Moving House? How to Leave Bed Bugs Behind

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Moving House? How to Leave Bed Bugs Behind

Aug 16, 2024

A bed bug infestation is a serious problem for many households in Australia. Many people prefer home relocation in the hopes of escaping those small insects. They often feed on blood, causing discomfort, stress and skin infections.

Unfortunately, bed bugs may move along with you to a new place unless you take the best safety measures when packing your stuff. They often hide in bed linens, mattresses, upholstery furniture, wooden cabinets, spring boxes, and floor coverings. So, you need to be extra careful and consider complete elimination before packing your household belongings for a safe and hassle-free move in Sydney, NSW.

Below are some useful ways to leave bed bugs behind when moving house. It is good to prepare in advance and pack your items after eliminating the infestation. This can help you avoid bringing bed bugs to your new residence.

Let’s Get Started!

1. Identifying the Key Signs of Bed Bugs Infestation

Lady in white top orange gloves cleaning white furniture with yellow cloth.

These tiny, oval, brown or reddish creepy bugs are hard to spot in the home. Before they spread extensively and rapidly, ensure you catch and get rid of them to make your relocation journey more effective and efficient. So, here are some common signs to look for when you have bed bugs in your home:

  • Itchy, Red Bites: When you often wake up with small, red, and itchy bites in a cluster.
  • Small Blood Stains on Bed Linens: Crushed bed bugs may cause small, rusty blood spots on the sheets and pillowcases.
  • Fecal Spots: You may also witness tiny and dark droppings on bedding, walls and carpets.
  • Shed Skins or Tiny Egg Shells: Bed bugs hatch eggs in large quantities. They often hide in the edges of mattresses, box springs, bedding, etc.

This can make it difficult to devise a successful packing process. However, after eliminating bugs, you can hire budget Removalists Sydney for a stress-free moving of your household belongings.

2. Vacuum Everything Before Packing

If you want to prevent bed bugs when relocating, you should vacuum everything before beginning the packing process. This includes infested items such as mattresses, bed frames, box springs, furniture, cushions, carpets, floors, chairs, etc.

Use a HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner with a stiff brush to scrub your mattress and bed linens. Do not forget the nooks and crannies of your furniture and floor cracks to remove beg bugs and their eggs. After cleaning, place the vacuum bag into a plastic bag and seal it properly. Make sure you dispose of the bag immediately into a trash box as it may contain live bed bugs.

You can even manage moving chores with end of lease cleaning when vacating the rental property. Make sure you get rid of pests and germs before the final rental inspection.

3. Clean & Disinfect Fabric Stuff

It is imperative to wash and dry all fabric items, such as bed sheets, pillowcases, clothing, and infested soft toys, in the hottest settings. This will effectively kill bedbugs. When packing, make sure you seal them in plastic bags and label them “Clean.”

You can sort items by type, such as towels, bed linens, clothing when packing in clear plastic bags, and keep them in a separate box.

Tip: Toss those infested items that you no longer need. This will help you prevent bringing lethal bugs to your new home.

4. Treat Infested Mattress

Mattresses are the prime source of bed bug infestations. It is important to remove them before you relocate to a new home. Since mattresses are expensive investments, try to kill pests using steam cleaning or pesticide treatment.

Another great way is mattress encasements. They trap lingering bed bugs on your mattress and box spring and prevent them from getting out. This protective shield will also keep other bed bugs from getting to the mattress.

However, it is always recommended to throw an infested mattress to prevent further spread. Make sure you insert it into a plastic mattress bag and seal it. Write Bed Bugs with a red marker as a warning sign and dispose of them carefully according to the waste disposal process in your city.

5. Get Rid of Bed Bugs From Furniture

It is always recommended to avoid taking infested furniture with you when relocating. They may hide and hitch a ride with you, infesting your new home as well.

But, if there are some expensive pieces that you want to take along, you should follow the tried-and-tested bed bug removal methods.

From bed frames to drawers, dressing tables to chairs, ensure you properly disinfect each piece with care and precision.

You can even hire a licensed pest control service provider to treat your furniture when relocating home.

6. Properly Pack Disinfected Furniture Pieces

After disinfecting all your furniture, pack and move your couch and other furniture items. Make sure you dismantle the parts and pack large pieces carefully. For quality packing, you can use bubble wrap and plastic paper. Professional Removalists Sydney recommends packing these furniture pieces separately for extra caution.

Hiring experts for packing and safe relocation can also reduce your stress. They can pack everything efficiently and bring all the necessary equipment to prevent injuries or damage during the loading and lifting process.

7. Treat Non-Washable Items

Items that can’t be cleaned in washer or dryer, such as appliances, books and electronics can be treated with special heating units. These will kill bed bugs effective. You can also place these items in plastic bins and seal the openings. Now, treat it with pest strips as per the label instructions. You can also hire experts to treat pest infestations.

8. Wear Clean Clothes on the Moving Day

Clothes are the easiest place for bed bugs to hide and hitch a ride during the relocation journey. So, ensure everyone showers and wears clean clothes and shoes. Preparing everything in advance can prevent common moving day fails and alleviate your stress.

Any clothing worn before showering should be packed in plastic bags and sealed until laundered. If you have pets, ensure you bathe and groom them properly before taking them to a new home.

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Wrapping Up

Moving to a new home without bringing bed bugs with you is crucial. Follow the above tips and tricks to eliminate and prevent these small inspections when packing your household belongings.