maintain a healthy and clean lifestyle. This means you should regularly clean your home, including carpets, curtains, sheets and blankets. Bed bugs often hide in cracks and crevices in furniture and walls, so it's important to clean often neglected areas.
Next, it is recommended to regularly examine your bedding for any signs of infestation. This may include blood stains, bed bug droppings, shed skin, or dead bed bugs. If you detect these signs, it is important to take immediate action to eliminate the pests.
It is also advisable to be careful when traveling or purchasing second-hand furniture. Bed bugs can easily hide in suitcases, bags, and furniture, so it's important to inspect these items carefully before bringing them into your home.
Finally, if you suspect a bed bug infestation in your home, it is important to contact a pest control professional to eliminate the pests effectively. By using these simple preventative tips, you can significantly reduce the chances of a bed bug infestation in your home.
Preventing bedbugs at home:
To prevent a bedbug infestation in your home, it is important to take some precautions. First, avoid bringing home furniture or items left on the curb, as this can lead to an infestation. Be careful when purchasing items from another home or store, and disinfect them as much as possible. When buying second-hand clothes, be sure to wash them in hot water and dry them on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
It is also important to regularly inspect furniture and other household items, especially cracks, folds, seams and tears in fabric, as these are places where bed bugs can hide. Keep your home clean as much as possible and avoid leaving clothes or toys on the floor. Wash your bedding and clothing regularly in hot water and dry them in the dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
It is also important to watch for any dark red, black or brown stains on your sheets, mattresses and box springs, especially at the ends and seams. You can protect your mattress with a bed bug cover, which will prevent bed bugs from infesting your mattress and will also allow you to detect them more quickly if they are present. You can also equip the legs of your bed with bed bug monitors to prevent bed bugs from accessing your bed through the legs, and to detect their presence in a timely manner. By following these precautions, you can significantly reduce the risk of a bed bug infestation in your home or accommodation.
How can you prevent a bedbug infestation when a neighboring apartment has an infestation?
Unfortunately, there is no prevention measure that can guarantee 100% that bedbugs do not spread from one home to another. However, it is possible to take certain precautions to limit the risks and quickly detect the presence of these insects, which makes it easier to eliminate them in the event of an infestation. Here are some of these measures:
- Avoid areas known to be infested and declutter your home.
- If your home is adjacent to an infested home, ask your landlord to have a preventive inspection carried out during treatment.
- Use anti-bedbug covers to protect your mattress and box spring and more easily detect any presence of bedbugs.
- Install bed bug monitors on the legs of your beds and furniture to prevent insects from accessing them and detect their presence.
- Report the presence of bedbugs immediately to your landlord or property manager for prompt and effective treatment.
How to prevent bedbug infestations after a hotel stay.
If you have to sleep in hotels, whether on vacation or for work, be careful. These are places that are often very busy and where bedbugs can also be found:
Precautions to take against bedbugs before leaving for the hotel:
- Opt for light-colored plastic suitcases for two reasons: bedbugs are less attracted to this material and the light color makes unwanted insects easier to see. If you have textile or dark-colored suitcases, wrap them in a tightly closed white plastic bag.
Precautions to take against bedbugs when you arrive at the hotel:
- When you arrive at the hotel, carry out a proper inspection of the room before bringing in your luggage.
- Inspect the bed carefully and then examine all the folds of the mattress and box spring, the back of the headboard, the wall, the pillows, the bedding, the bed skirt, the frame and the footboards.
- Take a flashlight and check the inside of the closet, paying particular attention to cracks and crevices.
- If you discover traces of bedbugs, notify reception as quickly as possible and request another room or simply change hotels.
- Always place your suitcases in the bathroom.
- Store your clothes in closed plastic bags at all times. Also provide bags for soiled clothes.
Precautions to take against bedbugs when returning home:
- Place your luggage on a hard surface outside your home, away from any place where bedbugs might be likely to crawl and/or hide.
- Take out all your personal belongings and examine them carefully, especially your hairbrush and makeup bag. Wash all your clothes or fabric items in hot water then put them in the dryer for at least 30 minutes on the hottest setting.
- If possible, put non-washable items in the dryer on the highest temperature possible for at least 30 minutes.
- Vacuum your suitcases and throw the bag into an outdoor trash can. Then clean the brushes, accessories and reservoir of your device with hot water and detergent. If it does not have a bag, empty the contents of the tank into a plastic bag and seal it carefully before throwing it away.
How to prevent a bedbug infestation when an infestation is raging at work or when you have to visit residents with bedbugs?
If you have to work in a home infested or suspected of being infested with bed bugs, it is important to take precautions to avoid bringing bed bugs home. Here are a few :
- Wear light colored clothing
- Wear clothes that can be machine dried.
- Wear completely smooth shoes.
- Wear shoe covers, leggings or disposable protective coveralls.
- Hang your coat on the shower curtain rod.
- Always keep your suitcases as far away from the bed as possible.
- Avoid sitting on upholstered furniture.
- If you have multiple homes to visit and only one is infested or suspected of being infested, plan to visit it last.
- Use white plastic bags to more easily detect the presence of possible bedbugs.
- If you must pass through a heavily infested home, change your clothes before going elsewhere.
- If possible, undress before entering your home. (e.g. in a garage or portico) Place your clothes in hermetically resealable bags.
