Bed Bug Prevention Tips

"Don't let the bedbugs bite" has gone from being a cute children's saying to sage advice. The presence of bedbugs in American homes has risen for the last several years. According to a July 2010 report on MSNBC, the number of exterminator calls regarding bedbug infestations has risen 57% since 2005. Several ways exist to kill off a bedbug infestation, but preventing them from entering the home in the first place is far more desirable.

Know the Signs

• Be vigilant, and watch your home at all times for signs of the existence of bedbugs. While finding evidence of them may mean that it is late for prevention, eradicating them as soon as possible can stop them from spreading. Check bedding and mattresses regularly, using a flashlight. Be on the lookout for small, red or dark stains on sheets and mattresses. These may be blood stains from rolling and crushing bedbugs in the night, or they may be feces. Examine your skin regularly, watching for small, red bite marks, usually in a line of three or four bites.

Defend Your Home

• Take steps at home to stop bedbugs before they can infest your bed. A bedbug encasement is a plastic cover that goes over your mattress. It traps any existing bedbugs inside it, so you don't have to throw away your mattress. Without being able to get out and feed, the bugs will eventually die inside. These also stop new bugs from getting into a mattress.

  Climb Up Interceptors are plastic dishes that go on the bottom of bed-frame legs. They trap bedbugs inside, preventing them from climbing up to the bed. A product called a bedbug beacon emits carbon dioxide, which draws the bedbugs to the device and traps them inside.

Travel

• Even if you keep your home bedbug-free, many infestations are caused by you, a family member or a guest bringing them into your house on clothing or in a suitcase. When traveling, do your research regarding hotel infestations and inspect all hotel rooms before unpacking your luggage. Keep your suitcase on the luggage rack, not the bed, and keep clothing inside the luggage in a sealed plastic bag. Upon returning home, do not unpack luggage on the bed; transport clothing from the suitcase directly into the washing machine. Thoroughly examine the inside of the suitcase.

Buyer Beware

• Buying a used bed is a rather obvious no-no when it comes to bedbug prevention. But this awareness must extend to any fabric furniture bought at a garage or estate sale, or from an online seller. When receiving any hand-me-down clothing from friends, be sure to wash all items. Even new items should be inspected. According to the bedbug info website, people often purchase used items without realizing it, when items have been returned to the store and sold as new. All new mattresses should be wrapped well; inspect mattresses and box springs when you unwrap and assemble them.