Keep bed bugs from ruining your holiday season.
The holiday season is filled with joy, laughter, and excitement for family and friends, but bed bugs can put a screeching halt on the festivities. These critters survive and grow by sucking the blood of their victims while these unknowing persons are asleep, and the holidays are a perfect time for them to strike. While you’re preoccupied with enjoying time with loved ones, bed bugs are doing whatever it takes to find their next meal – and that meal could be you! Luckily, we know how to keep bed bugs away during the holidays. Follow our simple tips and you’ll avoid bed bugs in your home and while on vacation.
How to Keep Bed Bugs Away When Entertaining Guests
If you’re planning to entertain guests this holiday season, then you’re opening up your home to everything they might bring inside with them. Although this usually comes down to presents and other good things, bed bugs might hitch a ride in clothing or luggage. Here’s how to keep bed bugs away without disrupting the party.
- Make the Bedroom Off-Limits — Bed bugs love to get into your mattress (hence the name), so be sure to keep everyone out of the bedroom during a get-together.
- Look Around after a Party — After everyone has gone home, be sure to do a quick search for bed bugs if you suspect anyone might have been stowing away the little critters.
- Put Jackets and Coats in a Closet — Due to the thickness of jackets and coats, bedbugs can easily hide inside them, so make sure that when guests arrive, these clothing items are placed inside a closet.
How to Keep Bed Bugs Away If Someone Stays Overnight
Staying overnight can sometimes become a problem, especially if the person who’s staying has experienced bed bugs in the past. The possibility multiples when this guest brings a suitcase rather than just the clothes on his or her back. These simple tricks will teach you how to prevent bed bugs when a loved one stays overnight:
- Wash Your Guests’ Clothes — If someone decides to stay at your home overnight, wash their clothes in hot water just in case they brought something in with them.
- Keep Suitcases Secure — Bed bugs have been known to stow away inside suitcases, so keep them in a central location or consider placing them in a plastic bag just to be sure.
- Install a Bed Bug Mattress — If you have a tendency to invite people over to stay after a holiday celebration, installing a mattress that is designed to repel bed bugs is a great plan.
How to Keep Bed Bugs Away During a Holiday Vacation
Hitting the road during the holidays is an excellent way to round out the year. However, since you’ll be staying at places where many others have stayed before you, this could expose you to bed bugs. These simple tricks will teach you how to keep bed bugs away while staying at a hotel, motel, or even an Airbnb.
- Check the Bed When You Arrive — Hotels and other such places aren’t immune to bed bugs, so there’s no shame in thoroughly checking the bed when you arrive.
- Pack a Mattress Cover — If you want to truly come prepared on your trip, pack a mattress cover that you can use while you sleep to prevent the nasty little bloodsuckers from causing problems.
- Launder Your Clothes Upon Returning — Even if you don’t think that you’ve been exposed to bedbugs, it doesn’t hurt to wash all of your clothes in hot water as soon as you return home.
What to Do If You Fall Victim to Bed Bugs
Even when you learn how to keep bed bugs away and are extremely careful, there’s still a chance that you might experience an infestation. Whether this is because a relative brought them into your home or you brought them home from vacation, don’t panic. All you need to do is follow these tips:
- Wash All Clothes and Bedding — If you suspect that you have bed bugs, the first thing you should do is wash all of your clothes and bedding in hot water to kill any that may be hiding out.
- Check Each Person As They Leave — Before anyone enters or leaves your home, he sure that they’re aware that you may have bed bugs and that they have been thoroughly checked.
- Call a Seasoned Professional — It’s always best to leave the job to professionals who will initiate a bed bug heat treatment to get rid of these pesky annoyances.
McDonald Pest Control Will Rid Your Home of Bed Bugs
If you’ve experienced bed bugs or any other types of pests at your home or business, contact McDonald Pest Control at (727)-734-0963 for a personalized pest program or request a quote through our website.
