Bedbugs are some of the most troublesome pests you can have in your home. Not only do they bite, leaving itchy or painful welts, but they are especially challenging to get rid of once they establish a new home. The best plan is to avoid getting them in the first place, so you prevent the need for extensive pest control.

How to Keep Bedbugs Out of Your Home

1. Know the Signs

Bedbugs are reddish or brownish bugs under a quarter-inch long. They leave small brown droppings that cause reddish stains on mattresses and bedding. Check your bed regularly for pests, droppings, and eggs, particularly along seams and creases. You can also identify them by their bites, which usually appear in a line down the arm, leg, or body where it meets the mattress.

2. Cover Your Mattress

To eliminate hiding places in your bed, use a zippered mattress cover designed to repel bedbugs. The cover minimizes the number of seams where they can get a foothold. It's also much easier to wash if the bugs do start to appear in your room.

3. Declutter

Bedbugs don't just hide in your bed. They also like narrow cracks, folds, and crevices in clothes, furniture, and other belongings. The more items you have on your floor and in your closets, the more places they have to hide.

4. Vacuum

If a stray bedbug does make it into your home, a vacuum cleaner has a significant chance to pick it up before it finds a better hiding place than the carpet. Vacuum regularly to get rid of as many bugs as you can. Also, remember to empty your vacuum bag afterward so they won't crawl back out.

5. Check Common Points of Entry

It's common to get bedbugs while traveling, as they will hitch a ride on your luggage, so look your bags over on a flat, smooth surface like the kitchen floor before putting them away. Public laundromats are also frequent sources of infestation, but giving your clothing an extra run through the dryer will kill any bugs. Finally, carefully check any secondhand furniture before bringing it into your home.

If you get bedbugs despite these precautions, Leitchfield Exterminating will help. Serving Grayson County from their location in Leitchfield, KY, this family-owned exterminator has almost 45 years of experience. Their certified technicians will find and eliminate infestations of both bugs and rodents. To schedule an inspection, call (270) 234-1295 or reach out online.