Until a major outbreak occurs, bed bugs tend to fall under the radar in the media. Unfortunately, they still exist and can turn a much-needed trip into a nightmare.
With the holiday season fast approaching, many locals are planning to travel here and there to visit family and take a break from their daily routines. Use these tips to reduce the likelihood of encountering these nasty bugs in budget accommodations as well as higher-end hotels:
- Leave your luggage in a safe place. Either leave your luggage in the car or place it in the bathroom while you search the room for egg-stage, nymph-stage, and adult-stage bed bugs.
- Grab a flashlight. Use a penlight or the light on your smartphone to illuminate your search.
- Look in the right places. Bed bugs commonly hide in the seams of mattresses, curtains, throw pillows, lampshades, luggage racks, and upholstered furniture. Pay close attention to the head and foot of the bed. The cracks of nearby drawers may also provide evidence of bed bugs.
- Understand red flags. In addition to the adult bugs themselves, you may see smaller translucent bugs, white specks (eggs), rust colored spots, or bug casings.
If you don’t see any bed bugs on your preliminary search, you may still want to quarantine your luggage and dry everything on high heat when you return home. Bedbugs can lay one egg a day. Each egg takes around 10 days to hatch and several weeks to reach adulthood. When you finally notice the issue, you may have dozens or hundreds of bedbugs living in your home. With the right precautions, you can significantly reduce the risk of taking these blood-sucking hitchhikers home with you.
Bed Bug Services in Southern Oregon
At A-One Exterminators, we offer complete bed bug removal services. Our team can diagnose and address your bed bug problem for peace of mind. For more information on bed bug treatments, reach out to our team today at 541-472-1094.
Sources:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/top-10-myths-about-bed-bugs/
https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/bed-bugs-appearance-and-life-cycle
https://www.consumerreports.org/hotels-inns/check-for-bed-bugs-hotel/
https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/how-to-check-for-bedbugs-hotels-hostels
