City tip: How to avoid bedbugs
Sara IdenforsLast edited on May 8, 2024
How to avoid bedbugs – tips for keeping unwanted guests away!
What are bedbugs, and how do they spread?
They are not dangerous, but they are a nuisance. They bite, leaving small, red, itchy marks, and they are difficult to get rid of. Bedbugs are difficult to detect in time. 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 extra careful when traveling to countries with a high incidence
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.
How to find bedbugs:
1. Bedbug droppings are one of the first signs. Small black spots are warning signs. Check the bed, sheets, mattress topper, and box spring. Use a flashlight and look in seams and folds.
2. Bites. Bedbugs bite and suck blood. They need 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 diseases, but they are unpleasant.
3. Larger colonies of bedbugs also emit a characteristic smell that is often described as “musty”.
4. Small bloodstains in the bed. You may not have noticed that you were bitten during the night.
5. Pale shells (shed skins), for example in the folds and seams of the mattress.
Below you can see bedbugs at different stages, as well as bedbug bites.
General tips!
1. Keep things clean! Pull furniture out and empty the beds when you clean. This way, you will quickly discover if a bedbug has gotten in.
2. Never bring furniture in from a large-item waste room! If you do anyway, be careful!
3. Wash second-hand finds extra carefully.
4. Also inspect second-hand books before placing them on your bedside table.
How to prevent bedbugs from becoming established 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 textiles or wallpaper.
2. Pack items in plastic bags, which you then place in the suitcase.
3. Put used clothes and nightwear worn at the hotel in an airtight 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 and put them in the washing machine. Wash at a minimum of 60 degrees, as bedbugs 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 set to 60*C, you can also use it to heat, for example, the suitcase to a safe temperature. However, it is important that the suitcase becomes thoroughly heated AND that you ensure this is fire-safe. Never leave textiles unattended in a sauna. Exercise caution.
5. A tumble dryer can also be used for heat treatment.
6. During winter, leave the suitcase on the balcony or patio for a couple of days. Bedbugs die at -18*C. If the suitcase fits, it can be placed in an airtight bag and kept in the freezer for a couple of days.
7. Then clean the inside of the suitcase; never put away a dirty suitcase! Wipe the outside, preferably with a damp cloth and soap. Then put the suitcase in a plastic bag and seal it before storing it.
If you have followed these instructions, you have done everything you can to avoid bringing bedbugs into your home! Should you nevertheless be affected by bedbugs, it is important to address the problem as quickly as possible! Contact your insurance company and a pest control professional immediately. Bedbugs spread quickly!
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Questions and Answers
- What are some signs that you have bedbugs?
Signs that you have bedbugs include small black spots (bedbug feces) on the bed, sheets, mattress topper, and innerspring mattress, bites resembling mosquito bites, a characteristic odor from larger colonies of bedbugs, small bloodstains in the bed, and light-colored shells (shed skins) in the folds and seams of the mattress.
- How do bedbugs find their way into your home?
Bedbugs 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 bedbugs do we share?
General tips for avoiding bedbugs include keeping things clean by pulling furniture out and emptying the beds when cleaning, never bringing in furniture 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 bedbugs from entering your home?
To prevent bedbugs from becoming established in your home, it is recommended that you never place luggage on the bed while traveling, pack items in plastic bags that you then put in the suitcase, and place 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 clothes directly from the suitcase and put them in the washing machine (wash at a minimum of 60 degrees), place delicate garments that cannot withstand 60 degrees 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!