It’s every traveler’s nightmare; discovering that the hotel or inn you’re staying in is infested with bed bugs. These stubborn little creatures can hitch a ride in luggage or in clothing and return to infest your home, a very unwelcome souvenir from your trip. Fortunately, there are a few precautions you can take to avoid bringing home insect hitchhikers.
Store Luggage Carefully
When you arrive, store your luggage in the bathroom adjacent to your room. Bed bugs are extremely unlikely to travel across the cold tile floors, preferring to take refuge in the warm crevices and seams of the bed and along trim and in other small cracks. By isolating your luggage, you reduce the risk of picking up bed bugs if they are present. Once you’re positive the room is not infested, keep your luggage on top of the dresser or on another raised surface to minimize your risk of picking up any potential hitchhikers.
Check the Bedding
Once your luggage is safely stashed, examine the bedding closely for any signs of bed bugs. Check the seams of the mattress and underneath. Look particularly for small brownish or blackish spots on the sheets and mattress that resemble flecks of black pepper. Bed bugs exude waste in the form of dried blood after eating, and tend to leave tell-tale spots behind. The bed bugs themselves are about the size and shape of an apple seed. You may find a few adults or exoskeletons in the seams of the mattress. If you find signs of bed bugs, notify the staff immediately, and consider finding another place to stay for the night.
Post-Vacation
Once you get home, as a precaution, wash all your clothing in hot water and run it through the dryer. If you did happen to pick up any bugs, they can’t survive at temperatures above 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Clothes that are too delicate to be washed in hot water should be sent to the cleaners. Enjoy your vacation, bug-free. If you suspect you’ve brought bed bugs home from vacation, contact Exclusive Pest to keep the infestation from taking hold.