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July 14, 2017
Are you traveling this summer? Then you will want to enjoy your trip and have carefree days of fun in the sun. It’s nice to relax and enjoy vacation time alone or with friends and family after working hard the rest of the year. The last thing you need is to be exposed to bed bugs or worse, to bring them home with you. Make sure you know where these nearly invisible pests are hiding and how to avoid bringing them home with you. Bed bugs can be hiding anywhere people frequent like guest homes, apartments, hotels, motels, and condos. They can also be hiding at nursing homes, daycares, hospitals, and transportation stations; but they can also be lurking on buses, trains, boats, planes, and taxi cabs.
These tiny parasites feed on your blood, and you may not even know they were there until you can see and feel the tell-tale signs of their bite marks. Their bite may cause a red, itchy, raised area of skin that resembles a mosquito bite except these are in a grouping or linear pattern. Some people may have a more severe reaction to the bites than others. But, don’t cancel that long-awaited trip; just use a little bed bug know-how to help you prevent bed bug exposure.
Research: First you will want to research your accommodations. Check reviews on the place where you will be staying. If there are multiple comments about bed bugs, it’s best to look at other options.
Packing: When packing for your trip, use hard-sided luggage if you can. Cloth luggage attracts bed bugs. That way, if bed bugs are around, they are not hitching a ride home from you in or on your luggage. Another tip is to seal your clothing and other items in large and extra large Ziploc bags inside your luggage. Just make sure you take all of the air out of them and make sure they are sealed tightly. You may also want to pack a flashlight for inspecting for bed bugs.
Checking in: Once you have checked in and enter the area you will be staying in, keep your luggage off the floor. Metal luggage racks are a better place to keep your luggage, and it’s best to live out of your suitcase rather than placing your clothing in the drawers of potentially infested dressers.
Inspection: Thoroughly inspect bedding, mattresses, seams, and zippers. Look behind headboards and around bed frames, inside dressers and behind wall hangings for signs of bed bugs. Look for tiny black spots or feces, translucent skin casings, and actual live bugs. Bed bugs are flat, oval, and reddish brown. You may need a flashlight to find them. If you DO find bed bugs in your room, you should ask to be moved to another location, and inspect the new location as well.
Checking out: This is, perhaps, one of your most important procedures since you don’t want to bring any hidden bed bugs home with you. Inspect all of your items! Your luggage and bags including purses and computer bags and cases should be carefully inspected for signs of these tiny bugs. If you find bed bugs or signs of them, you may want to take the extra time to launder all of your clothing in hot water and placing them directly into new Ziploc bags as they come out of the dryer. Wipe down all baggage surfaces once you are outside to get rid of any unwanted hitchhiking bed bugs.
Home at last: Inspect everything again before entering your home. Wipe down baggage outside, and launder your clothing in hot water immediately.
If by chance you still ended up with bed bugs, don’t panic. They are a nuisance, but they are not considered dangerous. They can easily be dealt with by a professional pest solutions business. Pine State Pest Solutions, a locally owned Maine pest control company, specializes in bed bug detection and remediation services. With bed bug control services available for the entire state of Maine, our bed bug division is ready to go to work for you. All you have to do is pick up the phone and call Pine State, Maine’s specialists in bed bug control services.
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