How to Prevent Bed Bug Infestation While Traveling

With Spring Break finally here, and Summer just around the corner, that means it’s finally vacation season! Every great trip means bringing home new memories, souvenirs, and maybe a tan… but something tiny and sinister might be following you home, too.

That’s right, we’re talking about the scourge of travelers everywhere: bed bugs. The only thing worse than being feasted on by these little bloodsuckers is bringing them back to your home – but don’t worry. Armed with the right knowledge, you can avoid bed bugs in your travels and keep them out of your personal space.

Before You Leave

Know What Bed Bugs Look Like

Before you work yourself up into a panic over every dark spot, you need to know how to properly identify these pesky little parasites.

Adult bed bugs are small, reddish brown insects that vary from 1 to 7 millimeters in length. They are wingless, semi-translucent, and oval in shape. Adult bed bugs are often the approximate size and shape of an apple seed.

Packing Tips

Careful packing can cut down on opportunities for bed bugs to hitch a ride back to your home. Consider hard shelled luggage options to reduce risk – soft suitcase and bag options offer folds, seams, and other spaces where bugs can easily pass undetected. Additionally, packing clothes, toiletries, shoes, books, electronics, and other personal items in their own sealable plastic bags within your suitcase can help prevent (or contain) potential infestations within your luggage. Packing a reliable flashlight can help assist with spotting bed bugs when at the hotel.

At The Hotel

Inspect the Room

It can be tempting to unpack or crash down onto the bed when you finally arrive at your hotel – but the first order of business when you get to your room should be checking for invaders. Bed bugs are small and excellent at hide-and-seek, so careful inspection can be necessary to spot them.

Bed bugs conceal themselves within small cracks, seams, folds in fabric, and small openings in highly-trafficked areas. Bed bugs in hotels will be found in the bed, in furniture, or in close proximity to those items. Be on the lookout for live bed bugs, spots of blood, rust-colored stains, or groupings of black spots that look similar to mold. A pungent, musty/sweet smell may also be present. Make sure to pull back and check the sheets, the mattress seams, and the box spring. You should also inspect all sofas, chairs, headboards, baseboards, and upholstery, as well as behind picture frames and furniture. Bed bugs are most active at night, when their hosts are asleep.

If your inspection reveals any evidence of bedbugs, inform hotel management and request to change rooms (or hotels) immediately.

Keep Your Luggage Neat

Even if your room inspection returned no ill omens, there’s always the slight possibility of being surprised later. These tips can help keep your luggage bug free:

Store luggage on the provided luggage racks
Store clothes properly – hang them in the closet or keep them inside your sealed suitcase or bags
Keep personal belongings secure in their sealed bags when not in use
Store dirty clothes in sealed bags so they may be easily cleaned at home

When You Get Home

Check Your Luggage

Even a small number of bed bugs can cause a full-blown home infestation if you inadvertently carry them back to your residence. For this reason, it’s always best to thoroughly inspect your suitcases and other luggage items outside or in the garage before you bring them into the house. For apartments, you can check your luggage on the balcony or even in the bath (smooth surfaces like baths and showers are difficult for bed bugs to climb). Closely inspect seams, corners, folds, and pockets.

Unpack Clothes Over the Washer

Don’t wait to unpack! Take items out of your luggage and inspect them right away, and move clothes directly from your bag into the washer to avoid dropping potential stowaways on the floors of your home. All clothes from your trip should be washed on a hot water cycle, even the ones you didn’t wear.

Vacuum or Steam Luggage

Before storing your bags again, vacuum or steam clean all luggage from your trip. A heated garment steamer will kill any bed bugs that may be riding on your suitcase, as bed bugs and their offspring cannot survive in temperatures over 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

When to Call the Bed Bug Exterminator

If you do end up spotting these dreaded pests in your home, or if you start waking up with small red bite marks on your body, don’t fret – the bug experts have you covered. Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to treat, but Bug Zapper’s highly-trained staff and cutting-edge extermination methods ensure incredible results every time.

Our helpful pest control technicians will get you started with a comprehensive bed bug inspection to determine the root of your problem (bed bug or otherwise), we’ll provide expert guidance during and after the process, and we’ll ready an individualized treatment plan to get you living pest free as fast as possible. Satisfaction is always guaranteed with Bug Zapper, and our bed bug treatments come with a 90 day 100% bed-bug-free guarantee.

Bug Zapper services Albany, Grants Pass, Roseburg, Ashland, Hillsboro, Salem, Aloha, McMinnville, Sherwood, Beaverton, Medford, Wilsonville, Corvallis, Newberg, Woodburn, Eugene, Portland, Tigard, and Tualatin.