- Place the clothes directly in a bag, then take them directly to the washer or dryer, then throw the bag outside the house.
- Wash all your clothes as soon as you return and throw the bag that carried them outside.
- Dry your clothes on the highest setting for 45 minutes.
- Thoroughly inspect the bed for signs of bed bugs.
- Avoid putting your suitcases on or near the bed. Instead, put them at the bottom of the bath.
Wear light colored clothing
Light colored clothing makes it easier to detect bedbugs that may have stuck to you during your visit. Loose clothing should also be avoided.
Before going out, you can also shake out your clothes.
Wear clothes that can be machine dried.
Choose to wear clothes that can possibly be dried in the dryer. By running the clothes on high heat for at least 30 minutes, you will be able to eliminate any bedbugs that may have been hiding there.
Wear completely smooth shoes.
When wearing smooth shoes, bedbugs have less opportunity to cling than when wearing shoes made of porous materials. Also avoid shoes with holes or wide openings like sandals and high heels. Prefer clean shoes without laces.
Wear shoe covers, leggings or disposable protective coveralls.
If you often work in places infested with bedbugs, know that there are shoe covers, leggings and disposable protective suits (e.g. Tyvek ®). They help protect the shoes and clothes you wear against bedbugs. Their pale colors make it easier to spot any bedbugs that might be wandering around there. At the end of the procedure, it is then possible to remove your protective clothing and dispose of it in a garbage bag which you will take the trouble to close tightly and throw away outside. This will give you peace of mind.
Hang your coat on the shower curtain rod.
Avoid hanging your coat in wardrobes, on chairs or even on furniture. Instead, opt to place it on a hanger attached to the shower curtain rod. If there is no shower curtain rod, try to find a place away from bedrooms and other clothing items in the home. Also prefer a well-lit room to a dark room.
Always keep your suitcases as far away from the bed as possible.
If you must bring documents, suitcases or equipment with you, bring them in a bag that you can close tightly. (e.g. giant zip-lock bags). Keep your belongings away from bedrooms. If possible, hang the bag on the shower rod. If it is convenient, you can place your belongings in the bathtub or on a smooth surface. Like a table. Also prefer a well-lit room.
Avoid sitting on upholstered furniture.
If you absolutely must sit, look for non-upholstered furniture. Bedbugs much prefer to live in upholstered furniture. Whether it's chairs, armchairs or couches, bed bugs like to settle there since the material often allows them to stick their eggs there. In addition, the folds and slots allow bedbugs to easily hide there after their meals. Also avoid sitting or being in direct contact with any bed.
If you have multiple homes to visit and only one is infested or suspected of being infested, plan to visit it last.
If you have to work in several different accommodations during the day and one of them has a bedbug problem, plan to visit it last. By doing this, you will minimize the risk of spreading bedbugs to other homes.
Use white plastic bags to more easily detect the presence of possible bedbugs.
When using plastic bags to store clothes or equipment, always choose white bags. The pale color of the bags makes it easier to locate the presence of bedbugs on them.
If you must pass through a heavily infested home, change your clothes before going elsewhere.
If you easily see bed bugs moving around in bright light in a home, it is a safe bet that the infestation is significant. Notify the person on the premises so that they can inform their owner. If the person is the owner, they will need to hire the services of a professional exterminator. Heavily infested homes present greater risks of contamination. If possible, reschedule your appointment for a date when professional bed bug extermination has been carried out. However, if you have to work there, wear protective clothing. If you are unable to wear protective clothing, change your clothes and store them in a tightly closed bag waiting to be put in the dryer for at least 30 mins on the hottest cycle. Shake and clean your shoes with a cloth before going to other accommodations.
If possible, undress before entering your home. (e.g. in a garage or portico) Place your clothes in hermetically resealable bags.
When you return home, it is best to remove/change your clothes outside. Then place them in a hermetically resealable bag with a view to treating them in the clothes dryer to destroy any bedbugs that may have hidden there.
Place the clothes directly in a bag, then take them directly to the washer or dryer, then throw the bag outside the house.
All clothing at risk of being contaminated during your procedures should be placed in tightly closed white plastic bags. When you return, it is important to take them directly to the washer and then to the dryer.
Wash all your clothes as soon as you return and throw the bag that carried them outside.
Open the bags directly in the washer or dryer to prevent insects from falling to the floor. Regular washing is not an effective way to eliminate bed bugs. It is important to run the clothes at the highest temperature for more than 30 minutes.
Warning: Get rid of bags outside as soon as they are empty. Contaminated bags lying around or reused could spread bedbugs and ruin your efforts.
Precautions to take when moving to avoid bedbugs.
- It is possible to inquire with your future landlord to find out if the accommodation has been prey to bedbugs in the last year.
- Store all laundry in tightly sealed plastic bags. Do not overlook any openings where bedbugs could hide. Prefer white bags since they make it easier to see the bedbugs that could be found on the surface.
- Seal all your cardboard boxes with tape so that there are no open gaps.
- Avoid using the covers provided. Place them in a tightly sealed bag and take your own blankets.
- Ask your future moving company about the measures offered against bedbugs. Inspect the truck yourself. If possible, vacuum it, and throw the vacuum bag into an outdoor trash can.
- A canine inspection of the accommodation as well as the truck box can also be carried out to ensure that there are no bedbugs during your move.