Summer is the time for millions of people around the country to pack their bags and head for some fun in the sun, or elsewhere, but – before you go, a few things you should know that will ensure a truly terrific trip.
Bed bugs remain a problem in hotels and motels around the country; even five star establishments have to deal with them. A majority of professional pest exterminators – 75 per cent – have been called in to treat for bed bugs in lodgings across the country at some point, and in vacation hot spots – it’s a recurring event. Though bed bugs don’t carry diseases of any kind, their bites become red, itchy welts, and that’s an unpleasant thought during bathing suit season! One of the problems is that they’re excellent hitchhikers, and can hide in suitcases, boxes, shoes, and soft luggage of any kind, which is why they can be so difficult to control. A room can be pest-free one day, the next day they’ve arrived with a new guest! Here is your Bed Bug Prevention Checklist:
When You Arrive at the Hotel:
- Inspect your room before you unpack. Look for pepper-like stains, or tiny spots, or shed bed bug skins. Look behind the headboard, inside all drawers, dressers, sofas and chairs.
- Pull back your sheets and inspect the mattress seams and box springs, particularly the corners.
- Put your suitcases in plastic trash bags for the duration of your stay in the hotel so that bed bugs can’t get into your luggage and accompany you home.
- Don’t place luggage on an upholstered surface. The best place for your luggage is a tile floor or a metal luggage rack.
When You Arrive Home:
- Check your luggage out in the car before you bring any of it into the house.
- Wash everything you took on the trip immediately after you unpack it – whether you wore it or not. Use at least a warm or a hot cycle. If you have dry cleaning, keep it in a plastic bag to take it to the cleaners.
- Vacuum your suitcase before you zip it up and store it. If you’ve got a garment steamer, you could steam your luggage to kill off any bed bugs or their eggs that may have gotten a ride home with you.
If you suspect bedbugs after you get home, you should call us at A-One Exterminators to come out and inspect your home for free. Unfortunately, bed bugs simply aren’t a DIY kind of pest to get rid of; you need the services of a professional, and we’ll be glad to help!
