Bedbugs are becoming a prevalent concern nowadays. Bedbugs used to be a common problem in homes, but they’ve now spread to hotels, campgrounds, and dormitories, to name a few places.
Bedbugs usually come out at night to search for food, ideally blood from a sleeping person. After a full meal, bedbugs usually hide in any nearby location, such as clothing or luggage, thus spreading quickly from one location to another.
In most cases, you’ll not feel the actual bite. The bites are typically small reddish, itchy bumps that form a line on the back, face, trunk, legs, and arms. Scratching is likely due to its itchiness, which can cause skin damage.
Although bedbugs don’t transmit diseases as ticks or mosquitoes do, a child who scratches the bite site can result in skin breakdown, potentially increasing the risk of bacterial skin infection requiring further care by a healthcare professional.
There are certain key points to consider if you want to keep your kids safe from bedbugs.
Call Professional Pest Control Services
If you want to prevent bedbug bites and avoid an infestation, consider hiring a professional pest control service. A minor infestation requires immediate attention. Dealing with an infestation during its initial phase can prevent the problem from getting worse.
Even if you don’t see bedbugs or no longer get the distinctive itchy, red bites, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re eliminated. Remember that bedbugs are capable of surviving for up to a year without a feeding episode. With this in mind, working with a professional is the best decision since they have the appropriate tools, products, and techniques to effectively deal with infestations permanently and prevent them from coming back. If you want to start dealing with a possible bedbug infestation in your home, go to this website to learn more.
Learn How To Identify Bedbugs
Bedbugs are usually a quarter of an inch in size and have a reddish-brown color but can take on a lighter straw-like color with a flat and oval-shaped body. Bedbugs are about the same size as an apple seed.
If you find it hard to pinpoint the actual bug, you can look around for traces it leaves behind. It’s best to watch out for reddish or rusty stains on bedsheets or mattresses and dark spots caused by bedbug feces.
If you have a serious infestation of bedbugs in your home, you’ll notice an unusually sweet odor, especially if many are present.
You’re also likely to find the shed skins of young bedbugs close to where they hide during the day. You might find both live or even crushed bedbugs in some cases if you closely inspect areas where bedbugs are likely to be present.
Declutter The House
If you want to keep your kids safe from bedbugs, make sure your home is clean and clutter-free. When you completely get rid of unnecessary clutter, bedbugs have no place to hide and thrive.
You need to get rid of any lingering clutter, especially piles of soiled clothes, paper, or any items you might have since bedbugs prefer to hide in areas where they’re not likely to be disturbed.
Maintain The Cleanliness Of The House, Especially The Bedrooms
Your child’s room should stay as clean as possible if you don’t want bedbugs to thrive. Maintaining proper cleanliness or hygiene around the house is crucial, especially in the bedrooms or spots where bedbugs are likely to be present. You can achieve this by regularly replacing the bedsheets at least once a week or vacuuming the floors and upholstered furniture.
While cleaning the rooms, it’s best to utilize a vacuum with a bag to trap any bedbugs. Make sure you carefully discard the bag right away after the task.
After giving your home a thorough clean, it would be best to maintain a distance between the bed and the walls. Doing so will help prevent bedbugs from moving into your bed.
Thoroughly Wash The Bedding And Other Items
If you happen to find bedbugs, make it a priority to wash all bedding, clothing, plushies, or any other toys your child might have on their bed thoroughly. Generally, it’s best to wash all potentially infested items under hot water and mild detergent and dry on a hot setting.
Invest In Protective Covers
Another way to prevent bedbug infestation is to invest in mattress covers, ideally with an anti-allergy label. The bedbug mattress covers will come in handy in preventing a potential infestation since they stop bedbugs from moving into your bedding.
There are also pillows with encasement covers with specialized zipper locks to prevent the entry of bedbugs. The design of the covers will allow you to pinpoint if bedbugs might be present.
You can also try investing in bed protector cups that you can place on the legs of your bed to prevent bedbugs from moving up and infiltrating the bed.
Final Thoughts
All family members are at risk when you have a possible bedbug infestation in your home, especially your children. Calling a professional would be the best decision to deal with them. Even if you hire professionals to deal with the infestation, these pointers will surely come in handy in preventing another infestation from starting while keeping your household safe at the same time.
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