Preventing Bed Bugs While Traveling for the Holiday
The holiday season is here, and millions of Americans will travel to visit their friends and families in the coming weeks. If you’re planning a trip this holiday season, you may be worried about picking up bed bugs in your destination.
Where Do They Come From?
Many people think bed bugs are only found in places like cheap, dirty hotels or hostels. Sadly, that’s not the case. Bed bugs can even be found in spotless five-star hotels and resorts. Unlike some other types of pests, bed bugs aren’t attracted to dirty conditions. Instead, they’re attracted to warmth, blood, and carbon dioxide.
Five-star hotels aren’t the only shocking place you could encounter bed bugs. These bugs can be found pretty much anywhere, including movie theaters, office buildings, taxis, and restaurants. Few areas are off limits to bed bugs.
How to Spot Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are about the same size and shape as an apple seed. When they’re not feeding, they can hide in many places. Sheltered areas like the seams of mattresses and cracks in the bed frame are prime hiding spots.
While bed bugs can be hard to spot, they leave some clues behind. Look for reddish stains or dark spots on bed sheets, mattresses, and furniture. You could also see tiny eggs and eggshells if you look closely.
How to Travel Safely
To avoid bed bugs this holiday season, take some basic precautions. Before you book a hotel, check bedbugregistry.com. This site has user-generated bed bug reports. If you see recent reports about bed bugs in a certain hotel, consider staying somewhere else.
When you pack for your trip, choose hard-sided suitcases instead of fabric ones. Bed bugs can easily hide in the seams and zippers of soft, fabric suitcases. Keep your clothes in your suitcase instead of storing them in the hotel’s drawers or on the floor. It’s a good idea to bring clothes that can be washed and dried in hot temperatures. When you get home, you can wash your clothes to kill any hitchhiking bed bugs.
By taking these precautions, you can reduce your chances of bringing home bed bugs this holiday season. If you find bed bugs in your home, the Orlando pest control experts at Apex will be there to help.
Apex Pest Control is one of the most trusted Orlando pest control companies in the state. We’re proud of the work we do to help keep the homes, landscape, and businesses in our community free from harmful plants, insects, and animals, while also striving to maintain a balance with the ecosystem as a whole. Check out our blog or contact us today to learn more!
