Are you visiting family members or friends this holiday season? For those who are traveling and staying away from their homes for a few nights, make sure you take the proper precautions. Being too careless in a place that’s not your own could cause you to be exposed to a bed bug infestation — one that you could end up bringing back to your own home.
Ways to Avoid Bed Bugs When Traveling
1. Inspect Before Unpacking
Whether you’re staying at a relative’s house or a local hotel, make sure you give your new “home away from home” a thorough visual inspection. Inspect the mattress, box spring, sheets, headboard, couches, chairs, etc. Look for little, red-brown specks, as bed bugs are extremely small. Multiple specks that can be identified as bed bugs means there’s an infestation in this room (and possibly the entire house or hotel).
2. Keep Clothes Off of the Floor
When you begin staying in a room that’s foreign to you, don’t leave your suitcase or clothes on the floor. Bed bugs can attach themselves to your clothing or travel bag, which will cause you to bring the infestation home. Utilize a suitcase rack if accessible or hang all of your clothing in the closet. Bed bugs can crawl from fabric to fabric, so if they’re in the bed — they’re probably in the carpeting too.
3. Unpack and Wash ASAP
If you believe you were exposed to bed bugs during your travels, make sure you unpack and wash all of your clothing as soon as you return home. Wash everything in hot water and place everything in the dryer on high heat for a half hour. Heat is effective in killing bed bugs, which means you want to expose them to it before they have a chance to roam around your home.
Shacking up with relatives or staying at a hotel might be a necessity during the holidays, however, bringing home bed bugs is definitely optional. For those who have been exposed to bed bugs, contact your local pest management professionals as soon as possible.
