City tip: How to avoid bedbugs
Sara IdenforsLast edited on May 8, 2024
How to avoid bedbugs – tips for keeping uninvited guests away!
What are bedbugs, and how do they spread?
They are not dangerous, but they are a nuisance. They bite, leave small red, itchy marks, and are difficult to get rid of. Bedbugs are difficult to detect early. During the day, they crawl into cracks in the home, often hiding in the bed, and emerge at night to bite us while we sleep.
How to keep bedbugs away
1. Keep bags away from beds when traveling
2. Wash your clothes as soon as you get home
3. Inspect used furniture before bringing it inside
4. Be especially careful when traveling to countries where bedbugs are common
Here's how bedbugs find their way into your home:
1. They hitchhike in your luggage.
2. They can be found in second-hand items that you bring home.
Here's how to find bedbugs:
1. Bedbug feces are one of the first signs. Small black dots are warning signs. Check the bed, sheets, mattress topper, and box spring. Use a flashlight and search in joints and folds.
2. Bites. The bedbug bites and sucks blood. It needs blood from humans or other animals to live, lay eggs, and reproduce. The bites resemble mosquito bites, but people react differently to them. Some people develop large, itchy marks, while others barely notice the bites. There is no evidence that bedbugs spread disease, but they are unpleasant.
3. Larger colonies of bedbugs also give off a characteristic odor that is often described as “musty”.
4. Small bloodstains in the bed. You may not even have noticed that you were bitten during the night.
5. Pale shells (shed skins), for example in folds and seams in the mattress.
Below you can see bedbugs at different stages, as well as bedbug bites.
General tips!
1. Keep things clean! Move furniture and empty the beds when you clean. This way, you will quickly discover if a bed bug has gotten inside.
2. Never bring furniture home from a bulky-waste room! If you do anyway, be careful!
3. Wash second-hand finds extra carefully.
4. Also check second-hand books before placing them on your bedside table.
How to stop bed bugs from taking hold in your home!
When you are travelling
1. Never place luggage on the bed. Instead, put the suitcase in the bathtub, on a desk, or on a luggage rack. The suitcase should not come into contact with fabric or wallpaper.
2. Pack items in plastic bags, which you then place in the suitcase.
3. Place clothes and nightwear worn at the hotel in a sealable plastic bag inside the suitcase.
When you get home
1. If possible, unpack outdoors. Otherwise, you can also place the suitcase in the bathtub or shower.
2. Take clothes directly from the suitcase to the washing machine. Wash at a minimum of 60 degrees, as bed bugs die at 50 degrees.
3. Place finer garments that cannot withstand 60 degrees in an airtight bag and freeze them for a few days.
4. If you have a sauna that can be heated to 60°C, you can also use it to heat, for example, your suitcase to a safe temperature. However, it is important that the bag becomes thoroughly heated AND that you ensure this is fire-safe. Never leave textiles unattended in a sauna. Exercise caution.
5. The tumble dryer can also be used for heat treatment.
6. During winter, leave the bag on the balcony or patio for a couple of days. Bed bugs die at -18°C. If the bag fits, place it in an airtight sack and keep it in the freezer for a couple of days.
7. Then clean the inside of the bag; never put away a dirty bag! Wipe the outside, preferably with a damp cloth and soap. Then place the bag in a plastic sack and seal it before storing it.
If you have followed these instructions, you have done everything you can to avoid bringing bed bugs into your home! Should you still be affected by bed bugs, it is important to tackle the problem as soon as possible! Contact your insurance company and a pest control professional immediately. Bed bugs spread quickly!
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What are some signs that you have bed bugs?
Signs that you have bed bugs include small black spots (bed bug droppings) on the bed, sheets, mattress topper and spring core, bites resembling mosquito bites, a distinctive smell from larger colonies of bed bugs, small bloodstains in the bed, and light-colored shells (shed skins) in the folds and seams of the mattress.
- How do bed bugs find their way into your home?
Bed bugs can find their way into your home by hitchhiking in your luggage or being present in second-hand items that you bring home.
- What general tips for avoiding bed bugs do we share?
General tips for avoiding bed bugs include keeping things clean by pulling furniture out and emptying the beds when cleaning, never bringing furniture home from bulky-waste rooms, washing second-hand finds especially thoroughly, and checking used books before placing them on your bedside table.
- What is recommended to prevent bed bugs from entering your home?
To prevent bed bugs from taking hold in your home, it is recommended that you never place luggage on the bed while travelling, pack your belongings in plastic bags that you then place in the suitcase, and put used clothes and nightwear worn at the hotel in an airtight plastic bag inside the suitcase.
- What measures are recommended for treating suitcases and clothes after a trip?
After returning home from your trip, it is recommended that you unpack outdoors if possible, take your clothes straight from the suitcase and put them in the washing machine (wash at a minimum of 60°C), place delicate garments that cannot withstand 60°C in an airtight bag and freeze them for a few days, clean the inside of the suitcase, wipe the outside with a damp cloth and soap, and then store it in a plastic sack.
Clean regularly with products from Västerbottensåpa!