Moving into a new home is equal parts excitement and stress. Amid the hustle of packing boxes and organizing the move itself it can be easy to overlook an important and often hidden complication – bed bugs. These tiny pests are notorious for hitchhiking on furniture, clothing, and even shipping cartons. It only takes a few of the hitchhiking pests to turn a fresh start into a nightmare.
Whether you’re moving across town or to a new city, following a few simple precautions can help to drastically reduce your risk of bringing bed bugs with you to your new home. These are practical, effective tips that will help you avoid bed bugs during your next move.
Understand the Bed Bug Basics
In order to effectively defeat bed bugs you have to know the enemy. Bed bugs are small, flat, reddish brown insects that feed on human blood. They’re highly adept at hiding in the seams of mattresses, cracks in furniture, and even inside household electronics. These pests don’t jump or fly, but they’re experts are hitchhiking and can easily travel from on location to another via suitcases, furniture, and clothing.
The primary risk during a move is unwittingly transporting bed bugs from your old home to your new one. The last thing anyone wants when they move into a new home is to find themselves fighting a bed bug infestation.
Inspect Your Current Residence
Before you start packing up all of your belongings it’s important to inspect your current home for any signs of bed bug activity. The goal is to avoid bringing any stray bed bugs into your new house or apartment.
The most common bed bug hot spots to check include:
- Mattresses and bed frames
- Upholstered furniture
- Baseboards
- Floors and corners of closets
- Cracks in wooden furniture
- Behind picture frames and wall hangings
Look for live bed bugs, tiny white eggs or shed skins. Also look for small reddish-brown stains on bed linen or upholstery. These may be blood or fecal stains from bed bugs and will help you locate areas of activity.
Use New Packing Materials
Moving house is never cheap, and it can be tempting to save money wherever you can. But secondhand boxes from grocery stores or liquor shops may be contaminated. The same is true for boxes left over from previous moves. Bed bugs like to hide in cardboard so reusing boxes can be a common source of transfer.
If possible try to use the following:
- Brand new boxes
- Plastic bins with secure lids
- Clean packing paper
When you label your boxes be sure to also seal them tightly with tape to prevent any creepy crawlies from getting inside.
Inspect Luggage and Bags Before Using
If you’re using suitcases, duffel bags, or backpacks to move clothing or other items be sure to inspect them thoroughly before and after packing. If possible, run them through a dryer on high heat or steam them to ensure no bed bugs or bed bug eggs survive.
During your move, try to avoid placing bags directly on the floor of public areas like storage units, hotel rooms, or moving trucks. This will help protect them from hitchhiking bed bugs.
Beware of Secondhand Furniture
Buying or inheriting secondhand furniture can be friendly to your budget, but it comes with the added risk of bed bugs. Unless you are certain the items you’re purchasing or inheriting are free of bed bugs avoid the following secondhand items:
- Mattresses or box springs
- Upholstered chairs or couches
- Wood furniture with cracks or joints that are difficult to inspect
Use Mattresses and Box Spring Covers
Bed bug proof mattress encasements can help protect your new bed and bedroom from infestation. These zippered covers trap any bed bugs already inside and prevent new ones from entering.
Apply encasements to your mattress and box spring before the move. Leave them on for at least a year after moving into your new home. This will ensure that any stray bed bugs have died off.
Inspect Your New Residence Before Moving In
Before you start unloading the moving van take time to inspect your new home for signs of bed bugs. Again, common hot spots include:
- Bedroom closets
- Baseboards and outlet covers
- Carpet seams
- Furnished items – particularly couches, chairs or bed frames
Unpack Carefully
Finally, as tired as you are from moving it’s important to take some time with your unpacking. Don’t just drag everything inside at once.
As you unpack inspect items carefully before putting them away. Keep suitcases and boxes off of beds and furniture, and thoroughly vacuum your new home immediately after unpacking. Dispose of the contents of the vacuum outside.
Moving into a new home should be a fresh, exciting experience — not one plagued by bed bug worries. By staying informed, inspecting your belongings, and using smart packing and unpacking strategies, you can drastically reduce your risk of bringing bed bugs along for the ride.
When in doubt, let caution by your watchword. A few preventive steps now can save you the headache (and cost) of dealing with an infestation later. Stay alert, pack smart, and enjoy your new home bed bug–free!
Published by Scott Palatnik
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