Avoid Picking up Bed Bugs While Traveling This Summer

Bed bugs are a tiny parasitic insect that live solely on blood, and they thrive in your bed. So with that out of the way, it’s pretty clear that they are to be avoided at all costs.  Bed bugs are easier to keep out of your home in the first place than they are to extract once they’ve gotten within the walls. The experts in Orlando pest control, Apex, can help with either situation, but because of this forward thinking situation, we recommend putting the utmost attention towards keeping the pests out of your home, to begin with.

This is especially critical in the summer, as we take our annual vacations and spend some time in bedrooms that may not have the standards of your own personal kingdom. Below are few before, during, and after trip tips that can help in not bringing these awful little critters back with you from that relaxing vacation.

• Before Traveling: Packing everything up tightly and in plastic bags is critical here, especially if you think you may be going somewhere prone to bed bugs. Some countries and states have a bigger problem with the bugs than others. They are notorious hitchhikers, and keeping these bags closed while in transport to your destination is important.
• When you arrive: Bed bugs are, in fact, fairly evident upon a simple search. So check everything you may be sleeping, sitting, or standing on (it is a vacation after all) for a few of their tell-tale signs. These include blood-stains, or small pepper sized dots, which indicate a possible infestation. The bugs themselves, although very small, can also be visible. Take particular care to check around the edges of bedding and upholstery: all seams, around the box-spring and under the mattress. Drapes, and essentially most types of fabric, are also possible environments for them.
• When you return home: Start with a simple search of your luggage for any of the signatures of bed bugs listed above. Also, bed bugs bite and they leave a mark; so if you are experiencing any unexplained mosquito-like marks, be particularly alert.  Wash your clothes in hot water and dry for longer than you usually would (an hour at minimum) to kill any bed bug stowaways there, and steam vacuum your luggage if necessary.

If you’ve tried all these tips, but still suspect a bed bug problem, the Orlando pest control professionals at Apex can help. Although they are very difficult to eradicate, and simple avoidance is easier, we can and will clear them from your home. Call 866-675-4070 for more information and a free no-obligation quote.