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Prevent future infestations

Ongoing maintenance

  • Change your bedding, pick up clutter, clean and vacuum and at least twice a month. Weekly is even better. Look for bed bugs while you clean especially around the edge of the mattress and the box spring. A careful inspection of these areas will help prevent bed bugs from becoming established and catch infestations early. An early infestation is easier and cheaper to treat than an established population of bed bugs.
  • Check all used items you bring into your home carefully for bed bugs and eggs. Inspect all used furniture, mattresses or box springs, bedding, and used clothing and books. Remember: eggs and the immature bed bugs are very small and easily overlooked.
  • Stay clutter free. Remove boxes and other stored items in bedrooms. Keep your bed bug-free by keeping it away from walls. Keep bedding from touching the floor and keep clothing and other items off the bed.
  • Clean regularly and eliminate hiding places. Seal cracks, crevices, and hiding places. This will also discourage movement of bed bugs from one place to another. Repair and seal cracks in plaster, walls, and baseboards; repair or remove loose wallpaper.
  • Inspect and clean used furniture, clothing and books for bed bugs before bringing it into your home. Don't take home discarded bed frames, mattresses, box springs, or upholstered furniture.

Tips while traveling

  • When you travel, ask your hotel about their bed bug inspection policy. Inspect your hotel bed as soon as you arrive - lift off the bed sheets, and check sheets and mattress edges for bugs or dark fecal dropping spots. If you see any signs, inform the hotel. Consider moving to another room or changing hotels.
  • Immediately after trips, wash clothing and inspect luggage and shoes. Thoroughly vacuum luggage inside and out before storing. Use a dry scrub brush to remove bed bug eggs that may be present. You can also seal the luggage in a plastic bag for at least a year. Any eggs or bed bugs hidden in the luggage will hatch and the bed bugs will die without feeding.

Other helpful hints

  • If you use interceptors, inspect them regularly to see if there are trapped bed bugs.
  • If you buy a new bed, covering the new mattress and box spring with new encasements and placing interceptors under the bed legs will help prevent possible infestations in the future.
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