If bed bugs actually had a “season,” it would definitely be summer. Like the humans they bother, bed bugs prefer warm weather to cold and are more active and likely to come out of hiding during the warmer seasons than the colder ones. However, that doesn’t mean they’re actually gone during the cold and crispy cooler seasons. Bed bug prevention in the unassuming fall months is as important a task as any other on your pest management checklist.
So, yes: You can still get bed bugs during the fall and winter months. Which means you’re going to need a pest management strategy whether you live in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or any other New England state.
We’ve previously covered some suggestions on what to do to make sure bed bugs don’t hitchhike a ride home in your suitcase while traveling, so consider this an addendum with simple applicable items that you can utilize around your home.
Be Clean and Tidy
If this feels applicable for every pest situation, it’s because it typically is. Bed bugs, like other pests that invade our homes, like to burrow into cloth and texture to make their homes. It’s part of the reason they invade our beds, and why luggage was such a concern in a previous blog we wrote. That means leaving piles of laundry – clean or dirty – laying around on the floor can be an invitation for infestation.
Some easy bed bug prevention tactics include keeping laundry in plastic hampers, washing it frequently, and making sure to pick up trash, vacuum frequently and pick up the smallest crumbs, and wash floors and other hard surfaces.
Additionally, wash and change your bed sheets frequently, and try to buy sheets and blankets that can handle the hottest settings: bed bugs can’t handle the heat, so a wash-and-dry on your device’s hottest settings will kill any bugs or eggs that might already be there.
Take Precaution
There are other preventative steps you can take to help prevent bed bugs.
Here are a few:
- Use neem oil spray, which is a safe and natural insecticide that bed bugs will absorb, causing them to die.
- Use mattress, box spring, and pillow encasements to protect the bugs from burrowing in and making a nest.
- Keep beds raised and off the floors.
- For extra prevention, apply double-sided sticky tape to the legs of the bed and the perimeter of the room to prevent access.
Soak Up the Sun
One final tip: bed bugs hate sunlight – or any light, for that matter. They prefer cool, dark places to hide, breed, move around, and live, which is why they’ll often travel along the wall or in the corners and shadows of your room. So open the shades, let the sunlight in, and keep things warm and bright to make the bed bugs uncomfortable.
Are you dealing with a bed bug infestation or looking for more tips on bed bug prevention and avoiding an outbreak from happening in your home? Contact the experts at Bain Pest Control today to learn more about how we can help.