How to Avoid Bed Bugs When You Travel

How to Avoid Bed Bugs When You Travel Bed bugs were once a pest of the past, but they’ve made a remarkable comeback in recent years. Just a few hitchhiking bed bugs in your luggage can start a full-scale infestation of these bloodsucking insects in your home.   What Do Bed Bugs Look Like? Adult bed bugs are oval in  shape and brown or reddish in color. Immature bed bugs tend to be lighter in color. Bed bugs usually live in groups, so where theres one, theres likely to be many. Other signs that bed bugs are present include tiny black spots on linens or furniture (excrement) and piles of light brown skin casings. 4 Common Myths About Bed Bugs The mere thought of bed bugs might be enough to make your skin crawl (literally!), but its important you understand a few things about these pests and their habits. Bed bugs dont transmit diseases and arent generally considered a threat to your health. As with any insect bite, bed bug bites can be itchy, and some peoples skin may be more sensitive than others.Bed bugs are not a product of filth. They will inhabit even the cleanest of homes. Dont assume your house or your hotel room is too clean to host bed bugs. If theres something for them to eat (usually you), bed bugs will be just as happy in a 5-star resort as they will in a cheap motel.Bed bugs are nocturnal. That means theyre only going to show their faces at night when its good and dark. Dont expect to walk into a hotel room in broad daylight and see bed bugs crawling up the walls.Bed bugs are really small. Adult  bed bugs are visible to the naked eye but youll need a magnifying glass to spot their eggs. Because theyre so tiny, bed bugs can hide in places youd never think of looking.   Fortunately, theres plenty you can do to minimize your chances of bringing bed bugs home from your next vacation or business trip. What to Research Before You Go Before you hit the road on your next vacation or business trip, do your homework. People are quick to share their travel experiences online, especially when it comes to  bed bugs  in hotel rooms. Websites like  Tripadvisor, where customers post their own reviews of hotels and resorts, are invaluable resources to  see if your hotel has  a bed bug problem. You can also check out  bedbugregistry.com, an online database that tracks reported  bed bug infestations  in hotels and apartments. The bottom line – if people are saying theyve seen  bed bugs at a certain hotel  or resort, dont stay there on your trip. How to Pack to Avoid Bed Bugs Use sealable sandwich bags. This way even if you do end up in a room with the pests your belongings will be protected. Get yourself a good supply of large baggies (gallon  sizes work great), and seal everything you can inside them. Clothing, shoes, toiletries, and even books can be zipped up tight. Make sure you seal the baggies completely, as even a tiny opening can allow a wandering bed bug to get in. When in your hotel room, keep the baggies zipped shut unless you need access to an item inside. Use hard-sided luggage.  Cloth-sided luggage offers bed bugs a million hideaways. Hard-sided luggage doesnt have folds or seams where bed bugs can hide, and it closes completely, with no gaps so the pests cant penetrate your bags interior.   If you must use soft-sided luggage for your trip, lighter-colored bags are better. Bed bugs will be virtually impossible to spot on black or dark-colored bags. Pack clothing that is easy to launder. Avoid packing clothing that can only be laundered in cold water. Washing in hot water, then drying at high heat, does a good job of killing any bed bugs carried home on clothes, so youll want to choose garments that can be easily debugged  when you return. How to Inspect Your Hotel Room for Bed Bugs When you arrive at your hotel or resort, leave your luggage in the car or with the bellhop. Should you walk in and find a room teeming with  bed bugs, you dont want your belongings sitting in the midst of the infestation.  Dont bring your bags into the room until youve done a proper bed bug inspection. Bed bugs hide during daylight hours, and theyre quite small, so finding them takes a little work. Its a good idea to  carry a small flashlight  when you  travel since bed bugs will likely be hiding  in the darkest crevices of the room.  A LED  key chain makes a great bed bug inspection tool.   The sulfur in an unlit match will cause the bugs to flee. Run an unlit match along the seam of the mattress to bring the bugs out of hiding. Where to Look When Inspecting a Hotel Room for Bed Bugs Start with the bed (theyre called bed bugs for a reason, after all). Check the linens thoroughly for any signs of bed bugs, especially around any seams, piping, or ruffles. Dont forget to inspect the dust ruffle, a common hiding place for  bed bugs  that  are  often overlooked. Pull back the sheets, and inspect the mattress, again looking carefully at any seams or piping. If theres a box spring, check for bed bugs there as well. If possible, lift each corner of the mattress and box spring and inspect the bed frame, another popular hiding place for bed bugs. Bed bugs can also live in wood. Continue your inspection by examining any furniture or other items near the bed.  The majority of bed bugs  live within close proximity to the bed. If you are able, inspect behind the headboard, which is often mounted on the wall in hotel rooms. Also, look behind picture frames and mirrors. Pull out any drawers, using your flashlight to look inside the dresser and nightstand. What to Do If You Find Bed Bugs in Your Hotel Room? Go immediately to the front desk and ask for a different room. Tell the management what bed bug evidence you found, and specify that you want a room with no history of bed bug problems. Dont let them give you a room adjacent to the room where you found bed bugs (including the rooms above or below it), as bed bugs can easily travel through ductwork or wall cracks into adjoining rooms. Be sure to repeat your bed bug inspection in the new room, too. While Youre Staying at the Hotel Just because you didnt find any bed bugs, doesnt mean they arent there. Its quite possible your room could still have pests, so take a few extra precautions. Never place your luggage or your clothing on the floor or bed. Store your bags on the luggage rack or on top of a dresser, off the floor. Keep any  items, not in use sealed in baggies. How to Unpack From Your Trip and Kill Any Stowaway Bed Bugs After you check out of the hotel, you can take steps to keep any undetected  bed bugs  from following you home. Before you put your luggage in the car to head home, place it in a large plastic garbage bag and knot it tightly closed. Once you get home, unpack carefully.   All clothing and other machine washable items should be laundered immediately in the hottest water allowable.  Clothes should then dried on high heat for at least 30 minutes. This should kill any bed bugs that managed to stow away. Freeze things that cant be washed or heated. Items that cannot be exposed to water or heat can be frozen instead, although this takes longer to destroy  the bed bug eggs. Keep these belongings sealed in baggies, and place them in a freezer for a minimum of 5 days. Electronics and other items that cannot survive such temperature extremes should be inspected thoroughly, preferably outdoors or in a garage or other area of the house with limited carpeting or furniture. Inspect your luggage, especially soft-sided pieces. Check the zippers, lining, pockets, and any piping or seams carefully  for signs of bed bugs. Ideally, you should steam clean your soft-sided luggage. Wipe down hard-sided luggage and check any fabric inner lining thoroughly.