Traveling is one of the great joys of life, but it can also come with an unexpected nightmare: bedbugs. If you stay in a hotel or vacation rental infested with bed bugs, you may not even notice them until you unwittingly bring some of them back home with you in your suitcase. Even just bringing a couple of tiny bed bugs home with you can lead to an infestation, as an average bed bug will lay 500 eggs in its lifetime. The best way to handle a bed bug infestation is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Here are five tips for doing just that:
Read Hotel Reviews
You probably already read hotel reviews to get a good idea about the comfort level and amenities of any given hotel. A good way to avoid hotels with bed bug problems is to search the reviews for the words "bed bugs" or simply Google the hotel name and bed bugs. Bed bugs are a common problem around the world and can even affect really nice hotels, so if the reviews about bed bugs are old and the hotel has demonstrated that they've since taken care of the problem, just use your discretion when deciding to stay there.
Buy Hard-sided Luggage
Bed bugs like soft, dark places to hide out, including cloth luggage. Bed bugs also sometimes embed themselves into the seams of cloth suitcases. Since the most common way to bring bed bugs home from traveling is in your suitcase, it may be worth it to switch to hard-sided luggage, which is a less appealing spot for bed bugs to hide.
Stash Your Stuff in the Bathroom on Arrival
When you arrive at your hotel, you will need to inspect your room for evidence of bed bugs. Just in case they are present, hide your suitcase and other belongings in the bathroom and shut the door first. Bed bugs are much less likely to be present in a bathroom, since they prefer places like couches and beds to the cold tile floor of a bathroom. After you inspect the room, keep your luggage on a luggage rack or continue to stash it in the bathroom instead of on the floor for good measure.
Inspect Your Hotel Bed
This step is very important for your peace of mind. Pull back the blankets of your bed and carefully examine the sheets, pillows, and comforter. You are looking for tiny red or black bugs that look like dots and are a bit smaller than an apple seed. Some pest control experts suggest using a hair dryer on your bedding, which may lure bed bugs out of hiding and out in the open.
Bring Along Neem Oil
Neem oil is a natural insecticide which can be purchased in spray form online. It repels all sorts of insects, including bed bugs, and can kill bed bugs if you spray it directly on them. Neem oil is sometimes mixed with essential oils like sandalwood for a pleasant scent. You may wish to lightly spray your luggage with neem oil spray before you leave, and spray it around your room and bed during your trip. It can even be used as a non-toxic mosquito repellent on your body, with the bonus of smelling better than conventional bug spray.
By following these tips, you will be able to enjoy your travels knowing you have minimized your chances of getting bed bugs. If you suspect your home already has bed bugs, be sure to contact a professional pest control company, such as A-Alert Exterminating Service Inc, immediately. They will identify the problem and get rid of the bed bugs thoroughly and quickly.
Share25 May 2016
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