How Bed Bugs Travel
Unfortunately, when people are traveling and staying in hotels, the possibility that some bed bugs will hitch a ride home is an unpleasant reality. With so many people coming in and out of a hotel room, it is easy for someone to have them on their clothing, in their luggage, or even on the wooden hangers that they use to hang their clothing in the closet. It doesn’t take much and soon they are living and breeding in a hotel room – and feeding on its occupants at night.
When you pack up to go home, the bed bugs may have gotten on your clothes (especially if you laid the on the bed at some point) or in your luggage. Then they catch a ride home with you and infect your home. There are steps you can take to prevent this; here are five tips to help keep you from bringing bed bugs home with you.
Preventing Bed Bugs
Bed bugs don’t like the bathroom, there are few places to hide and the tile is not optimal for them. When you first enter the room, while you are performing your bed bug check, stash your luggage in the bathroom to keep it safe.
Do your own bed bug inspection
Pull back the sheets, look on the mattress and under it, especially in the tiny crevices in the mattress, under seams, and other tiny areas. Look for tiny insects or for tiny black dots which are bed bug feces. Also look in bed side tables in the joints of the wood, in the seams of the bed spread, in books, and in other furniture in your room.
Keep your luggage and clothing on the desk or table
While one bed in a room might be clear, the other may not so don’t keep your luggage on a bed. Also, just because there aren’t any bed bugs in your room when you check, they could be in the next room and come looking for a food source – in your room. So keep your luggage off of the floor and bed, opting to keep it on a desk or table instead.
At home, do a post trip bed bug routine
When you get home, wash all of your clothes and dry them in a very hot dryer (bed bugs cannot survive in temperatures that exceed 122 degrees). Vacuum your luggage before you store it.
Look for bites
If you are in the Vegas area and believe you have bed bugs, we can help. Give Preventive Pest Control a call to schedule an appointment with a member of our qualified, knowledgeable staff. We are the experts in bed bug control in Las Vegas and we are proud to serve you.