Prevention

Prevention is the first step to controlling bedbugs and will not only help protect you and your teammates, but also your neighbours, friends, family, co-workers, and anyone else you come into contact with.

Furniture

  • Use furniture with “legs” as opposed to flat bases for minimum floor contact.

  • Put bed bug traps (like the ones mentioned under ‘Products’ section below) under the legs of your bed (and living room furniture if necessary).

  • Make sure furniture, cords, etc. are not touching the bed to prevent bugs from climbing them and gaining access to the mattress.

Bedding

  • Wash and heat-dry all bedding frequently.

  • Use bed bug encasements (mattress covers).

  • Use white or light coloured sheets for early (and easier) detection.

  • Minimize the transfer of items and clothing from other spaces onto the bed.

Sealing

  • Search your apartment for any cracks or crevices that the bed bugs could get in through and seal them with caulking. 

  • Consider taping up vents and outlets to eliminate other potential entry points.

Checks

  • Do an occasional mattress check when making the bed.

  • Look for little brown spots from blood stains.

  • Check especially in the folds at the edges of the mattress.

  • Do a quick check in public areas before sitting.

Products

  • Bedbug Traps

    • Climbup Insect Interceptors work well and you can order them from the Vision Team for a discounted price! Click here for details.

    • You can also make your own traps using household materials. Click here for a how-to. (It mentions using Baby Powder/talc to make surfaces slippery but if you don’t have access to talc, you could use diatomaceous earth or even water as bedbugs can’t swim.)

  • Collect-a-bed

  • Diatomaceous Earth

    • Put the powder around the perimeter of your rooms, under your bed or anywhere else that is out of the path of where people walk.

    • Helpful tip: you can get a food grade kind so you know it is safe to have in your house. Some people even eat it!

    • You can order it online or may be able to find it at certain stores like health food stores or garden/farm shops.

    • It’s helpful to have a good duster that will spray a light coating that is hardly noticeable yet effective for controlling both bed bugs and roaches.

Minimalism

  • Do your best to have an uncluttered space, especially in the bedroom.

Visiting

  • The fear of getting or spreading bedbugs can create a hesitancy to visit neighbours and/or have them over to your apartment. Here are some things you can do to prevent the spread of bedbugs so you can visit at ease!

    • If you know/suspect your neighbours have bedbugs:

      • Upon returning home from a visit, place all of your clothes and shoes immediately into a plastic bag until you can put them through a dryer cycle to kill any bugs that may have come home with you. 

      • Upon returning home from a visit, isolate purses, bags, other things that may not be able to go in the dryer until you have a chance to check them for bugs.

      • Inspect and/or steam your couches and chairs after visitors leave your apartment.

    • If you know/suspect you have bedbugs:

      • Consider gathering at a teammate’s apartment for prayer meetings and other events until it is resolved.

      • Before going to someone’s house/apartment, do a bug check of your clothes, shoes, and anything you are bringing.

      • Avoid putting shoes, purses, bags, etc on furniture when out visiting and keep them as isolated from other items as possible.