When you wake up to itchy red bumps on your skin and find mysterious brownish-black spots on your sheets, don’t panic — it’s probably not bed bugs. Bed bug bites can look like any number of common skin problems, from heat rash and poison ivy to mosquito bites and flea bites. But if a closer look reveals rows of tiny red dots, then you might be infested with bed bugs. You are looking to prevent bed bugs from spreading, but aren’t sure where to start. You have probably seen tips and tricks on what to do if you are already infested and looking for solutions on how to prevent them from returning. However, it is equally important to take preventative measures so you never have a bed bug problem in the first place. Let’s explore some easy ways that you can help prevent bed bugs from coming and going into your home. Bed bug infestations are becoming increasingly common across the United States. In fact, according to recent surveys, approximately 30% of homes in the U.S. have reported at least one bed bug bite or sighting in the past year alone. To avoid this problem and continue living comfortably, here are some practical suggestions and helpful tips on how to prevent bed bug spread. Sometimes, sleep is the best thing around. Or is it? I mean, you don’t know if there are bed bugs in your house. As a matter of fact, you have no idea what those bites on your skin are from, either. Well, if you ever had to deal with this problem, then you know that it’s hard to relax when you are wondering if some nasty insects are going to crawl all over you in your sleep. Yet a few minor precautions can keep both you and your family safe from them:

How To Prevent Bed Bug Spread

Introduction

If you suspect that you may have bed bugs, or if you know for certain that you do, it’s important to take steps to prevent the spread of these pests. This article covers how to prevent bed bug spread in your home.

Keep clean and tidy.

• Keep the house clean and tidy.
• Don’t leave food out.
• Don’t leave dirty dishes lying around.
• Don’t leave dirty clothes on the floor or in piles on chairs, sofas and beds.

Vacuum your home every day.

The best way to prevent bed bugs from spreading is by vacuuming your home on a daily basis. Vacuuming all rooms, including furniture and other areas where bed bugs can hide, will pick up the insects and their eggs, killing them in the process. If you want to go above and beyond, use a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner for extra protection against dust mites and other allergens as well as an effective method for removing any remaining dead insects or their bodies after vacuuming.

Use bed bug covers on mattresses, box springs and pillows.

• Purchase bed bug covers. The best way to prevent bed bugs is to protect your mattress, box spring and pillows with a cover that is specifically designed for this purpose. Bed bug covers are available at home improvement stores, but if you are unable to find one in store, there are also online retailers that sell them as well.
• Do not use regular sheets or blankets on top of the mattress when using a bed bug cover; they will just tear away from their seams. You can purchase fitted sheets specifically designed to fit over the mattress with a zip-up side seal (these are usually sold in sets). If you do not want to spend extra money on fitted sheets, consider cutting out the tags from old ones so they fit better over your current mattresses. If you cannot cut off the tags yourself, ask someone at a local thrift store where they sell used clothes or household items if they have any used or donated furniture pieces like beds and couches that may have had their tags removed already—this way all you need do is put these items back into their appropriate places once finished applying measures against infestation!

Know where to look for bed bugs (and signs of them).

Bed bugs can be found in the seams and folds of mattresses, box springs, bed frames and headboards; behind baseboards; beneath loose wallpaper; inside of dressers and furniture; in wood or wall voids, electrical outlets, picture frames

Bed bug infestations are not limited to bedding. They can also be found in clothing and other items on the premises. Bed bug signs include:

• dark spots on mattresses where blood has been sucked by the insects
• fecal stains
• exoskeletons cast off after molting (the nymph stage).

Be diligent about inspecting second-hand furniture you plan to bring into your home.

Before bringing second-hand furniture into your home, be sure to inspect it thoroughly. This is especially important if you’re purchasing an item from someone who may have had a bed bug infestation in their home.

If you can see any signs of bed bugs on the surface of your item, do not bring it into your home! If a friend or family member wants to give you an item that they think may have bedbugs, ask them to put it into storage until you can figure out how to get rid of them and make sure that they don’t crawl onto other things in your house while they are stored there.

Hang up those clothes carefully.

• Do not store your clothes in plastic bags. Bed bugs are attracted to the carbon dioxide emitted by humans and can sense small spaces, so they may be drawn to bags of clothing where they can hide.
• Don’t hang your clothes on the floor or place them on furniture that touches the floor, such as a bed, couch or chair. The same goes for hanging clothes from radiators, which provide excellent places for bed bugs to live and breed under heat sources like this.

Dirty laundry can be a source of bed bug spread.

Laundry is one of the most common ways bed bugs spread. Bed bugs go through their entire life cycle inside their host, so they can only survive if they find somewhere new to live. They are very good at hiding in places like clothing and luggage which means that dirty laundry may contain some hidden nasties that you’re not aware of!

If you’re done with your clothes then make sure you wash them thoroughly with hot water and soap before you fold them up again. If there’s a chance that someone else might use these items later on then double check for any signs of bed bugs before putting them away in a clean spot – this includes checking pockets, seams and folds where insects could hide from light or heat treatment.

Inspect items you’re storing in your garage or attic.

When storing items in your garage or attic, inspect all items for signs of bed bugs. Bed bugs can hide in any crevice or crack, so look in the seams of furniture and in folds of fabric, as well as under drawers and cabinets. Check behind electrical outlet plates and switch plates as well as other small spaces where bed bugs could be hiding. In addition to inspecting objects for evidence of bed bug activity such as fecal spots or live insects, check the underside of drawers and cabinets; check behind curtains; check inside clothing; check inside mattresses; etc.

Put a stop to people tracking bed bugs into your home on their shoes.

• Use shoe covers.
• Vacuum your shoes before entering your home.
• Steam clean your shoes, which will kill any bed bugs and their eggs that may be attached to the soles or sides of the footwear.
• Use a lint roller on every surface of the shoe, including between the sole and upper parts of each shoe’s design (where bugs can hide). The same goes for gloves, hats, jackets and pants!

Install door sweeps on all exterior doors.

Door sweeps are a simple, effective way to prevent pests from entering through the gaps around your door. They can be installed on either side of the door and are easy to remove if you decide you no longer want to use them. Door sweeps should be installed on every exterior door in your home, including garage doors and storm doors; even if you don’t think there’s an issue with bugs getting into these areas, it’s better safe than sorry!

In addition to being inexpensive (less than $10), door sweeps are very easy to install: all you need is a screwdriver or drill and maybe a pair of pliers. You can install them yourself in less than 30 minutes—just follow these steps:

You need a combination of approaches to keep bed bugs from entering and spreading through the house.

You need a combination of approaches to keep bed bugs from entering and spreading through the house.

• First, you should inspect all items that come into your home for signs of bed bugs. This includes clothing, luggage and furniture brought in from other places. Inspecting these items before bringing them into your home can help prevent the spread of bed bugs once they’ve entered your home.
• Second, you should monitor areas where people spend time in your home — such as bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms — for signs of infestation by looking for black specks (feces) or blood stains on sheets or mattress covers; small brownish-red mounds (nests); cast skins; or a sweet musty odor near these locations.*

Conclusion

This article has given you some tips on how to prevent your bed bugs from spreading. If you follow these steps, you should be able to keep them contained in the area where they have been found and in the future, take steps for full removal.