As the Holidays Approach So Do Bed Bugs

As the holidays get closer and closer so does the risk of having bed bugs invade your home. You might keep a clean home, but unfortunately bed bugs don’t thrive off of dirt. They thrive off of living human beings and just because your family doesn’t have them that doesn’t mean one of your guests won’t. The holidays are a happy time but as more and more people visit your home and bring their bags and belongings the chance of being infected with bed bugs rises.

Although bed bugs don’t cause any health issues their bites can cause allergic reactions and discomfort. Paranoia, feeling anxious and jumpy are another cause of bed bugs. Imagine having to be scared of going to sleep because at night these tiny pests come out of your walls, headboard, bed posts and other areas to feast on your body during the dark hours.

However, there are a few things you can do before holiday guests visit.  Some precautions you can take are positioning beds away from the wall, tuck in sheets so they don’t touch the floor, use lighter colored sheets and bedding so you’ll be able to see the pests if they arrive, provide a luggage table so guests keep items off the floor and remove all clutter if possible.

Once guests leave you should vacume your home and remove the bag as soon as your done, wash laundry in the hottest water possible because bed bugs can’t survive high heat for more than thirty minutes. For the next few weeks look out for rusty-colored blood stains, black feces and of course bed bug bites on all household members.

If you do end up finding bed bugs you need to contact a professional right away because they will multiple and do so quickly. “While you shouldn’t let bed bugs force you into hiding, it’s prudent to be proactive and take precautions, particularly during the holiday travel season.” Read the rest of the article here and learn about other precautions and treatments.