Although they are small in nature, bedbugs can make you have sleepless nights when they invade your home. Bedbugs are among one of the most resilient pests in the world and can easily be transported to your house via your handbag, clothing or even furniture. Once they find their way into your house, they will breed and multiply fast and before you even know, they will have form a colony that will make your life a living heal. Bedbugs thrive well in dark and moist places such as under mattresses of under bed. They usually feed on blood and their bites are lethal. As saying goes, prevention is always better than cure. Knowing how to prevent bedbug from invading your house will help you save a lot of money that you could otherwise have used on medical bills as well as in eliminating them.
In this article, we are going to give you 9 crucial tips on how to prevent bedbugs from invading your home.
1. Set up bedbug traps
One of the best ways to prevent bedbug from invading your home is by setting up traps. Setting numerous traps will help you detect if there are signs of bedbugs in your compound or not. Don’t set traps in your house, set them outside your house so that you can trap and detect their present before they invade your house. Unlike the past, nowadays there are many bedbug traps that you can purchase on the market to help prevent this stubborn pest form invading your house. Setting traps outside your house is one of the most recommended methods of preventing bedbugs from invading your house because you will be able to detect their presence at an early stage. Don’t just set traps then you disappear, ensure that you check them on a regular basis to see if there is any signs of bedbugs.
2. Avoid bringing second hand clothes and furniture into your house
Are you fond of bringing second hand furniture or clothes to your house without cleaning them thoroughly? If yes then that is probably the reason why bedbugs have become a common problem in your house. Various research have shown that second hand furniture as well as clothes are perfect hideout for this pest. They know how to hide and if you are not careful, you will only feel their presence when they give you a lethal bite when you are enjoying your night. If you must bring second hand clothes or furniture, ensure that they are inspected and cleaned to ascertain that they are bedbug free.
3. Vacuum your house on a regular basis
Most people usually focus only on the carpet when vacuuming their house and forget other crucial places. Bedbugs like to hide in areas that have cracks like foot boards. When vacuuming, it is very important to conduct the process thoroughly to flush bedbugs out of their hideout. Thorough vacuuming also helps to destroy their breeding grounds as well as help you know their presence. When vacuuming, use appropriate pesticides especially in areas that are more prone to attract bedbugs.
4. Clean your house thoroughly after hosting visitors
After hosting visitors especially for a long period of time, it is advised that you do a thorough house cleaning. This is because some of your visitors may have provided free transportation of bedbugs into your house. It is important to note that it is not a guarantee that all visitors will carry bedbugs. Doing a thorough cleaning is just a preventative measure and can help you detect if there is any presence of bedbug early before they become a big problem.
5. Conduct thorough bedbug inspection on a regular basis
Most people usually seek the help from a pest controller, when bedbugs have already infested their homes. To them they think that doing regular inspection is time wasting and expensive. However, that is not the case. Doing regular inspection will not only help you to prevent these pests from invading your home but will also help you know their origin and why they have invaded your home. Most people usually think that it is very expensive to hire the services of a professional bedbug controller but that is not the case. In fact, you will save lot of your money if you have your home inspected instead of acting only when bedbugs have invaded your home.
6. Apply silica gel in vulnerable areas
Silica gel is a drying agent that helps to prevent bedbugs from invading your house. All that you need to do is to identify hiding places of bedbug both around your compound and inside the house. Grind the gel gently and apply it in areas that are most likely to be affected. Silica gel is very effective and when it sticks on the bedbug it will dehydrate and kill it immediately.
7. Avoid illegal dumping
Bedbugs thrive well in dumpsites. Therefore, if you have a small dumpsite near your home, take the initiative of clearing it to prevent providing conducive hiding place for bedbugs.
8. Caulk and seal
If you have holes where water pipes and electric wire pass, it is recommend that you caulk and seal them. Carefully fill all holes and cracks by molding to prevent bedbugs from hiding or using the pathway to get into your house. Check the seal regularly to see if they are still intact.
9. Reduce clutter
Have you stored many things in your house that you don’t use? If yes then it is probably time to reduce them. Bedbugs love hiding in dark and isolated places. If you have stored things like child toys, old electronic devices among many others, relocate them and store them in a safe place outside your home. The less clutter you have in your home, lower the chances of bedbug invasion.
In conclusion, knowing how to prevent bedbugs from finding their way into your house will go a long way in helping you live a comfortable life. Prevention is always better instead of waiting until the problem escalates. By following the above mentioned tips, you will never have to worry about bedbug invasion again.