It’s cold and snowy here in New England. Now that the snow has hit, people are already thinking about how and when they can head to a warmer climate. Before jumping on that plane, train or automobile, many travelers create a travel checklist to help them prepare for their trip. While we all know to pack the essentials, there are a few more items that most people don’t think about when heading on vacation. It is also important to think about — the bed bug prevention checklist. Yep, these little guys can show up in even the fanciest hotels.
Anyone is at risk of encountering bed bugs when traveling. These blood-sucking pests are excellent hitchhikers and are easily transported from one place to another in human belongings like suitcases. As a result, bed bugs continue to remain a problem in lodging facilities all over the world. In fact, 68 percent of pest professionals have treated bed bugs in hotels and motels.
All travelers will benefit from a little bed bug know-how to help ensure they don’t bring them home as an unwanted guests. If you and your family are planning on getting away, here is your bed bug prevention checklist:
When You Arrive At The Hotel
- Thoroughly inspect the entire room before unpacking, including behind the headboard, under lights, and inside dressers, drawers, sofas and chairs.
- Pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams and box springs, particularly at the corners, for pepper-like stains, spots or shed bed bug skins.
- Place suitcase in a plastic trash bag during the duration of your trip to ensure that bed bugs cannot take up residence there prior to departure.
- Do not place luggage on upholstered surfaces. The safest place is in the bathroom in the middle of a tile floor or on a luggage rack after it has been thoroughly inspected. Do not use a luggage rack if it has hollow legs, where bed bugs may hide unseen.
If You Suspect Bed Bugs Are In Your Hotel Room
- Notify management and request to change rooms immediately.
- Do not move to a room adjacent and/or directly above/below the suspected infestation. Bed bugs can easily hitchhike via housekeeping carts, luggage and even through wall sockets. If an infestation is spreading, it typically does so in the rooms closest to the origin.
When You Arrive Home
- Inspect your suitcases outdoors before bringing them into the house.
- Vacuum your suitcase thoroughly before storing it. Consider using a garment hand steamer to steam your luggage, which can kill any bed bugs or eggs that may have traveled home with you.
- Wash and dry all of your clothes – even those that have not been worn – on hot cycles.
- Keep clothes that go to the dry cleaner in a sealed plastic bag until they can be transported.
If you get settled back in at home following a trip and suspect that you may have brought some hitchhiking bed bugs back with you, contact NW Pest Control today. Bed bugs are not a DIY pest and should be left to a professional.