The holidays are one of the busiest times of the year for most of us in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. You may be traveling to see others, hosting company parties, or having house guests of your own. Although it would be nice, pests and rodents don’t just go away over the holiday season, in fact, with the added travel and visitors, your home or business could be at higher risk for unwanted pests. While you are likely thinking about hundreds of other things right now, you should still beware of bed bugs this holiday season.
Getting to Know Bed Bugs
While we have reviewed what bed bugs are before and how they can impact you, your home, and your business, we thought we would give you a brief reminder of what exactly bed bugs are and just how pesky these little critters can be.
Bed bugs are insects that feed on human and animal blood, usually at night. Bed bugs are small, oval, insects that are brownish in color. Adult bed bugs have flat bodies about the size of an apple seed. After feeding, bed bugs’ bodies swell and can change to a being red in color.
These bugs are smart, tough, and they reproduce quickly. Bed bugs know where to hide to avoid detection, can live for months between meals, and a healthy female can lay 500 eggs in her lifetime (Healthline). Bed bugs are extremely hard to get rid of, and because of their resilience, you want to beware of bed bugs this holiday season, to ensure you don’t end up with an infestation in the new year.
Ways to Protect Your Home or Business from Bed Bugs Over the Holidays
While you may be aware that bed bugs are a problem over the holidays, if you don’t take proper precautions, you could end up with a bed bug infestation. We are going to review some tips for how you can avoid bed bugs this holiday season.
- Be on the Lookout: If you are traveling, you should keep your eyes peeled for signs of bed bugs. Before unpacking and taking up residence, check cracks, crevices, seams, and folds of material in the bedding. You should also check mattress seams, carpet edges, and the undersides of sofas and other furniture cushions. There are several things you can watch for that will indicate that bed bugs are present: bed bugs’ exoskeletons, brown or tan streaks on bedding or furniture, and actually seeing bed bugs.
- Check the Bed Bug Registry: There is a free public database that can provide you with information and bed bug reports for the United States and Canada. It is always a good idea to take a peek at the Bed Bug Registry prior to traveling or staying outside of your home.
- Don’t Bring them Home with You: Bed bugs are the ultimate hitchhiker, and they will try to join in your holiday celebrations, if you let them. When you are traveling on public transportation, staying outside of your home, buying furniture and other items, be sure you aren’t inviting bed bugs into home or to your business without even knowing it. You can do things like: carry a few plastic trash bags in your luggage to store clothing and other items in, keep bags and luggage off beds and furniture and try to hang up your purse or laptop bag instead of placing it on the ground, minimize what you take with you when you are outside of your home or business to allow for less places for these critters to hide, amongst other things.
- Prepare for Guests: If you are going to have guests visiting, you should ensure that you eliminate as many places and ways as possible for them to bring bed bugs into your Northwest Ohio or Southeast Michigan home or business. Provide places for them to put their purses, luggage, etc. to avoid them from placing such items on a bed and other furniture. Move beds and other furniture away from walls. If furniture is right against a wall, this provides an additional hiding spot for bed bugs. Have guests remove their shoes when they enter your home and have a plastic floor mat by the door to store them. Declutter guest rooms and other areas of your home, that your holiday visitors will be in, this will help minimize the places for bed bugs to live and hide.
- Clean up After Guests: When your guests leave, you should immediately place their bedding and other linens in a plastic bag and take them directly to your washer. Wash and dry these items on the highest temperature setting possible. Be sure to throw away the plastic bags in an outdoor trashcan upon emptying them. You should also vacuum your home right after your guests leave and empty your vacuum and dispose of the debris outside.
You should beware of beds bugs this holiday season, but not let them ruin your good time. If you take proper precautions, you can have a holiday season that is free of these unwanted pests.
If you happen to find these unwanted pests in your home or business, Delving Pest Control can help. We get rid of nasty bed bugs by using a safe and effective solution to exterminate bed bugs with thermal treatment. Delving Pest Control treats your infected home or business with heat and eliminates bed bugs from beds, walls, floors, furniture, and bedding.
Delving Pest Control can treat both recently discovered and prolonged bed bug infestations. Delving Pest Control is the leading discreet bed bug exterminator in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Our vehicles are unmarked for your privacy. All you need is, a free inspection and strategy to help eliminate your out-of-control bed bug issues.
