Bed bugs can be an unwanted souvenir that you bring home from your vacation this spring. Sleeping in hotel rooms and traveling in close contact with a range of people are two of the most common ways to pick up bed bugs. No one wants to come home from a vacation and bring bed bugs into the house. You can protect against bed bugs as you travel this spring by implementing a few basic steps.
Store your clothing and luggage properly
Pay attention to where you put your luggage and clothing when you stay in a hotel. Throwing your luggage and clothing on the bed or on the floor near the bed allows bed bugs to crawl onto your items without your knowledge. These pests are small enough that you can bring them home on your luggage or clothing without realizing they are there. If the hotel has a stand for luggage, store your suitcase there. Look for a dry cleaning bag or another type of bag to store dirty clothing. These simple steps may help you avoid bringing bed bugs from the hotel to your home.
Check the bed for any signs of bed bug activity
Bed bugs are small and can be difficult to see even if you look closely at the bed. It is still worth your time to pull back the covers and see if you notice anything on the bed. If you see any bed bugs – they are small, round, and brownish to dark red in color – then that is an obvious sign that you need to get out of that room. You can also look for small dark stains on the mattress. These small dark stains can be from blood or excrement from the bed bugs. If you notice any signs that could point to a bed bug infestation in your hotel room, the safest option is to switch rooms or possibly go to a different hotel.
Wash and dry your clothing as soon as you get home
Protecting against bed bugs as you travel this spring does not end when the vacation is over. You have one more step to follow when you get home. Bed bugs cannot survive extreme high heat. If you inadvertently brought home bed bugs from your vacation, this step can help kill them off before they infest your home. As soon as you bring in your clothing from the trip, wash and dry it on the hottest setting it can handle.
There are times – despite your best efforts – that you may develop a bed bug infestation in your home. If you do, the best way to get them out quickly and effectively is to bring in the help of a professional. The pros at Nixtermite have the tools, training, and experience needed to get bed bugs out of your home.
