Jun 8, 2016, 08:41 AM by Fred Speer

As the school year ends in California, families are planning to pack their bags and travel during the summer months that follow. Whether your vacation takes you to a cabin in Lake Tahoe or to a five-star resort on the beach in Orange County, bed bugs are a key concern.

Bed bugs have become more worrisome for travelers, as they can be found in many different locations – including hotel rooms, rental homes, buses, trains, and even airplanes.

These biting pests are also easily (and unknowingly) transported back home, and they use belongings – such as suitcases, backpacks, and boxes – to hitchhike. Bed bugs have been known to survive in various seemingly inhospitable conditions, so it is essential for travelers to practice caution during and after trips.

A 2015 study by National Pest Management Association and the University of Kentucky found that 99 percent of pest control professionals treated for bed bugs in the year prior, with 75 percent reporting bed bugs in hotels and motels.

The Clark Man wants to you and your family to enjoy your summer vacation. So here are several steps you can take to help prevent bed bugs from spoiling your trip:

• Regularly inspect areas where pets sleep for signs of bed bugs, such as pepper-like stains, molted bed bug skins, and white, sticky eggs
• Never bring second-hand furniture items, especially mattresses and box springs, into a home or college dorm without thoroughly examining them for signs of a bed bug infestation
• At hotels, thoroughly inspect the entire room before unpacking, including behind the headboard and in furniture. Pull back the bed sheets and check the mattress seams for pepper-like stains that may be evidence of bed bug activity
• If you suspect an infestation or problem, notify management and change rooms immediately, and be sure your new room is not adjacent to or directly below or above the possibly infested room you just vacated
• Keep suitcases in plastic trash bags or protective covers during a hotel stay to prevent bed bugs from nesting there, and do not put them on the beds
• Upon returning home from a trip, inspect all suitcases and other belongings before bringing them into the house
• Wash all clothes – even those that have not been worn – in hot water and dry them using an extra-hot dryer setting

If you think you need a bed bug exterminator, call or text (800) WE-NEED-YOU (936-3339) or drop me an email at clarkcares@clarkpest.com to schedule an inspection

Until next time I’m the Clark Man, and thanks for helping me keep unwanted pests out of your home.