After their resurgence in recent decades, bed bugs have once again become a fact of life that many fail to avoid. While there aren’t a whole lot of strategies that you can employ at home to keep bed bugs away, some research points to our bed sheets as a place of possible prevention. Do the color of your sheets affect your likelihood to experience a bed bug infestation? Can the color keep bed bugs around longer? Our expert technicians at Rentokil, formerly Oliver Exterminating, are here to answer these questions and more about preventing bed bugs in San Juan PR.

Do Bed Bugs Like Certain Colors?

In a study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology, researchers found that bed bugs tend to gravitate toward red and black-colored objects and avoid white, green, and yellow shades. This discovery aligns with what we do know about bed bugs: they are nocturnal pests that rely on their ability to move discreetly to survive.

If you have red, black, or other dark-colored bed sheets, bed bugs might have a better chance of going undetected for longer. That said, though, a hungry bed bug will hide wherever necessary to find a way to a meal. Given that bed bug infestations start with someone accidentally bringing them into the home in luggage, furniture, or otherwise, bed bugs are forced to adapt to whatever situation they are introduced to. Having lighter-colored sheets will not decrease your chances of bringing home bed bugs.

How to Prevent Bed Bug Infestations

If you want to be proactive about bed bug prevention, you have to do more than switch out your sheets. Here are our technicians’ top tips for avoiding a bed bug infestation in your home in San Juan PR:

1. Be careful when traveling: Whether you’ve just come back from vacation or you have a student returning for the holidays, be sure to inspect all luggage coming into your home from outside.
2. Inspect any secondhand items: Thrifting clothes or buying used furniture can quickly start a bed bug infestation in your home. Make sure to double-check that you aren’t purchasing anything with bed bugs living inside in secondhand stores.
3. Clean and declutter regularly: If you accidentally bring bed bugs inside, you’ll have a better chance of controlling them on your own if your home is clean. Eliminate any hiding places they could take advantage of by clearing out clutter and vacuuming routinely.

Professional Bed Bug Control in San Juan PR

Whether you’re already deep into a bed bug infestation or you’re worried you might have found a few bed bugs, Rentokil, formerly Oliver Exterminating, has a plan for you. With a mixture of heat treatments, spot treatments, and preventative measures, our licensed and certified technicians can develop a bed bug control strategy that suits your needs and gets rid of every last bed bug. For a free quote or more information on our services, reach out to our team today!