By ErikBraunitzer, and courtesy of DouglasEllimanRealEstateCompany, agents for NYCApartments.
While most people think of common household pests as ants and rodents, the fact is that bed bugs are quickly making their way to the top of the list. On the rise in North America, many households are discovering these pests in their homes. Once you have them, they can be hard to eliminate, which is why the best measures for bed bugs are preventative. The following are some tips to help you keep them out of your home:
Ask a thousand people what a bed bug look like and you will find that the majority of them have no idea. Before you do anything, be sure that you know what this pest looks like. The insect itself is usually about a quarter of an inch in length and has a flat oval-shaped body that is red-brown in color.
Bed bugs are basically hitch-hikers, in the sense that they will enter your home by catching a ride on you, your clothing, or your luggage. Therefore, if you have been traveling or even riding the subway, check yourself over before going in your home. The majority of people that find them in their homes have recently traveled and stayed in motel.
If you do have to travel, be sure that you do not bring any luggage or clothing back into your home until you do verify that there are no bed bugs present. In luggage, be sure that you check in the linings, as these bugs are shaped to hide in the most inconspicuous places. All of your laundry from your travels should be washed immediately, as well.
These pests can also enter your home on furniture. If you have recently purchased used-furniture, no matter how clean it looks, it could be housing thousands of bed bugs. Before any item enters your home, carefully inspect the item for bugs, especially in any crevices. Avoiding used furniture, especially mattresses, is the best preventative measure you can make.
Because bed bugs can hide out in places that you can not see, it is also important to know what signs they leave behind. The fecal matter left behind is often the first thing that people notice. Dark brown or reddish spots are the fecal staining that can occur when these bugs are present in your home and should immediately put you into action to find out where they are hiding.
The prevention of bed bugs is something that you should take seriously, as they can be one of the toughest infestations to deal with. By taking the above preventative actions, you can be sure that you never have to deal with this type of infestation in your own home.
