Preventing-bed-bug-infestations

General Prevention: Keep your property as clutter free as possible so as to avoid providing convenient hiding spots for bed bugs. Remember to inspect any items that enter your home such as furniture, books, clothing Etc and keep a watchful eye out for starter infestations which may consist of only 1 or 2 bed bugs. Change bed linens weekly and be sure to wash hot water of at least 98 F. Regularly check with other family members to see if they are experiencing any bite signs or rashes which may be a signal that bed bugs have arrived. Vacuum weekly to remove dust and debris that may have accumulated and lightly mist all cleanable surfaces and objects with NT-Zyme. Overall, attempt to maintain a clean environment free of excess clutter and stay on schedule with your regular monthly maintenance treatments.

Pets: Keep small pets such as birds, hamsters and reptiles away from your sleeping area. Have larger pets (such as cats and dogs) sleep in a different area and not in your room. Pets occasionally bring bed bugs into the home and avoiding a nesting situation in your bedroom is key to permanent remediation.
Travel: Traveling is one of the most popular ways to find your home infested with bed bugs. Millions of people carry bed bugs home in their luggage as a result of lodging in infested hotels, motels, schools or any facility where you sleep or rest long enough for bed bugs to crawl into your clothing. Whenever you travel, you must carry out a detailed inspection of your room. Check all bedding for any signs of bed bugs, feces, blood stains or eggs and further check all dressers, closets, rugs, carpets, wallpaper and any other area in your room that bed bugs might hide.

Most bed bugs are fairly easy to spot with the naked eye; however, young unfed bed bugs are somewhat transparent and may be hard to see since their bodies do not turn red or brown until after their first blood feeding. Check behind the bed board, behind pictures and wall décor, under cabinets, beds and all other areas of the room. Extra precautions might include moving the bed slightly away from the wall and tucking in the linens to prevent them from touching the floor while you are sleeping. Keep your belongings elevated by utilizing luggage stands and tables.

If you find that a room you have been staying in is infested, you need to wash all clothing using the hottest possible temperature that your garments can safely handle. Items that cannot be washed using traditional methods must be frozen or heated. Heated items will require a core (center of the clothing or item pile) temperature of 125°F for at least 2 hours and freezable items must reach a core temperature of 22°F for at least 5 days! Bed bugs are commonly found in high volume places such as hotels, motels, college dorms, restaurants, theme parks and just about anywhere else people congregate. Whenever traveling, take extra precaution not to bring home an unwanted guest by inspecting all clothes, souvenirs, luggage and any other item that comes back with you.