Prevent Bed Bugs when Traveling

As spring quickly approaches, many of us are planning family trips for the upcoming spring break. Traveling means hotel stays and frankly, sleeping anywhere outside of your own home leaves you prone to Bed Bugs. As experts in pest control, we are offering tips on how to travel pest-free.

 

Many of us recognize the word Bed Bugs but how much do we really know about these pesky little parasites? Bed bugs are not related to cleanliness, so they can be found anywhere from a 5-star hotel to a 1-star hotel! In a New York Times survey, only 35% of travelers know what a bed bug looks like. Knowing how to identify a bed bug is the first step to traveling pest-free.

Bed Bugs – What to Look For

• Live bed bugs (Bed bugs are flat when hungry but after feeding they are plump and move very slowly. They are reddish-brown and can get as large as the size of an apple seed)
• Look for insect skin shedding
• Black or brown spots on sheets, these are blood stains
• Black bed bug droppings on a mattress, box spring, headboards or cloth furniture
• Bed bug eggs are pearl white and approximately 1mm

Upon entering your room, place your luggage in the bathroom. Bed bugs prefer dark crevices where they can hide, which is why the bathroom is an unlikely hiding place.

Begin inspection.

First, smell the room.

Bed bugs give out a sweet odor that slightly resembles syrup. Explore the room to see if you notice an unusual odor.

Second, check sleeping areas.

• Lift the covers and the sheets and inspect your mattress. (Bed bugs can be visible with the naked eye so a magnified glass is not necessary). Look along the mattress seams, box springs, zippers, slats, under the mattress and along any dark crevices.
• Inspect the bed frame, armchairs, and sofas as those are the most likely places for bedbugs to hide. Take a close look along the seams, inside covers, under cushions, and in the furniture crevices.
• If you have plans to use the pull-out sofa, inspect it just as you inspected the bed.

Third, check wardrobes and dressers

• Inspect where the furniture or skirting boards meets the wall or carpet
• Inspect drawers
• Joints of furniture

Fourth, check nightstands and wall fixtures

• Inspect fixtures, decor, and lamps
• Remember to inspect the dark crevices where the fixtures meet the wall or carpet.

Lastly, put a few drops of essential oil on your pillow and relax.

If you are concerned about bed bugs or any other pests, give us a call and our pest control specialists will be happy to answer any questions you may have. At Aantex, we have a team of highly trained and specialized pest control technicians that provide the highest level of customer support.

Call our office at 925-240-5100 to schedule your pest control consult today.