Bed Bugs: Protecting Yourself While Travelling

Jun 9
21:01

2012

Ace Abbey

Ace Abbey

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You may have little trouble keeping bed bugs out of your home, but your diligence regarding home pest control isn't going to help much when you go on vacation. Here are some things you can do to keep your home from becoming a new haven for these pests.

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You may have little trouble keeping bed bugs out of your home,Bed Bugs: Protecting Yourself While Travelling Articles but your diligence regarding home pest control isn't going to help much when you go on vacation. There are plenty of things that can wind up becoming a hassle when you travel, but there are few things worse than bringing home some unwanted visitors. Once these insects get in your home, it can be extremely difficult to get rid of them. In fact, most homeowners have found it impossible to do without the intervention of a profession pest control company. Here are some things you can do to keep your home from becoming a new haven for these pests.

Inspect Your Hotel Room:
Before you even get settled, set your luggage out of the way and begin inspecting the room for signs of bed bugs. They are small enough and shy enough so that finding an example of one won't always be easy, even in the midst of an infestation. Instead, you're looking for the signs that accompany their presence. These include dark spots on the mattress. Don't stop with the sheets. Take a peek underneath them. Look at the seams. Check the box spring if possible. If you find any suspicious signs, alert the management and consider staying elsewhere.

Bring A Plastic Bag:
It's not the most elegant way to store your luggage, but you might consider keeping your clothing wrapped up in plastic for the duration of your trip. It's a bit more inconvenient, but if it keeps you from bringing home bed bugs in your luggage, it will be more than worth it. To go a step further (and possibly even making it a little easier on you), just put the entire suitcase in the plastic bag and seal it up between uses. This will go a long way towards protecting your clothing and suitcase from the insects.

Background Check:
Don't book a hotel without doing some research. While most travel experts will advise checking around for the best rates, amenities, and so on, you'll want to go straight to the reviews. You may want to just start at your favorite search engine and search the terms "[your hotel]" and "bedbugs". If there are complaints online, you're sure to find them using this method. Take note of the date, of course. If the last mention of the insects was three years ago, it's probably nothing you need to worry about now.

Getting Home
Give all of your clothes a wash before putting them back into your closet and drawers. If you were unlucky enough to bring home some stowaways, find a good pest control company in your area and take care of the problem as quickly as possible.