Bed Bug Prevention: Must-Know Travel Tips for a Pest-Free Holiday

Greetings, Holiday Travelers!

We all enjoy traveling. Some of us love to escape the cold and cruise the Caribbean. Others prefer a trip to Boone, West Virginia, or Colorado for fun snow activities. Those who are able to travel for the holidays are a lucky bunch. Unfortunately, that luck can run out with a bed bug infestation.

Bed bugs can hide in the smallest areas of a person’s luggage and clothing. They can be found in planes, buses, and trains, along with hotels, Airbnb spots, and even the homes of family and friends that you’re staying with.

The dangers of an infestation are real, frustrating, and costly. Here are a few tips for effective bed bug prevention!

Before You Get There

When you’re planning your trip, look at reviews of your potential accommodations and scan for any mention of bed bugs.

Buy light-colored luggage to make it easier to spot bed bugs. Hard-shell suitcases or luggage with bed-bug-resistant liners are best.

Before you pack your clothes, wash and dry them at a high temperature. Another option is freezing them for 24 hours before your trip. Seal all items in airtight bags before packing them. Consider bringing bed-bug-proof mattresses and pillow encasements.

If possible, avoid checking luggage and instead bring only carry-on bags. If you have to check bags, put them in heavy-duty garbage bags or protective covers.

When flying or traveling via bus or train, first check your seat for any evidence of bed bugs, particularly seams and cracks.

When You Get to the Hotel

When you get to the hotel, avoid sitting in any of the upholstered furniture in the lobby.

When you enter your hotel room, first examine the luggage rack. If there are no signs of bed bugs, pull the rack away from the wall and put your luggage on the rack. Bags should be kept there for the duration of your stay. If there is no luggage rack, keep your luggage in the tub of your hotel bathroom.

Before unpacking, thoroughly inspect your hotel room. Use a flashlight to make sure you can accurately see anything that may be crawling around or evidence of a bed bug infestation. Evidence includes reddish-brown residue, blood stains, and bed bug excrement, which looks like tiny ink blots or dots. Googling images of these is helpful, as is looking up photos of bed bug eggs, babies, and adults.

Headboards contain the majority of bed bugs. Try to move the headboard from the wall for close inspection.

Inspect mattress corners and seams, mattress covers, and lamp shades next to the bed. Look in the bedsheets, pillowcases, blankets, box springs, hollow bedposts, and bed skirts.

Bed bugs can also hide in nightstands, sofas, and chairs. Other hiding places include behind picture frames, under rugs, behind baseboards, in wall cracks, in curtains, and in wallpaper tears. Use your flashlight to look in furniture screws and outlets.

Avoid unpacking clothing into drawers. Don’t leave your bags unzipped, and keep your dirty clothing in a sealed bag.

When You Come Home

Don’t bring luggage into your home right away when you return. Instead, find an outdoor area and unpack your luggage. Inspect your bags for bed bugs, especially corners and seams. Vacuum your suitcases, and use a garment hand steamer to steam them. Keep them in sealed plastic bags outside.

Carefully examine your clothing. Wash and dry all unpacked clothing on high heat for effective bed bug treatment, and dry clean clothing that can’t be washed. Finally, make sure to inspect your home for any signs of bed bugs after you’ve been home from your trip.

It may seem like a lot of effort, but it’s worth it!

Get in Touch to Learn More

We hope you have a wonderful upcoming holiday season! Make sure you let us know if we can be of any help to you and your family! Find out more information about bed bug prevention and the bed bug heat treatment we offer, or give us a call – 704-499-9922. Our pest exterminators are here to help!