Avoid Bed Bugs While Traveling

How to Avoid Bed Bugs and Other Pests While Traveling on Vacation

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A vacation should be a time of relaxation and enjoyment, so you will do everything you can to ensure that everything goes to plan. Unfortunately, while you may have your eye on the bigger picture, there are a lot of smaller things that can conspire to ruin your fun.Today, we are going to give you some advice on how to avoid bed bugs and other pests while traveling on vacation.

Bed bugs and other parasites and pests can be a nightmare if you encounter them on your travels. You might think staying in top-class hotels, being careful when packing your cases, and keeping to the tourist areas of the beach will keep you safe…but you’d be wrong.

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Prevent Bed Bugs While Traveling

How to Prevent Bed Bugs While Traveling

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There’s no faster cure for the winter blues than looking forward to your upcoming tropical vacation. You’re probably dreaming of putting your toes in the sand, taking a dip in the beautiful turquoise colored water, or perhaps sipping a fruity cocktail while watching the sunset. What you’re probably not dreaming about, is the fact that your hotel/vacation rental might have a nasty bed bug infestation! Trust us, there is no faster way to ruin your vacation than finding out you’re staying with bed bugs.

Bed Bugs are only in dingy hotels, right?

Wrong! Bed bugs are found all over the world and are nondiscriminatory. Meaning, they can be found in the ritziest of homes and hotels to apartments and homeless shelters. They’re small, parasitic insects that feed solely on the blood of people and animals while they sleep. Bed bugs are reddish-brown in color, wingless, range from 1mm to 7mm and can live several months without feeding. Since they are so small and active at night, this makes it difficult to detect them during the day. More info here on bed bugs here.

Inspect Your Hotel Room to Prevent Bed Bugs.

There are several things you can do to prevent bed bugs from ruining your vacation fun. The first thing you should do is inspect your hotel room. This can be done in a few minutes, and it’s this easy.

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Top 10 Tips for Preventing Bed Bugs From Entering Your Home or Picking Them Up During Travel

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Bed Bug Prevention

Top 10 Tips for Preventing Bed Bugs From Entering Your Home or Picking Them Up During Travel…

Nobody wants to deal with bed bug infestation! We have some great tips for you to help you avoid contact with these parasitic pests. The following are the top 10 tips for preventing bed bugs from entering your home, or picking them up during travel.

The best way to control bed bugs is to prevent them from entering your home. Here’s how:

  • Understand the ways in which bed bugs are able to get into your home.Bed bugs enter a home through many possible ways, the most common being hitching a ride on your luggage, computer, clothing or other belongings after you have stayed somewhere else, or traveled where bed bugs are present, including on public transportation. Moving time is another possible way to get into a new home, as they catch a ride in the moving boxes.
  • Enclose mattresses and box springs in covers labeled “allergen rated,” “for dust mites,” or “for bed bugs.” Periodically check for rips or openings and tape these up.
  • Reduce clutter in your home to reduce hiding places for bed bugs.
  • Exercise caution when bringing used furniture and clothing into your house. Wash clothing immediately. Furniture, however, should be inspected carefully before even bringing it into your home: Check the crevices, behind moldings and other embellishments, and any cracks.  Avoid bringing home used mattresses.  Wash and dry all soft furnishings, such as curtains, at high temperatures before using.
  • Inspect furniture, beds, and couches for signs of bed bug infestation so you can take immediate action if you see any signs. Signs can include dark brown or reddish spots, which indicate bed bug fecal staining. These spots will smear and look like fresh blood if moistened.

When traveling:

  • Use luggage racks to hold your suitcases when packing and unpacking rather than setting your luggage on the bed or floor. Be sure to inspect the luggage racks first though, to ensure they are also free of bed bugs.
  • Check the mattress and headboard before getting into bed for any signs of infestation.
  • When you get home, unpack directly into a washing machine. Wash all items, and dry on the highest setting for at least 20 minutes. The heat from the dryer kills the bugs.
  • Inspect and then vacuum luggage. Empty the vacuum or seal and dispose of its bag outside of your home after each use.
  • Consider spraying your luggage with Neem Oil, which is a natural and safe insecticide. Bugs that accidentally ingest it will likely die, and it will discourage them from traveling home with you via your suitcase.