You’re Moving! Do You Need to Worry About Bed Bugs?
By Chris Williams on November 16, 2015.
You’re excited about moving to a new place. If you’ve had a bed bug problem in the past, you definitely don’t want to move any bed bugs or eggs into your new home and face a repeat of that scenario. Or, you may never have had to deal with a bed bug problem, but you’re a little worried that you could move into a new home that already has hidden bed bugs. What can you do to help insure a bed bug-free move and a bug-free new beginning?
Lay the Groundwork and Do Your Homework
- If you have bed bugs in your current home, hire an exterminator to eliminate them. Follow the advice about cleaning and packing your clothes and other items for treatment. Wash or dryclean all cleanable items before packing. Follow other advice in Don’t Move Bed Bugs to Your New Home.
- Find out if your new place has ever had a bed bug infestation. For an apartment, ask if any of the units in the building have had bed bugs in the last year. Ask for a disclosure in writing.
- Ask about the landlord’s policies regarding a bed bug infestation. Who is responsible for paying for treatment if bed bugs are found, landlord or resident?
- Inspect your new home for evidence of bed bugs or hire an exterminator to do so. If you do see bed bugs, discuss control measures with the landlord and make sure the place is certified bed bug-free before you move in.
Making the Move
- Use new boxes and packing materials whenever possible. If you must re-use boxes, check them for bed bugs first.
- If you are using a moving van or renting a moving truck, ask the company about their bed bug procedures. Do they check and clean vehicles between jobs? Do they use new boxes and clean blanket pads for each job? If you’re packing your own rental van, check it before you load up.
- If you are storing items before the actual move, ask the same kinds of questions of the storage facility. How often do they check for bed bugs? Check the storage unit before you fill it and check your items carefully when you remove them.
- If you’re getting rid of any bed bug-infested mattresses, furniture, or other items, follow proper procedures to make sure that you don’t pass the infestation on to someone else (see How Can You Get Rid of Bed Bug-Infested Furniture?).
Photo credit: Gilles San Martin / Foter / CC BY-SA