When You Travel This Summer, Don’t Bring Bed Bugs Back With You

Summer is almost here! We’ve already had an active year in the pest world because of our mild winter. Now, as we gear up for summer vacation travel, there are is yet another pest to be aware of: Bed bugs!

As we have talked about in previous blogs, bed bugs are making a comeback (see the end of this post for a list of our other blogs on bed bugs). For your peace of mind and for the safety of your family, we’ve put together a handy list of travel tips for you.

• When you stay in a hotel room, store your suitcases on the racks provided. Don’t place your luggage on the bed, don’t put your clothes in the dressers and don’t store your luggage on the floor.
• Bring a bag to put your dirty clothes in. Rather than storing your used clothes on the floor, store them off the floor and off the bed, just like your clean clothes. You could use grocery sacks or disposable garment bags.
• Check the furniture and the mattresses for signs of bed bugs. Look for black or red spots on the mattress and furniture. These spots are signs of fecal matter from bed bugs.
• If you suspect that you have bed bugs, notify the hotel staff immediately. Request a room that is not adjacent to the one you already have. Ask for a room that isn’t a direct neighbor to the room with the bed bugs.
• Before you go on a trip, look for hotel reviews online. Check to see if anyone else has reported bed bugs.
• Upon your return to your home, wash your clothes immediately. Washing your clothes and then drying them on a high-heat setting in the dryer would help to eliminate bed bugs if you happened to pick them up on your travels.

Thanks for reading! If you ever have any questions about pest control, please post a comment for us. We’re available via the phone at 615.217.7284, on Facebook.com/TheBugManTN and on Twitter.com/TheBugManTN. Or, you can email us at service@thebugman.us.

Safe travels!

Here are our other blogs about bed bugs:

How Do I Get Rid of Bed Bugs?

An Open Letter to Traveling Musicians

Snug as a Bed Bug in a Rug: Tips for Dealing with Bed Bugs