Bed Bug Travel Tips

When going on vacation, the last thing you want to go home with is Bed Bugs.  Here are a few tips on making sure you are in a bed bug free hotel room.
Stash Your Luggage
Your first order of business upon entering the hotel room should be to check for bed bugs. But before you give the room a solid inspection, place your luggage in the bathroom in the middle of the tile floor. Do not set the suitcases on the bed!
Check the Mattress
Before you ever lay your head down, perform a preliminary check of the mattress. Pull back the bed sheets and inspect the mattress seams and box spring, particularly at the corners, for telltale rust-colored stains or spots. If you find anything suspect, notify management and change rooms or hotels immediately.
Inspect Behind Furniture
Don’t stop at the mattress, though. Despite their name, bed bugs can also conceal themselves behind baseboards, wallpaper, picture frames, and in furniture as well, especially upholstered headboards, sofas, and wood furniture. Here’s where a pocket-sized flashlight will come in handy. Use one for a quick visual inspection of these items. Again, if you spot any pests in this check up, change rooms or hotels immediately.
Change Rooms
If you do need to change rooms, be sure that you do not move to a room adjacent or directly above or below the suspected infestation. Bed bugs can easily travel by housekeeping carts, or even through wall sockets. If an infestation is spreading, it typically does so in the rooms closest to the origin.
Cover Your Suitcase
Covering your suitcase may make it less susceptible to invasion. Consider bagging your luggage in a plastic trash bag or protective cover while at the hotel to deter bed bugs from taking up residence. Then, when you arrive home discard the plastic bags before bringing your things inside.
Bag Up Clothes
Protect what’s inside the suitcases with Ziploc bags. Keep dirty clothes in sealed bags so they can be easily cleaned once you arrive home. Likewise, things that can’t safely be washed like electronics, books, and toiletries, should be kept under wraps.
For more information on bed bug pest control, contact A1 Exterminators at 800-525-4825 or at our website www.a1exterminators.com