Beware of Bed Bugs in 2017

Slipping into bed for a comfortable night’s sleep is one of the best feelings after a long day, until you feel an itch on your shoulder. Immediately your mind races and you jump out of bed wondering what sort of insect just nipped at your shoulder! The Clark Exterminating team has a few ideas of what could be lurking beneath your sheets, but there’s likely one culprit – the bedbug.

Bedbugs are sweeping the nation this winter and they don’t seem to be stopping any time soon. The holidays may be over but it doesn’t mean those bedbugs have gone away. In fact, according to a recently published list of top 50 bedbug-infested cities shared by Fox News, bedbugs really are everywhere! Luckily, no Arkansas towns made the list. However, if you traveled to any of the cities on this list in the past month you may need a professional to investigate your home:

Fortunately, your friends at Clark Exterminating are experts when it comes to getting rid of bedbugs. We’ve come up with a list of advice to follow just in case you encounter signs of bedbugs in your home.

Prevent bringing them home from vacation
We all know the typical routine from returning home after holiday travel: Throw your suitcase on the bed, separate dirty clothes apart from cleaning and start the laundry. As soon as that suitcase is empty we hop into bed and veg out for the evening. Stop! Refrain from throwing that suitcase on your bed right away. You may have brought a few critters in your luggage and as soon as you toss that onto the mattress you’ve let them invade your home too. Pro tip: scour inside and out of your bag outside of your bedroom. If all seems well, toss all of your clothes into the wash with hot water and dry on high heat just as a precautionary measure.

Signs they have entered your bedroom
Like Hansel and Gretel, bedbugs leave a trail behind wherever they go. Check around your headboard and mattress for any blood or fecal stains. If you have seen any tiny spots that might resemble either of these, there’s a good chance bedbugs have been there. Call a professional ASAP to ensure they’re killed at the source. In the meantime, here’s what you do to start the killing process: strip your bedsheets and run them through the wash in hot water – bedbugs can’t survive 120+ Fahrenheit temperatures. Dry your sheets on high for at least 20 minutes.