How to check for bed bugs in a new house

Are you moving to a new home? Here’s everything you need to know about how to check for bed bugs in a new house.

When moving into a new house, there are many factors you might consider when making your selection. From the location to size, design, and other personal reasons, it’s important to get a home that checks a lot of things on your list. However, are you also concerned about bed bugs? You should be. Bed bug infestations are a home buyer’s nightmare, but they are increasingly becoming a common occurrence and might require weeks of battling with bed bug bites and their litter until you’ve overcome the issue. This is why, when buying or renting a home, it’s highly important to figure out all past and present infestations in the said home. So, how do you check for bed bugs in a new house?

Ask and research about your potential home.

Unfortunately, not all states require the previous owner or landlord to provide that information. Even when they do, it’s possible they might have no idea of a growing infestation. This is why you need to ask questions about this unpleasant topic. You can also consider checking online for any reviews about the said property. There’s a chance someone has written in the past about it.

Check the property yourself

Take the next steps to look for signs of the infestation. This might be in the form of brown or black-colored feces, milky white eggs that are the size of grains, live bed bugs, or bed bug skins. Ensure to concentrate on places such as the bedroom and any possible bedroom furniture left behind. You might need a pair of gloves, flashlight, and magnifying glass to aid your search. A credit card is equally necessary because bed bugs are just as flat as the width of a credit card, so you might want to run that card through cracks to search for bed bugs lodged in those positions.

Call a professional home inspector.

Besides checking yourself, be diligent in choosing a professional home inspector who can recognize pests easily due to their years of experience. This inspection isn’t just about bugs but other issues such as mold and structural issues. You want to make the right investments, so you can purchase a home without issues.

Eliminate bed bugs

Suppose you suspect bed bugs in your new home and would prefer to eradicate them. You can consider a multi-pronged approach combining vacuuming, heat treatment, and bed bug chemical treatment to deal with it. You may require a minimum of three treatments before another inspection to ensure that you have correctly dealt with the infestation before moving in.

Tips to prevent bed bugs in your new house

1. Be wary of used furniture– Unless you can diligently and methodically assess used furniture for bed bugs and properly get them out, it’s better to purchase brand-new items.
2. Inspect old furniture – Inspect all old furniture in your old home before moving them to your new home. I also recommend wiping down all surfaces on all furniture with the right cleaning agent and subsequently treating with bed bug spray, so you don’t move any such bugs into your new home.
3. Launder and dry-clean –Wash all clothes and other items at the highest possible temperature to kill all bed bugs and their eggs. Also, securely package your clothes to prevent bugs from crawling into them.
4. Regular DIY inspections –it’s highly important to regularly inspect your home for bed bugs in the future. This can help you cut down an infestation as fast as possible, saving time, effort, and the heartache of dealing with a severe problem.

Concluding thoughts

How do you check for bed bugs in a new house? Bed bugs are troublesome insects you wouldn’t want to deal with in your new home. So it’s important to ensure that your new home is pest-free before moving. With the strategies in this article, you can identify and deal with an infestation, alongside preventing future events as well.

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