Everyone knows the saying, “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.” It has never been more true than it is now.

Bed bugs are extremely efficient hitch hikers. They can move easily across a room and climb onto luggage or anything left on a bed in just one night. Hotels are perfect homes for bed bugs because of the ready supply of fresh hosts to feed on, and the difficulty of sustaining bed bug control in such facilities over the long-term.

Here are some tips to help you sleep tight while traveling.

Upon arrival always inspect your hotel room. Travellers should look for live insects, blood stains, dead bugs and eggs throughout the room. Bed bugs are not a sanitation or cleanliness issue. This means bed bugs can be found in any hotel or motel – from a one-star all the way up to a five-star location. What signs should you look for? With any large infestation of bed bugs you will notice a sweet, musty, odour, similar to soda pop syrup. Bed bugs will leave small brown or red spots on the sheets.

Bed bugs usually hide in close proximity to their food source – you! Bed bugs are nocturnal insects and disappear into the crevices of mattresses (pay particular attention to the seams and crevasses), box springs, sheets, furniture, upholstery and hollow bedposts during the day. Other hiding spots include behind baseboards or pictures and even in any wallpaper that might be cracked or torn. You can lift and look around all these possible hiding spots in order to check for bed bugs in a hotel room.

Make sure to elevate your luggage and any other personal items. Always inspect the luggage rack carefully for any signs of bed bugs. If it appears free of bed bug signs use it to keep your suitcase off the floor and away from the bed. Moving the luggage rack away from the wall will help reduce the risk of bed bugs crawling up the wall and into your belongings.

When you are packing to check out always examine your luggage to make sure you have not picked up any unwelcome guests. Since bed bugs are such great hitch hikers be sure to check your luggage and clothing upon your return home. Many recommend unpacking and checking in your garage or utility room.

When you return home, leave your luggage in the garage, and immediately launder all cloth items. The first places bed bugs typically encounter are bags and suitcases so keeping your luggage outside may help keep them out of your home. Depending on where you live, keeping luggage outdoors may also leave bed bugs outside their comfortable range of temperatures. You can also eliminate bed bugs that may have gotten into clothing by laundering (washing and drying) all fabric items in hot water, although recent studies show that 20 minutes in a clothes dryer is all that is needed to ensure 100% control.

Efficiently treating and detecting for a bed bug infestation requires the use of a licensed, professional Pest Control Operator with specific experience dealing with these pests. No one has more experience than Orkin Canada so call today and schedule a bed bug inspection.

QUICK FACTS & TIPS

Some things you can do to reduce the risk of picking up bed bugs as you travel include:

  • Do not put your clothing or luggage directly on the bed. If bed bugs are present in the bed, they can climb into bags, suitcases or any laundry left on the bed.
  • Use metal luggage racks at all times. Bed bugs cannot easily climb metal surfaces, so they make an ideal overnight spot for your suitcase. Keep the rack away from the walls and any wooden furniture.
  • Use small plastic bags to pack clothing, shoes and other personal items. This will help prevent any bed bugs that climb into your suitcase from getting into your house with your clothing. Bed bugs can also hide in books, cloth toiletry kits and other non-metal personal items.
  • Hotels aren’t the only bed bug travel threats. Bed bugs thrive in dark, cool places with long-term access to humans. They can also be found on airplane and train seats, buses or in rental cars. It’s rare but it is possible to pick up bed bugs in places like these.