Are You Traveling This Holiday Season? How to Avoid Bringing Bed Bugs Home With You
This holiday season, bed bugs are one item that are sure to not be on your holiday wish list. Unfortunately, with thousands of people traveling, many people will take this unwanted gift home with them. And bed bugs can be the gift that just keeps on giving, as they are extremely challenging to get rid of. As such, you want to learn how you can avoid bringing them home with you if you are traveling this holiday season. Here are a few tips to help minimize the chances of infesting your home with bed bugs after traveling.
Pick the Right Bags
If you are preparing to travel this holiday season, being proactive can help to minimize your chances of bed bugs following you home. One of the best tips is to purchase hard-sided luggage. Bed bugs can live on soft or fabric luggage. They can be transferred from one person's luggage when your luggage is stored underneath a train or in the overhead compartment of a plane. They can also transfer from luggage into taxi cabs, where they can then latch onto your soft-sided luggage. Bed bugs are a huge concern, and they are everywhere. Picking the right bag can help to ensure you don't pick up any hitchhikers during the traveling portion of your trip.
Check Hotel Rooms for Bed Bugs
Once you have completed the travel portion of your trip and have checked in to your hotel room, take a little bit of time to check the hotel room for bed bugs. One of the biggest misconceptions is that you don't have to worry about these pests in high-end hotels. Bed bugs don't care if they live in a one-star motel or a five-star hotel. As such, you want to inspect the room carefully. Be sure to check for blood droppings or feces on the edges of mattresses, and pull back the sheet corners to see if you see anything scurrying away.
Leave Your Luggage in the Garage
Once you have arrived home, always leave your luggage in your garage, on your patio, or your balcony. Never bring it into your home right away. Take the time to launder your clothes on the warmest temperature setting the clothes can withstand, and then store the luggage out of your home for at least a week. This helps to reduce the chances of any bed bugs you may have picked up making their way into your home.
Unfortunately, despite these tips, there is always a chance that you bring these pests into your home unknowingly. Bed bugs can multiply quickly. If you have been traveling and suspect you brought these unwanted pests home with you, contact a pest control company immediately. The sooner they can begin to treat your home, the less time bed bugs have to multiply and spread throughout your home.
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