Avoid Bed Bugs During Travel Season
With the arrival of spring and summer is often increased travel. But don’t let your annual family trip to your favorite summertime destination become a nightmare. Bed bugs can lurk in all kinds of environments, including temporary or alternative habitats, such as backpacks and under the seats in cars, busses and trains. Here’s how to avoid bed bugs during the warmer months and keep your warm weather travels pest-free.
Know How to Identify Bed Bugs
Bed bugs do not discriminate. You can find them anywhere, from cheap motels to high end luxury hotels. They like woven or textured surfaces that they can easily grab on to. When you get to your hotel room or Airbnb, immediately set your luggage in the bathroom – not on the bed. This will decrease your chances of taking the little guys home with you. Inspect the bed and the floor or carpeting around the bed. Look for the bugs themselves, which are about the size of an apple seed, and their eggs, which look like grains of white rice. If the bugs are present, you likely won’t see them, but you can also look for other telltale signs, such as pepper-like dots on the sheets or mattress. Worst case, you’ll know if there are bed bugs if you wake up with itchy, red welts. If you find any of the above signs or get welts, notify staff immediately and request a room change.
How to Prevent Coming into Contact with Bed Bugs
So, how do you prevent coming into contact with these annoying critters? The best way is to inspect any room you’re going to stay in before unpacking, sleeping, etc. When you get home, unpack your clothing and other fabrics right into the washing machine and wash and dry on hot. Extended time in a high temperature environment will kill bed bugs. Freezing also works, but generally a high heat wash and dry cycle will do the trick. Bed bugs spread by crawling into luggage and hitching a ride. They also might lay their eggs inside suitcases and duffels and spread that way. One way to prevent being a bed bug taxi is to buy and travel with hard sided luggage as opposed to soft. The bugs can latch onto just about anything that is woven, so a smooth, hard sided surface prevents their ability to climb.
Keep your Warm Weather Travels Bug and Stress Free
Don’t let bed bugs ruin your spring and summer travels. However, there’s no reason to stress about them either. Just be sure you examine the rooms you stay in, store your luggage off of the bed and floor, and wash your clothing and fabrics in hot water upon returning home. Have questions about bed bugs or other pests? Contact Bug Out Pest Control.