How to Check for Bed Bugs When Traveling This Summer

What’s the Fuss about Bed Bugs?

With summer upon us, the traveling season is right around the corner. While families and friends are eager to book that long-awaited getaway, it is important to make sure your destination is bed bug-free. While most people know what bed bugs are, we want to give you a rundown of why they are such despised insects and how to check for bed bugs.

Bed bugs are very small, oval-shaped insects that are reddish-brown in color. These bugs live off of three things: blood, carbon dioxide, and body heat. Female bed bugs lay hundreds of eggs which is why their name is typically paired with infestation. While there are usually many bed bugs in an area where you find one, they tend to hide in places you wouldn’t normally check. This is why many people walk away from vacation covered in red bumps, yet they never saw these vicious attackers. On top of that, bed bugs are most active at night and bite people and animals during their sleep. 

To make sure you can travel stress-free from these infamous insects, here are some bed bug control tips when traveling to make sure where you are staying does not have vacancy for bed bugs.

Know Before You Go

Before you begin your traveling, it is important to find out as much information as you can about where you will be staying. While these scrappy insects seem to be associated with locations that aren’t as nice as others, bed bugs are not picky and can nestle into anyplace from a falling apart motel to a 5-star resort. Make sure that when you are booking to read the reviews to find any comments about bed bugs. If there are any mentions of bed bugs, make sure to see if the establishment has a bed bug control system in place and how recently the occurrence was. If bed bugs are mentioned quite frequently in the reviews of the hotel or where you will be staying, it might be best to switch to another location. 

Leave your Luggage at The Door 

As soon as you are handed the keys to your room, make sure to immediately check for bed bugs. While it is common to place your luggage on the bed as soon as you enter the room, that could be the worst thing to do if bed bugs are in fact in the room. To be safe, leave your luggage in the car, in the hallway, or in the bathroom of your room while you perform the bed bug inspection. 

Perform an Arrival Inspection

To check for bed bugs, you need to know where to look. A no-brainer would be the place that is part of their name; the bed. To thoroughly check for bed bugs. look for any spots or stains on the bedding itself. Then, pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams and corners where bed bugs typically hide. While hotel staff are typically equipped to search for bed bugs, there is a very slim chance they have inspected the box spring so it would be smart to take that task on to be extra careful. While the bed is the obvious place to look for bed bugs, they can also hide away in headboards, couches, and wood furniture. Make sure to carefully inspect these areas and use a flashlight if you have one on hand. If you are not in the clear and find signs of bed bugs, immediately alert management to change your room. Make sure that your new room is not near the infested one and that includes rooms next to it, directly below, or directly under. Once you visit your new room, perform the same inspection to make sure the same problem doesn’t exist. 

Take Extra Precautions If Desired 

If you want to be extra careful to make sure any bed bugs don’t travel back home with you, secure all clothing in plastic bags in the suitcase to ensure they cannot get to it. On top of that, bagging up your suitcase can also be helpful. Make sure to keep luggage away from the bed and in an area of the room where bed bugs won’t typically visit.

Make Sure You Don’t Bring Extra Guests Home With You

Even if you left an infestation of bed bugs, that doesn’t mean they didn’t leave with you. When you arrive back home, make sure to check all luggage for signs of bed bugs as well as checking your skin for any new red bumps that resemble bed bug bites. To be safe, wash all of your clothes, even ones you didn’t wear, on a hot water cycle. This will ensure that any bed bugs will be rid of because they cannot survive in temperatures hotter than 122 degrees Fahrenheit. 

What to Do if the Infestation has Spread to Your Home

If you ran out of luck and find that bed bugs have claimed your home too, immediately call a local pest control service to perform an inspection and extermination. The quicker you call the experts to handle the situation, the quicker it can be solved. If you are dealing with a bed bug infestation, contact us at Palmetto Exterminators where we provide top-notch bed bug pest control service to make sure your house stays bed bug-free.