How to have a bed bug free holiday season
When traveling to relatives for the holiday season, Northeastern Exterminating wants to remind you to always be weary of bed bugs. Although there are other pests you should worry about while traveling, bed bugs are number one on our list. They are great travelers, survivors, and hide in many unexpected places. November and December are known to be one of the busiest travel months, so we want you to be prepared! In today’s blog post we will inform you about all you should know when traveling by place, boat, or car – to avoid bed bugs at all cost!
- Before you leave. When packing to go on a flight, train or car ride it is a good idea to buy luggage liners. You can also put all of your clothes inside space bags to prevent infestation of your clothing. We have even seen someone go as far as shrink wrapping their entire luggage. That might seem ridiculous , but it actually works wonders!
- Arriving at your location. When you arrive at your destination immediately put all of your luggage into the bathroom. The reason for this is because this is the last place bed bugs can be found. The reason your doing this is to first perform a bed bug inspection on your bed. After you perform that inspection you may check inside the draws to make sure no bugs are visible. If you dont find anything, now you may put your luggage where you wish. It is always a great idea to keep your clothes out of the draws if possible to reduce the chances of placing clothes in infested draws.
- Getting back home. The best tip when you get back home is to immediately wash all your clothes in the washing machine. This will kill any bed bugs or bed bug eggs that you may have brought home with you.
Follow those three steps and you can truly reduce the chances of introducing a bed bug infestation into your home. Any step you take as a precaution is better then none. Always consult with hotel management about any bed bug sightings. Also if you have encountered a bed bug bite, or sighting it is a great idea to call a bed bug specialist in your area. Alert them of your situation and schedule an inspection for about 2 weeks after you arrive back home. Have a happy holidays and keep those bed bugs away!
