In recent times, sightings and viral videos have made headlines about the widespread outbreak of bed bug infestations across Paris this year, with the pest panic soaring to unprecedented heights during the city’s Fashion Week last October. Now, it appears other parts of Europe, like Greece, may also be facing the same issue. While it may seem like this pest problem has only gone out of proportion as of late, the fact is that the bed bug resurgence has been underway for about two decades now, but many cases go unreported.
Global travel is undoubtedly one of the most significant contributing factors towards this problem, followed by the frequent exchange of secondhand items like clothes and furniture. Bed bugs leverage this constant movement of people and things to travel from great distances. Pair this with their inherent survivability even with a prolonged lack of food and water, and it is no surprise that they are now just about everywhere. If you are concerned that the infestation might soon reach your home as well, following these safety tips can ensure that it never happens.
1. Check your clothes after going outside
Suppose you notice local reports about people seeing more bed bugs all over your city, whether it be in transit or other public spaces. In that case, it is highly recommended to start getting used to checking your personal belongings before coming home. This is because when you venture into these infested areas, you are more likely to catch several stowaways on your clothes and bags, so you should thoroughly check yourself from head to toe to ensure you are not bringing these pests into your home.
2. Thoroughly inspect your lodgings when travelling
Frequent travellers need to be extra vigilant about their accommodations more than ever to ensure they avert bed bugs while travelling. Upon entering your hotel or Airbnb, conduct a quick inspection before anything else. From the mattress to the carpet flooring, keep an eye out for these pests roughly the size of an apple seed. And if you do end up staying somewhere with a bed bug problem, take care to avoid bringing your luggage inside once you get home. As for your clothes, wash them immediately or put them in the dryer for at least thirty minutes and take a garment steamer to the rest of your belongings to kill the bed bugs and any eggs they may have laid.
3. Get professional help when you find bed bugs in your home
If you still end up with an infestation despite taking all the necessary precautions, your next best option is to call in commercial pest control services to flush them all out. Depending on the severity of the problem, they may use a steamer to address small infestations or recommend fumigation for more serious cases. Overall, getting professional help is the most efficient and quickest way to get these pests out of your home and regain the peace of mind you once had.
Conclusion
Having bed bugs in the home can have a devastating psychological effect on people. From sleep disruptions due to their nighttime feeding to simply knowing that your home is crawling with these pests, bed bugs can do a number on our physical and mental well-being. And while they have not been shown to transmit diseases, their bites can cause allergic reactions in some people, including swelling and skin rashes. As such, it is more important than ever to be on the alert for bed bugs and make sure they never set foot in your home.
For high-quality pest control services you can trust, look no further than PestClinic. As a veteran in the industry with over 30 years of experience, we are the brand Singaporeans trust to take care of all their pest problems. Whether it’s everyday household pests like termites, ants, and cockroaches or those of the more uncommon kind like bees and snakes, you can always rely on us to get them out of your hair in no time.