Make sure the bedbugs don't bite

Recommendations to avoid bed bug infestations.

Check for bugs before unpacking after a trip away. If you see evidence of them in a hotel room - straight lines of tiny blood spots are the giveaway - change rooms or hotels immediately.

Vacuum luggage and items that cannot be washed. Hand-wash other items with hot, soapy water. Use a brush to scrub items, especially where bugs and eggs may be hiding in seams and folds.

Be careful when bringing used furniture and clothes into your home. Wash clothes immediately. Carefully inspect furniture before bringing it into your house.

If you have an infestation in a bedroom, vacuum the mattress and frame. All linen, quilts, pillow cases must be sealed and removed from the room in a tied plastic bag and hot washed (more than 60°C) or dry-cleaned. They should be dried in high heat every week and shouldn't touch the floor.

Eliminate bugs and eggs on carpets by vacuuming weekly. Get rid of the vacuum contents carefully in a sealed plastic bag.

Seal holes in areas where pipes or wires go through the wall.

Reduce bedroom clutter, especially near the bed and on the floor.

Seal cracks along the baseboards and moulding.