To keep your home and family members safe and healthy, preventing an infestation is the best method of pest control. Unfortunately, it can be easy to bring bedbugs home with you without even realizing it. Below are a few tips to keep in mind to help avoid accidentally letting these pests into your space. 

3 Tips for Preventing Bedbug Infestations 

1. Protect Belongings When Traveling 

You don’t want to accidentally bring bedbugs home if there were any in your hotel. To protect yourself when traveling, keep clothes in vacuum-sealed bags, and put suitcases on provided stands rather than inside closets. Check the mattress, bedclothes, and furniture for any sign of bedbugs like dark spots or exoskeletons. If you notice signs of bites like a line of itchy, red welts across your skin, wash all your belongings immediately in hot water and dry them on high heat.

2. Use Care at Laundromats

Avoid using shared folding tables and carts at laundromats, as bedbugs can use these to find a way into your laundry. Never sort or dump dirty laundry onto the floor either. Instead, take clothes directly from the dryer and place them into clean laundry bags. If you regularly use a laundromat, inquire how often the facility implements pest control measures.

3. Vacuum Floors & Furniture

If you suspect a bedbug infestation, wash all affected textiles in hot water and dry on high heat. In bedrooms, run a vacuum over the box springs, headboard, bed frame, mattress, as well as the floors. When finished, remove the vacuum bag, seal it in a garbage bag, and dispose of it outside immediately. Unfortunately, bedbugs can travel into the home on almost anything, even electronics. To protect your home, use covers for electrical outlets when not in use, caulk cracks in walls, replace torn window screens, and use weather stripping around doors. 

Bedbugs can be prevented with care, but if you think you have an infestation, call a pest control company right away. Surefire Pest Control in Las Vegas, NV, offers professional treatment for bedbugs, cockroaches, ants, spiders, and other pests. Call (702) 423-7463 for a quote or visit their website to learn more about their eco-friendly, safe treatment options.