Tips to Avoid Bed Bugs while Traveling

1. Until you’ve done a thorough inspection of the hotel, or place you are staying, make sure to head straight to the bathroom to store your luggage. Bed bugs generally do not venture into the bathroom because of the tiled floors and lack of hiding spots.
    
   
   
2. You will want to make sure to check the bed first. You can do this by pulling back the linen and checking under the mattress and headboard. You can also inspect for blood stains or black dots that look like mold. Bed bugs are the size and shape of an apple seed and they usually like to hide in  the corner areas or seams of the bedding.
   
   
   
3. Check the rest of the room. Make sure to inspect all other beds, the phone, alarms, chairs, cushions, closets, and evens books. You can usually find bed bugs within a 15ft radius of the bed, so anything within that boundary is worth checking.
4. It is wise to keep the luggage off of the ground since bed bugs can travel from room to room. As a precaution, try to utilize something off of the ground to hold your luggage to reduce the chance of a bed bug infestation.Even if your room did not have bed bugs at the start of your stay, unfortunately it is possible to get them during your time visiting.
5. If you are traveling on a plane or train you could be extra cautious by wrapping your luggage in plastic. You never know who is hosting a bed bug in their luggage next to you.
6. Do your research when it comes to hotels. You can actually go to the bed bug registry online which will give you a detailed report of bed bug incidents and where they have occurred. You can also utilize online reviews to see if any other customers had experienced bed bugs while staying at the hotel.
   
7. Make sure to wash all of your clothes when you return in very hot water. Even wash the clothes that weren’t worn as a precautionary step. Also, be sure to inspect that actual suitcase for any bed bug activity.

*If you see a bed bug in a hotel, then leave! If you are noticing bite marks or are suspicious that you made have taken home bed bugs while traveling, please call a professional.

Please call 1-800-533-6330 if you would like a free estimate or would like more information on bed bug control.