When you travel, whether it’s for business or pleasure, there is a higher chance of you coming into contact with bed bugs. These insects’ name is a little misleading, because bed bugs can be found virtually anywhere that people gather and are easily transported.
Clark, your friendly pest control technician, reminds you that it’s important to check your room and belongings for these blood-sucking insects when traveling, and again once you return home.
June 3-9, 2018 is Bed Bug Awareness Week, and Clark would like to share the most common bed bug hiding spots that can be found in hotel rooms or vacation rental properties.
How to check for bed bug hiding spots
- Thoroughly inspect the entire room(s) for bed bugs before unpacking – including behind the headboard, under lights, and inside dressers, drawers, sofas, and chairs.
- Pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams and box springs, particularly at the corners, for pepper-like stains, spots, or cast-off bed bug skins.
- Bed bugs can hitchhike easily via housekeeping carts, luggage, and even through wall sockets. If an infestation is spreading, typically it moves into the rooms closest to its origin.
- These pests like to hide in small cracks and crevices close to a human environment. They can be found behind baseboards, wallpaper, upholstery, and in furniture crevices.
What can you do to protect yourself against bed bugs when you travel?
- Before you leave, check travel websites to see if your hotel has been reported as having bed bugs.
- Pack your belongings inside sealable plastic bags and bring some extra-large plastic trash bags.
- Only unpack the clothes that you will be wearing, and don't leave your shoes on the floor.
- Place your luggage inside the trash bags you brought along and store it in the bathtub or on a tile floor – areas where bed bugs are least likely to reside.
- When you return home, inspect your possessions carefully for bed bugs, including the clothes you are wearing.
- Unpack your bags outdoors or in the garage, and put everything in the washer or in the dryer on the highest temperature setting for at least 10 minutes.
There is some promising news in a recent report in the Journal of Medical Entomology, where researchers identified six naturally occurring products, including commonly used DEET, which showed promise in repelling bed bugs from luggage and clothing. READ THE ARTICLE
If you have concerns about bed bugs in your home, call California and Nevada’s trusted, friendly pest management professional, Clark, at (800) WE-NEED-YOU (936-3339) or drop us an email at clarkcares@clarkpest.com.
Until next time, the pest management professionals at Clark Pest Control thank you for helping to keep unwanted pests out of your home.