In the chill that fall air brings, it’s no surprise that many people are excited about the change of the season and everything that comes along with that change. Short-sleeved shirts are exchanged for warm sweaters, empty fireplaces are lit with blazing flames, and plain green leaves begin to transform into vibrant new colors. Unfortunately, fall also brings some unpleasant guests - bed bugs.
Bed bugs are active throughout the entire year, but most people don’t experience very many issues with them until the weather cools. This is because many bed bug infestations start after people have come back from traveling over the summer. The more people that travel throughout the summer months provide more opportunities for bed bugs to hitch a ride into our homes. The reason many homeowners do not notice they have a problem is that it takes a few months for eggs that bed bugs lay to hatch and grow into adults.
Often, it is only after homeowners have a full-blown infestation that they realize they have a problem. As America sees an increase in the number of homes infested with bed bugs, the likelihood of those bed bugs spreading into new homes increases, as well—especially if homeowners are not actively taking preventative measures.
Bed Bug Prevention Tips
There are several preventative steps you can take to keep your home free of bed bugs this fall. Understanding bed bug infestations can help you drastically reduce the chances of your home becoming infested.
Here are some tips to help you avoid these parasitic pests:
- When traveling, keep the number of belongings you bring with you to a minimum. The fewer items that touch potentially infected areas, the fewer chances bed bugs will have to hitch a ride back to your home.
- After being in public areas, such as libraries, theaters, public transportation, and outdoor parties, be sure to check your clothing and any bags or belongings for live bed bugs and their tiny white eggs.
- When you know you are going to be staying at a motel, hotel, or even a friend’s house, carefully inspect the bedding, pillows, and carpeting for small maroon stains, live bed bugs, and any signs of eggs. If any of these signs are present, ask to stay in a different room.
While taking preventative steps to keep bed bugs out of your home may help prevent a new bed bug problem, it will not help if you are already dealing with an infestation. The most effective way to deal with bed bugs, and eliminate them from your home completely, is through heat treatment plans with a trusted pest control company. Aiken Pest Control is that company. We offer the most effective option when trying to rid a home of infestation, and heat treatments.
Our heat treatments are more effective than any other solution because this treatment is capable of reaching several areas that other treatments cannot. The units we use inside homes are placed in bed bug-affected areas and then heat those areas to the temperature range needed to kill bed bugs in every stage of their life cycle, which is between 120 and 135 degrees.
Our heating treatments are safe and environmentally friendly, meaning you can be sure that your home will be fully taken care of by our bed bug professionals. Just one visit from Aiken’s pest control experts - the quickest and most efficient way to handle all your bed bug problems - completely eradicates bed bugs from your home.