We all look forward to certain seasons such as football season, fishing season, the holiday season, among others. Whichever seasons you like best, we're willing to bet that bed bug season is not one of them. Unfortunately, not liking it doesn't change the fact that it will soon be upon us. If you'd like to know how to prepare for the return of bed bug season in New York, the following tips should help.
Why Summer And Fall Are Bed Bug Season
It can help to understand why summer and fall are considered bed bug season. Bed bugs remain active year-round, but they love warm, humid weather; this makes summertime their most active time. And because bed bugs move about more in the warm weather, the likelihood of picking one up while you're out and about increases a lot more than it would in the dead of winter.
Summer is also the time of year when most people take vacations. The combination of more people and bed bugs moving about provides bed bugs with the opportunity to spread to locations where they were not previously a problem.
Once fall arrives, people begin to settle back into regular routines, and school or work takes up a good portion of their time. Fall is also the time bed bugs start to settle in. All the new places bed bugs end up over the summer go from being a short resting stop to a permanent home.
How To Protect Yourself Against Bed Bugs
Since bed bugs usually enter a house on your clothing or bags, it can be difficult to fully protect your home unless you commit to inspecting everything and everyone that comes through your doors. However, the following steps can help keep you from bringing bed bugs in, or, at the very least, help you spot an infestation in its early stages.
- When you go on vacation, don't bring your luggage into your hotel room until you inspect the room for signs of bed bugs first.
- Check for bed bugs, bed bug casings, or bed bug eggs on, under, and along the seams of the mattress, between the mattress and the headboard, along the edges of walls, behind picture frames, and along the creases of upholstered furniture.
- Look for brown streaks or small red dots on the sheets.
- Even if no signs are present keep your luggage up off the floor.
- When you return home from vacation, inspect your belongings before bringing them into your house and wash all your clothing in hot water before putting it away.
- Always do regular bed bug inspections around your home, especially after having guests, and if you see any signs of a bed bug infestation, call Parkway Pest Solutions immediately. Bed bugs will not go away on their own, and they will get worse if not treated.
DIY treatments are often only partially successful, and sometimes send bed bugs into deeper hiding, only to return months later. Parkway Pest Solutions offers quality bed bug control solutions in New York that can completely eradicate your bed bug problem. Contact us for more information!