Can you keep bed bugs from biting you while you’re sleeping?

You don’t need to have a history of bed bugs in your home to know how disgusting they are. Just the thought of these vampire-like insects sucking your blood at night is enough to give us the willies, and we bet you feel the exact same way!

Since bed bugs have made a huge comeback in recent years, it’s very important that you learn how to keep them from biting you. To help you out, we’re going to show you how to prevent bed bug bites while sleeping:

Regularly Vacuum Your Mattress

Learning how to prevent bed bug bites while sleeping starts with your mattress. This is usually how they get to you. Therefore, you need to grab a vacuum cleaner and use it on your mattress on a regular basis. You’ll often vacuum up bed bugs without even knowing it.

These insects are very good at hiding in cracks and crevices, so you can’t rely on this technique alone, but it’s a good start.

Wash Bed Clothes in High Temperatures

Bed bugs’ biggest weakness is high temperatures. That’s why professionals prefer heat treatments to eliminate them, especially when there is a significant bed bug infestation. Bed bugs will often get caught up in your sheets and comforters, so you should always wash them in hot water. This will kill any bugs that have hitched a ride in your bed clothes.

Buy a Bed Bug Mattress Protector

If you want to be especially cautious about bed bugs at home, you might want to pick up a bed bug mattress protector. This is a plastic cover that goes over your mattress and zips up. Try to find one that’s airtight because not only will the bed bugs not be able to get to you, but it will actually suffocate them. It’s also a good idea to take a mattress protector with you whenever you stay at a hotel or Airbnb.

Pick Up Some Bed Bug Interceptors

Another way to fight bed bugs is with bed bug interceptors. These small bed bug traps are placed under each foot of your bed. When bed bugs start to crawl up the bed, they get trapped inside the interceptor on their way to the bedpost. These devices are non-intrusive, easy to install, and usually quite effective in stopping bed bugs from reaching you at night.

Wash and Dry Clothes After a Trip

Although bed bugs can crawl into your home from outside like many other insects, that’s not usually how they get into your house. If you have a bed bug infestation, it’s most likely because someone annoyingly carried a few of them inside. This often happens after taking a vacation, so be sure to wash and dry all of your clothes on high heat as soon as you return home.

Always Purchase New Mattresses

Okay, to be fair, new mattresses can be expensive, and most people are trying to save money whenever they can. So, although we’d suggest purchasing a new mattress instead of a used one, we understand that’s not always possible. If you decide to purchase a used mattress, just be sure that you carefully inspect it for bed bugs before bringing it into your home.

Be Careful About Old Furniture

You know what we just said about bringing used mattresses into your home? The same is true with furniture. Purchasing used furniture or picking up something on the side of the road that’s actually in good shape is perfectly fine.

You just need to be careful. Be sure that you inspect every crack and crevice for any signs of bed bugs before taking them into your home.

Get a Professional Heat Treatment

We’ve already mentioned getting a professional heat treatment, so that’s exactly how we’re going to end this discussion. Although chemicals can be effective against bed bugs, some of the critters will often survive, not to mention the eggs, which aren’t typically affected by chemicals. Heat treatments, on the other hand, will kill every single bed bug and their eggs by raising the temperature of a room or your entire home.

Contact ProHealth Pest Control to Learn How to Prevent Bed Bug Bites While Sleeping

ProHealth Pest Control hates bed bugs as much as you do, and that’s why we’re so darn good at killing them. If you want to learn more about how to prevent bed bug bites while sleeping or would like to schedule an appointment for residential or commercial pest control, reach out to us at (727) 472-9420 today.