Leave The Bed Bugs At Home On Your Vacation

Bed bugs are a growing concern across the country, and many homes are infested with these pesky creatures. If your home is among the infested, it is important to attempt to contain the bed bugs and prevent transferring them to other places. This can be a difficult task if you are planning a trip or vacation. Whether you are staying over at a relative's house or vacationing in a hotel, there are a few steps you can take to avoid transporting a bed bug infestation.

How Bed Bugs Travel

Bed bugs do not travel directly on people. Instead, they will hitch a ride on your clothing or luggage that you bring with you. When you are packing, inspect and wipe everything you put in your luggage, including the spines of books and electronics because bed bugs can even hide in these items.

Bring as Little as Possible

Knowing that your own blankets and pillows are probably infested with bed bugs, leave them at home. Kindly accept to use the bedding provided by your host or hotel. Use their hair dryer, shampoo, and towels and anything that is not a personal item.  Pack as lightly as possible.

Wash Your Clothes

Pack your clothes in plastic bags and then wash your clothes as soon as you arrive. This may mean taking a trip to the laundromat, but you and your host will be glad you did. Use the highest setting possible on both the washer and dryer, as long as the fabric can withstand the setting. The temperature should be over 120 degrees F in order to kill the bed bugs. You could also take items to the dry cleaners. When the laundry is finished, seal it in clean plastic bags. Hand wash any other items that cannot go in the washing machine with hot, soapy water.

Undress on a Hard Surface

When you take off the clothes you wore on the trip, do so on a hard floor like the bathroom, rather than on carpet. Then wipe the floor with a wet cloth to capture any bed bugs that may have traveled with you on your clothes. If possible, leave your suitcase and any other items you brought in a tiled area.

Vacuum Luggage

Ask to borrow the vacuum cleaner and suck up any bed bugs that may be hiding in the seams of the luggage. After vacuuming your luggage, you can package it in a black plastic bag and leave it outside in the sun for a few hours if you are staying in a hot climate. If the weather is cold, you might be able to do the same thing, but you will need to leave the suitcase outside for a couple of weeks to ensure that any bugs have been frozen. You can do this with briefcases and backpacks as well.

Bring Your Own Bag

Out of courtesy for your hosts, bring your own zippered mattress bag to place around the mattress you will be using. Alternatively, you can place a large piece of plastic between the mattress and the sheet. Protecting the mattress is one of the best ways you can prevent transporting an infestation.

Before You Leave

Make sure you don't leave any unwanted bed bugs behind when your stay is finished. Wash all the bedding you used at the hottest settings possible and vacuum the area you were using. Hand wash any other items that you borrowed and wipe wooden and tiled floors with wet cloths.

Controlling bed bugs can be a time consuming process but you and your hosts will be thankful when you take these steps to avoid transferring them to a new home. Once you have returned home successfully, contact a bed bug pest control service, such as Midwest Exterminating, immediately to eliminate your own infestation. Then, on your next trip, you can travel without the bugs and without the stress.

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