Tips for clients who want to keep bed bug issues away

Bed bug issues are getting worse. The Exacticide power duster is the best tool in the world for eliminating bed bug issues when these creatures have infested a bed, room or house. Yet understandably, your clients will want reassurance they’re gone for good, especially after traveling. After treating an area with the power duster, provide your clients with some tips for how to get rid of beg bugs for good and keep bed bugs from coming back.

The first step they should take in learning how to get rid of bed bugs is to learn how to identify these pests. If a homeowner spots a pest, how can he or she know whether they really have bed bug issues,or another insect problem? Many other bugs look like bed bugs, so clearly identifying the pest is crucial to eliminating it.

Adult bed bugs are less than a quarter inch long, oval shaped and flat before they’ve fed on blood. After they’ve had a blood meal, they balloon up and get longer. They have short golden-colored hairs and wings that are not used for flying. They also have a distinct musty odor.

Bed bug nymphs, the immature form of bed bugs, are smaller, translucent and yellowish white, which can make them nearly invisible.

The first sign of bed bugs is usually bites on your skin when you wake up in the morning. They look like mosquito bites but usually come in clusters of three. They appear on areas such as your arms, neck, shoulders and face, which are exposed when you sleep.

If someone you know has a bed bug issue, they should call a professional that can treat them using an electric power duster. It's the best way to get rid of bed bugs and other pests.

To prevent bed bug issues, clear the clutter

A cluttered and messy area can support bed bugs because it gives the pests many places to hide. It can also make finding them and treating them more time-consuming and difficult. Advise clients to throw out things they don’t need, especially unused sofas and other upholstered furniture that can serve as a perfect home for bed bugs.

Vacuum carpets frequently

If your client suspects bed bug issues, vacuum all carpets and rugs every day. Pay special attention to edges near walls. Vacuum beds and upholstered furniture, too. Throw out vacuum bags (or empty the canister of a central vac) every time. And call a professional who will use a power duster.

Cover mattresses and box springs

Use plastic protective covers for your mattresses and box springs to prevent bed bug issues from returning. Bed bugs cannot penetrate the material, and they will have trouble crawling around it or under it.

Seal off the house

To keep bed bug issues from recurring, install door sweeps under your doors to seal them off from potential pest invaders. Repair cracks in the walls or ceilings. Fix broken window screens.

Travel bed-bug smart

Most homes get bed bugs when people return from a place that is already infested, such as a hotel room. Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers. They like traveling to new locations in clothes and suitcases.

When you travel, inspect your hotel room for bed bugs. Check the mattress, box springs and headboard. Pull back the sheets and look for small brown spots, which show bed bugs have been there. If you wake up with small bite marks on your skin, notify hotel management immediately.

Keep your suitcases closed during the day to keep bed bugs from crawling inside. Store them far from the bed, preferably on a luggage rack.

On the last day of your vacation, empty your suitcase onto a tile floor or another hard surface, check it and brush out the inside of your suitcase before repacking it. Vacuum it if possible. Check and brush your clothes to get rid of any bed bugs that might be clinging to them.

When you return home, empty your suitcase outside of the house, such as in your garage. Wash laundry immediately in hot water, and brush or vacuum your clothes and suitcases. Use high heat in the dryer for clothes that can tolerate it. For clothes that cannot, put them in a plastic bag in the freezer overnight.

Vacuum your suitcase. Then disinfect it with insecticidal products, and seal your luggage in a plastic garbage bag. Leave it for two weeks or longer, which effectively fumigates your suitcase and kills any remaining bed bugs. After that, remove the suitcase and throw the garbage bag into the trash.

Beware of used clothing and furniture

Think twice before taking in that discarded sofa. Wash and dry second-hand clothing immediately on high heat. Vacuum second-hand furniture and, if possible, wash it with insecticidal soap. Inspect everything carefully before you bring it into your home.

Help your clients avoid bed bug issues in the future by following these simple and common-sense tips from Technicide. And if they don't heed your guidance, be sure to wipe out those pesky pests with the Bed Bug Bundle Deal.