Most everyone enjoys traveling but no one wants to find bed bugs in their hotel room or bring them home with them. These little critters are oval, small insects that are so small that they rarely are seen but there are times you can spot them. They have flat bodies and are very small; only 1.5 mm and look like ticks or small cockroaches.
To prevent them from spreading and creating a new infestation while you travel there are specific things you can do. Here are some handy tips that might help:
· Keep your luggage on a luggage rack. Do not place your luggage on the bed or floor; for those are areas where they hide the most. However, before putting your luggage on a luggage rack, check the luggage rack carefully to make sure that it is bed-bug free.
· Check the frame, headboard, and mattress carefully; checking for any signs of the bugs, fecal matter, or stains on the sheets. If they are there, you will notice some tiny red splotches, dark colors, or tiny bugs.
· Use luggage that has hard sides. Bed bugs love the softness of cloth. To be extra cautious, keep most of your items-especially personal items-inside a Ziploc bag.
· If you find bed bugs in your hotel room, asked to be transferred to another room.
· Use a flashlight and look for live bed bugs. They often can be seen on the bed frame, nightstands, or behind the headboards. Be sure to check cracks and crevices where they often hide.
· Also, check the walls and wallpaper next to the bed. These are often used as hiding places by these bugs.
· If your clothing or luggage becomes infected, wrap them up tightly in trash bags and seal them with tape.
Bed bug prevention when returning home
When you come back home, be sure to inspect for bed bugs on your suitcase and clothes. Be sure not to unpack your suitcase on your bed. In addition, when you remove your clothes and put them quickly into a very large ziplock and leave them there until they can be washed. If, however, you encounter bed bugs on your trip you may want to seal up the suitcase and throw it away.
Here are some tips when you return home from a trip:
· If you are in your own vehicle, be sure to put your luggage in large plastic bags. When you get home, immediately take your suitcase and clothes straight to the washing machine. Wash with hot water and dry it on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
· After removing the clothes from the suitcase, you have to put the suitcase in the garage for a day or two in case you have unwanted visitors or bed bug eggs. If you don’t have a garage, you should leave your suitcase outside for a couple of days.
· You should also take off the clothes you are wearing and wash and dry them with the clothes you had in the suitcase. This will ensure that you have gotten rid of any unwanted hosts before they cause an infestation.
· If you were in your own vehicle when traveling, you will need to vacuum the seats and trunk of the car, and then immediately throw out the vacuum bag. If you have a bagless vacuum, you should empty it into the garbage container and then immediately remove the bag and throw it away.
· If you did not encounter any, then unpack and put all of your clothes into the washing machine. Wash the clothes in hot water.
Hopefully, these tips for preventing bed bugs while you travel will help to keep you from having to deal with the hard task of trying to get rid of them down the road.
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