Bed bugs are pesky creatures that are difficult to detect due to their microscopic size, almost impossible to eliminate on your own because of their infamous resiliency to bug sprays and chemicals, and financially crippling as a result of hiring a professional exterminator and oftentimes having to replace beds, bed linens, furniture, and clothing. However, with all that said, it isn’t so difficult to prevent them from entering your home or spreading if you happen to find them.

Preventing Bed Bugs

Although an innocent mistake, a lot of people don’t realize that they have the potential to expose themselves to bed bugs in very common situations. Since they are generally carried into your house, you should take extra precautions while traveling, buying used furniture, or getting items from a thrift store. Hotel rooms are notorious for being susceptible to insects, bugs, and other infestations. As soon as you enter your assigned room, check the mattress and bed linens for signs of bed bugs. If you find any, don’t transport any of your personal belongings into the room. Instead, contact the manager about the problem. Even if you don’t detect any traces of bed bugs, clean your clothes and dry them on the highest temperature possible for at least thirty minutes before taking them into your home. Do the same for any clothing or furniture you buy at thrift stores or yard sales.

In addition, you need to frequently protect your own home by regularly washing your bedding, buying protective coverings for all mattresses, and applying heat to your furniture using a high heat steamer or other heat producing device. Perform a routine check for bed bugs every three months. It also won’t hurt to have a professional exterminator come and check at least once a year. These evaluations are usually very simple and inexpensive.

Steps To Take If You Discover Bed Bugs

When you make a positive identification of bed bugs being in your home, the first thing you need to do is call a professional exterminator. The last thing you should do is attempt to treat them yourself, as this could actually worsen the problem. If you’re worried about the chemicals exterminators use, don’t be. Many use EPA approved and environmentally friendly products nowadays.

As resilient and hard to detect as bed bugs are, you don’t have to deal with the financial burden of eliminating them, the physical discomfort from their bites, or the long road to recovery. Educating yourself on how to detect bed bugs on your own and being aware of them early on is the best preventative measures to take. And when there is a positive detection, it’s necessary to let a professional handle the problem.

Find bed bugs and want them gone? Call Preventive Pest Control today for professional Arizona bed bug control!