Don’t wait until your kid wakes up with bed bug bites. Here are 5 ways to stop bed bugs from infesting your kid’s bedroom.
Bed bugs are always a concern in any home. These pests are tenacious and very difficult to get rid of. This is why a lot of emphases is placed on preventing them from getting into the home in the first place, especially in the children’s rooms.
Kids are naturally unconcerned with cleanliness and hygiene, which makes their room the perfect place in the house to thrive in. Below are some tips that parents and guardians can follow to prevent bed bugs from getting into their children’s rooms.
1- Check Second-hand Kid’s Furniture
Are you redecorating your home or looking for secondhand beds, dressers, or bedside tables? According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, you should first check that those furniture doesn’t carry bed bugs.
Furniture thrift shops can be the perfect place for bedbugs to thrive in. Make sure you check the seams of upholstery for signs of bed bug residue.
As a rule of thumb, don’t buy secondhand mattresses for children. Even when you have ascertained that the furniture doesn’t contain any bed bugs, give it a thorough cleaning before putting it inside the room.
2- Cover Outlets
Bed bugs usually get into outlet holes to hide until it is safe for them to move once again. They can also travel through walls through outlets and spread to other rooms of the house.
You can use a plastic outlet plug to cover outlets in the kid’s room. Not only will this prevent bed bugs from getting into their room, but it also has a safety factor, preventing kids from sticking things into them. This plastic safety covers sold on Amazon are inexpensive.
3- Vacuum-seal Your Clothing When Traveling
Hotels are known to harbor bed bugs seeing as they are often used by different people coming from different environments.
According to David Day, pest control expert at Cayce Bugs, “store all clothing and travel items in airtight bags inside suitcases and travel bags while traveling and while lodging.” This will prevent bringing in bed bugs into the home when you return is to vacuum-seal your articles of clothing while you travel. Ensuring that bugs have as little access to your belongings and won’t make their way to your home when you return.
You can use standard vacuum-sealed bags you can buy on Amazon here or at any home supplies store. Use your vacuum cleaner to evacuate air out of these bags. This is an excellent way to prevent blankets and sweaters from getting infested in your travels.
4- Stop School to Home Transmission
A likely place that’s a source of bed bug infestation is the school. Once one’s home is infested with these resilient pests, there is a high chance it can hop on children’s school bags or sweaters and hitch a ride back to your home when clothing and bags interact inside the school.
You should take proactive steps in preventing bed bugs from getting in your home by encouraging kids to keep their backpacks and coats in a separate area from other kids’ belongings.
Don’t allow bags and coats to be stored inside children’s bedrooms too. Inspect the seams of car seats for any signs of bed bugs or their residue.
5- Regularly Wash Beddings and Curtains
Even if you don’t see any signs of bed bug infestation, you should regularly wash your kids’ beddings, including curtains, rugs, and pillows. Just to be on the safe side.
Bed bugs could be hiding in any of these waiting to reproduce. For kids’ mattresses, take it outside and use a scrub brush to get at the seams. Let it dry before taking it inside.
Takeaway
It’s also helpful to know that preventing bed bugs from getting into your children’s rooms is only one part of a bigger picture.
You should take the time and effort to ensure the rest of the house is not infested with these pests.