How To Avoid Bed Bugs While Traveling

No hotel can be absolutely certain that a room is bed bug free since bed bugs could have been brought in right after the most recent inspection. If the management is on top of the things, the worst you'll face will be a low level problem.

Search your hotel's name along with the word "bed bugs" on Google. You can also visit tripadvisor.com or bedbugregistry.com for customer reviews about particular hotels. Invest in a hard-shelled suitcase as it has fewer folds and seams where bed bugs may hide. Don't go into a bed bug hotel

Spray your luggage with a bed bug repellent as an added precaution. Pack your clothes, toiletries, and other belongings in large Ziploc bags. Don't keep your suitcase on the bed or stow it under the bed.

Place your luggage including any purse, backpack, duffel bag, on the luggage rack or on hard floor like in the bathroom. Place shoes out in the open instead of in dark corners or under the bed.

When you get to the hotel, check your room for bed bugs before bringing in your luggage.

1. Pull back the sheet and the bed linen.
2. Inspect the bed thoroughly for rusty or brownish spots.
3. Check the piping along the mattress, box spring and frame.
4. Check behind the head board. Use a flash light if necessary.
5. Pay close attention to corners and cracks and keep an eye open for blood stains.
6. Also inspect the area around the night stand, the sofa and the drapes.

Whether you spot a live bug or other bed bug evidence, immediately call the front desk and explain the situation. Do not take matters in your own hands by simply squashing the bug. Do not stay in the room overnight. Walk away immediately!

When you get home, closely inspect your luggage and belongings for any evidence of bed bugs. Unpack in the bathroom or laundry room, away from furniture and sleeping areas. Conduct a through inspection, paying close attention to pockets, seams and lining.

Thoroughly vacuum or steam clean the luggage before putting it away. Run everything that can be laundered through a hot wash, a 30 minute hot dryer cycle, or dry clean it.

Be sure to take all these precautionary measures as bed bugs can attach themselves to any thing and gain entry into your home. If you get settled at home and suspect that you may have brought back bed bugs with you, contact a bed bug control professional.

This is not a DIY job. A professional will know exactly how to identify and treat the bed bugs.

Bed bugs are very challenging pests to eliminate permanently as they are extremely resilient and are able to live for several months without feeding. They are very good at hiding themselves and the treatment process to completely eradicate them must be very thorough.

Taking swift and decisive action to call a professional bed bug exterminator can limit the bed bug infestation in your home and accelerate the extermination process. Bed bugs multiply at an alarming rate and it is not a problem that you can just ignore and deal with at a later date.

Choosing to call a bed bug control service has many advantages, especially that they can take the majority of the challenging work of getting rid of a bed bug infestation out of your hands. If you plan to do it yourself, the tedious process may take several months, including numerous treatments to completely eradicate the infestation.

To ensure a proper extermination of bed bugs from your home, you need to hire the right professional or service, be clear about what you expect and want done, plus know how to monitor the service you get. You need to know that not all pest management companies are of the same quality and some may not be as well trained or as experienced in managing a bed bug infestation.

The first step towards hiring a professional pest control service is to find out about the pest control professionals in your area. You will need to narrow down the search to those pest control companies specializing in bed bug control. The quickest way to start your search for a list of bed bug exterminators will be by internet. You may also find advertisements of pest control services in your local newspapers.

Another place to look is the phone book, which usually have an entire section related to pest control services. Search the listings for companies dealing with bed bugs. Finally, you can ask people who have already dealt with bed bug problem for recommendations. Ask them how satisfied they were with bed bug extermination service.

Once you have find the list of all the available options, the next step is to decide which service to choose. Don't rush into making an immediate decision. Choose a qualified and licensed pest control company that has plenty of bed bug control experience and understands the best ways to deal with bed bug control extermination.

Find out if the company in consideration is member of any local, state, or national pest management association.

Interview the pest management company about the methods they are going to use to exterminate bed bugs. Most companies will follow an integrated pest management approach to get rid of bed bugs. Also find out if the company provides any insurance or guarantee to help protect your furniture and property against accidental damage during the extermination process.

When you are ready to make a decision, make sure to buy value, not price. The cheapest may not be the best solution. Hire the professional who offers the most thorough service at the best valued price.