Bed bugs are hitchhikers

Follow these tips for keeping bed bugs out of your home.

• Don't bring furniture found on the street into your home.
• If you purchase a secondhand item, make sure it doesn't have bloodstains, droppings, eggs, or shed skins.
• If you stay at a hotel, look for bed bugs or signs of their presence at hotels. Make sure you don't bring them home.

They hide in cracks, crevices, folds and seams

Check for bed bugs in:

• All part of the bed, including mattresses, box springs, bed frames and headboards
• On interior walls, including electrical outlets, wall hangings, and baseboards
• On carpets and furniture

They're hard to get rid of

The longer you wait, the harder and more expensive it is to get rid of bed bugs.

Hire a pest control professional immediately.

If you can't afford to hire a professional:

• Do not use agricultural or garden pesticides in your home
• Only use an EPA-approved bed bug insecticide