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Bed bugs are those tiny little creatures that haunt you in your sleep. These little bugs survive off human blood and usually do their feeding in the comfort of the darkness when you are fast asleep. In the day time, they are extremely hard to find and are quite lazy, choosing to sleep in the nests they have built. Usually, these nests are well hidden in the box spring or the headboard of beds, making them very difficult to track down. Add to this that they are tiny in size and hard to see and you have an expert predator. All of the bed bugs traits make it safe to say that they are the modern-day Dracula. These little critters may sound easy to get rid of, right? Avoid human contact, and they can’t feast; however, they can survive up to one calendar year without any blood. The only way to get rid of them completely is to either starve them for a year, the hard way or have them exterminated by a professional from Quality Pest Control, the easy way. While both methods of extermination are effective, it’s always best to get rid of these pests immediately as they tend to travel around efficiently and quickly. Bed bugs have been known to be big world travelers, attaching themselves to traveler’s luggage and coming home with them. This is usually done all without the host knowing as the bed bugs are quite sneaky. The above information may sound frightening; nonetheless, you should not let it change your desire to travel. At Quality Pest Control,  we have many tips to help prevent this nightmare from happening to you.

How Can I Prevent Taking Home Bed Bugs After a Trip?

This is the most important bed bug information you can know if you ever plan on staying in a hotel room. Bed bugs do not discriminate and can be found at even the most luxurious of resorts, making everyone at risk regardless of how many stars your hotel is. The best thing you can do is be knowledgeable on the topic and know some of the following tips:

. Luggage

The best kind of luggage for traveling are those that are hard and smooth to the touch. Bed bugs will not find these kinds of luggage attractive as they usually have no pockets or hidden compartments for bed bugs to hide in. If you prefer to take a bag you already have and do not own hard-shelled luggage, then the next best choice is a duffle bag. Duffle bags will not be nearly as efficient at keeping the bed bugs away; however, they can be washed in searing hot water, which will kill all bed bugs and eggs before they can make themselves at home in your bed. Just be sure to wash your bag and clothes immediately after you get back from your trip.

. Packing and Arriving

Before you arrive at your hotel and destination you are going to want to stop and purchase plastic bags such as Ziplocs and flashlight. This flashlight does not need to be anything fancy, it just needs to be able to shed some light on objects, such as the bed. This will come in handy for when you inspect your hotel room. When you get to the room make sure you put your luggage on the floor away from any furniture or walls. You will then want to inspect all of the furniture for any signs of bed bugs such as blood spots, dead and live bugs, and shed skin. If you do not notice any of this right away then you probably are in the clear, or the infestation is too small to of shown any signs. At this point, you can do an even more thorough look at the bed to ensure that areas such as the box spring and the headboard do not have any of these signs. Whether or not you see any of these signs, it’s still smart to use your plastic bags after your trip for any clothes you wore that you think may have bed bugs on them. This will keep any problem isolated until you can wash everything at home.

. Coming Home

Once you get home from your trip you should unpack everything in a garage or outdoors if you can. After unpacking you should take everything inside and straight to the wash. Anything you are washing needs to be washed in the hot cycle and dried on the hottest setting to kill any bugs or eggs. If something cannot be dried or washed in a hot setting then you should bag everything up in a plastic baggy and take it to the dry cleaners.

When it comes to traveling it is important to have fun, but it is even more important to be safe. Bed bugs while just a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, can still result in itchy bites to your skin and a strain your wallet. At Quality Pest Control we have all of the travel guides for you regarding bed bugs and how to best prevent them and handle them. When it comes to preventing bed bugs these tips should do the trick. However, if you do happen to come back from a trip and noticed you have transferred them from your hotel, we are only one phone call away. When it comes to bed bugs, we know it’s critical to work fast and will work efficiently until your problem is out of your hair. For more information on our bed bug services, give us a call today at (239) 540-2359.