Tips For Keeping Yourself Safe From A Bed Bug Infestation While Staying In Hotels

Traveling is a fairly common source of bed bug infestation in homes. Bed bugs can hide in luggage and dirty clothes. Then you return home, they will emerge from these items, begin feeding on the people sleeping in your home and laying eggs in your mattresses and furniture. It's important to take some precautionary steps when you travel in order to minimize this risk. These precautions should be taken regardless of the quality of hotel that you are staying at, as bed bugs do not differentiate between inexpensive motels and five-star hotels. If you do end up acquiring bed bugs from traveling, a bed bug treatment professional should be contacted as soon as possible to treat the infestation in your home before it gets worse.

Check The Room For Signs Of Bed Bugs

When you first check in, you'll want to carefully scan the room for any signs of a bed bug infestation; you'll want to bring a small flashlight with you on your trip for this purpose. The most important places to check are the mattress and the box spring, but you'll also want to check any upholstery in the room and the frame of the bed itself. Bed bugs are capable of hiding in very small cracks and crevices, so you will need to be very thorough in your examination. You'll also want to check the mattress and linens for signs of bed bug activity; bed bugs excrete a rust-colored substance shortly after feeding, which may still be present on the mattress.

A clean visual inspection isn't a guarantee of safety; bed bugs can hide in areas that you cannot check easily, such as within chairs and couches and behind wall plates. It's also impossible to discern bed bug eggs and bed bugs in their nymph stage with the naked eye; only adults are easily visible. If you don't find any signs of infestation, you should still follow the other steps in this guide to keep yourself safe from bringing home bed bugs.

Keep Your Luggage And Clothing Safe

Most cases of people bringing bed bugs home after they have been traveling are caused by bed bugs taking up residence in luggage or dirty clothes, so you will need to keep them away from bed bugs during your stay. The best way to do this is to store your luggage and clothes in an area where bed bugs would have no business going. Keep them far away from the bed; the ideal place to store your luggage and dirty clothes is in your hotel room's bathtub, but be careful not to scratch the surface of the bathtub with your luggage. If there's not enough space, storing them in the bathroom itself is also a good option. In any case, never put your luggage or dirty clothes on the bed or on carpeted areas around the bed.

After you have returned home from your trip, you'll need to be vigilant for a period of about two weeks; that's how long it takes freshly-laid bed bug eggs to hatch. A bed bug infestation in its early stages can be difficult to spot since bed bugs are nearly impossible to see before they reach their adult phase; keep an eye out for rust-colored stains on your sheets or unexplained bumps and itching from their bites. If you think you brought bed bugs home with you, contact a bed bug treatment professional immediately. It's easier and less expensive to treat bed bugs in the early stages of an infestation before they have had time to spread and lay eggs. For more information, talk with a company like Canady's Termite & Pest Control.