The question of moving to escape a bed bug infestation is complicated. First of all, moving house to avoid any pest is an extreme reaction. Especially if you own your own home. And let’s be real here – most of us can’t afford to just pull up stakes and move whenever the mood strikes us. Bed bugs or no bed bugs. So if you own your home moving is probably not going to be an option.
But if you’re an apartment dweller the question becomes even more difficult. You likely have little or no control over treatment options and you’re reliant on your landlord to deal with the issue. And let’s not forget – bed bug infestations in multi-home complexes are notoriously hard to eliminate. So if the infestation persists, or your landlord ignores the situation, moving might be your only chance to ditch those troublesome bed bugs.
But hold on a moment. Moving isn’t a sure fire escape route. Those blood sucking pests just might follow you to your new home.
Can Moving Really Help You Escape Bed Bugs?
If you’re thinking of abandoning an apartment due to bed bugs there’s something to keep in mind. The bed bugs could very well come with you. While bed bugs aren’t overly adventurous they will hitch rides when and where they can. So if you’re moving there’s a good chance they’ll tag along.
There are a number of ways you could end up bringing bed bugs with you when you move. For example:
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In Your Clothing – One of the things that attracts bed bugs to humans is our scent. It’s one of the reasons bed bugs are often found hiding in the laundry.
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In Your Bedding – Bed bugs hide in and around our beds for the same reason they’re attracted to our clothing. Scent.
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In Your Furniture – Bed bugs not only hide in mattresses and bed frames, they also lay their eggs there. This holds true for couches, upholstered chairs, dressers and other furnishings.
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In Moving Boxes – When you bring your moving supplies into an infested home you run the risk of bed bugs getting into your moving.
4 Tips for Ditching Bed Bugs when You Move
If you’re moving to escape a bed bug infestation there’s always the risk of bringing some of those pests along with you. You need to take steps to minimize that risk. Fortunately there are some simple tips you can follow that will help you ditch the bed bugs when you move into your new digs.
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Throw Away Your Mattress – Bed bugs tend to be found in and around the bed because it is an easy and safe way for them to access their hosts. That’s why bedrooms are often ground zero for major bed bug infestations.
Bringing an infested mattress with you when you move guarantees that you will bring bed bugs into your new home. The most effective way to avoid this is to get rid of the mattress as well as the bedsprings.
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Wash Your Clothes and Seal them Up – Bed bugs will cling to cloth and clothing. Before you move anything to your new home you’ll want to launder everything. Most laundry cycles will kill any bed bugs lurking in your clothes.
For the process to be successful you’ll need to follow some specific procedures:
– Launder everything at high heat using a strong detergent.
– Dry your clothing in a drier. Again, at high heat.
– Once everything is dried seal the clothes in plastic bags or boxes.
– Continue until everything is cleaned and packed away.
– Keep everything isolated until you vacate the infested apartment.
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Treat Your Current Home for Bed Bugs – If you want to be certain you aren’t bringing any bed bugs into your new home you need to treat your current home before you move. It may sound counterintuitive but it’s an important step.
There are good reasons to treat before you leave. First, as a renter, you want to leave the premises in good condition. Otherwise you’ll likely lose your deposit. Second, it doesn’t take long for adult bed bugs to start an infestation. If you bring even a few into your new apartment you may find yourself dealing with a new batch of bed bugs.
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Treat Your New Home for Bed Bugs – Again, this may seem counterintuitive. After all, you’re moving into a nice new home. Everything should be good to go, right? Well – not necessarily.
Even if you do everything you can to avoid bring bed bugs with you accidents do happen. Bed bugs are good at hiding and hitching rides. There’s always the chance you’ll miss a few when you move. And that’s all it takes to get a new infestation started.
Moving Into Your New Home
Whether you’re escaping a bed bug infestation or simply moving into a new home avoiding bed bugs needs to be on your list of things to do. Any move is expensive and bed bugs are a hidden cost that you don’t want to have to pay.
When you arrive at your new place take your time unpacking. Inspect your belongings for any signs of bed bug activity. When in doubt toss it out or have it treated. The choices you make when you move into your new home can help you avoid a major pest control headache down the line.
Published by Scott Palatnik
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