Bed bugs are a nuisance, particularly throughout areas of Canada. Toronto has been hit especially hard with bed bugs. In fact, many pest control experts have suggested that if people can afford it, they should throw out infested belongings and start over. If you are currently battling with bed bugs, you should take care not to spread them to others. There are ways you can prevent the spread of bed bugs with the right tips and advice. Also what is important is spotting clues of bed bug infestations like bed bug sheddings.
Clothing
First and foremost, you should take care of any clothes you plan to bring with you when travelling or planning an overnight at somebody else’s house. You should also treat the clothes you plan to wear to work or out to the store to prevent spreading bed bugs. Place your clothes in the dryer and turn it to the hottest setting. Let your clothes toss on a high heat setting for at least thirty minutes. Make sure you include everything, including your undergarments, coat, jacket, gloves, hat, and coat. After the dryer turns off, remove your clothes and shake them out one by one to remove dead bed bugs. Immediately put your clothes in a tightly sealed plastic or vacuum sealed bag so bed bugs do not re-infest them. Do not remove the clothes from the bag until you plan on leaving. Changing your clothes for the day should be the last thing you do so you can avoid bed bugs reattaching to your clothes. Make sure you do not stop to sit once you have your clothes on. Instead, immediately leave your house to go to work.
Baggage
If you are leaving town for any amount of time, you will need to bring baggage with you. If you step out for work, you are likely going to have a purse, satchel, or briefcase with you. Bed bugs commonly travel to new locations via baggage carried by others. Remove everything from your luggage, purse, satchel, or briefcase. Search the seams for signs of bed bugs. If possible, place the baggage in the dryer like you did with your clothes. If you cannot wash the baggage, it is best to grab a vacuum and vacuum seams and edges thoroughly to remove bed bugs. As with the clothes, you should place your baggage in a vacuum sealed bag so bed bugs do not crawl into them. Grab your baggage and leave the home as soon as you have fresh, clean clothes on. Do not sit your baggage down anywhere once you remove it from the vacuum sealed bag.
If you must vacuum seams and edges, make sure you remove the vacuum bag of the container immediately. Live bed bugs can crawl out of the vacuum and re-infest your home. Dump the contents of the container or place the vacuum bag in an outdoor trash bin with a tightly sealed lid. If you must put your bag down for any reason, consider hanging it up in an area where it will not touch the floor or other items you have hanging up. If the baggage touches anything that has not been treated already, it could allow bed bugs back into your baggage.
Extermination
Most importantly, get in touch with an exterminator. A bed bug extermination professional can provide you with proper treatment for bed bugs, which will prevent spreading bed bugs. You simply cannot battle bed bugs on your own, no matter what you do. Professional extermination methods are the only way to treat the problem.
