Protection from Bed Bugs while Traveling

This is the season for traveling and visiting with family and friends. If hotels, taxis and airplanes are part of your travel plans, you will want to educate yourself about a little hitchhiker who may ruin your plans not only while you are traveling but once you return home as well. That hitchhiker is the unwanted guest of your journey - the bed bug. Here are some steps you can take while travelling to avoid bed bug bites and future infestations if they tag along home with you after your trip is done.Do your homework - Research hotels and airlines and ask about recent bed bug infestations. Ask how an infestation was managed (if there was one) and the dates when the most recent event occurred. Visit The Bedbug Registry (https://www.bedbugregistry.com) before you book your hotel. With this registry, you can see what lodgings have experienced bed bugs, how they were managed and whether there have been any recurrences.Invest in Prevention - Buy luggage that is collapsable that can be put in the dryer after travel is complete. If you still use suitcases buy bed bug resistant liners that can be purchased at Amazon to protect your clothing.Inspect - Your best weapon against bed bugs is knowledge. Know what they look like, their habits, and how to find them. Check our home page for pictures of bed bugs at all the stages of development. Inspect beds and chairs in your hotel room before you unpack your clothes or lay in the bed. When flying or traveling by rental car, taxi, bus or train, examine your seat. Look for dark specks of feces, egg casings, bed bug skins, blood stains and live bed bugs along mattress seams, the bed frame, and the headboard. If you discover bed bugs request a different room.Be Careful with your Luggage - Keep your luggage on a folding stand or in the bathtub. Bed bugs have difficulty climbing up metal, and they typically harbor about 5 feet from beds, so bathrooms are not common areas for bed bugs to infest. Do not put clothing in drawers or on the floor of the hotel room.Prevent a Home Infestation - Throw clothes in the dryer and dry them on high heat for at least 30 minutes immediately upon returning home from your trip. High heat kills bed bugs at all stages of their lifecycle, but make sure you do not stuff the dryer. You want the heat to penetrate every inch of fabric. Vacuum out all luggage and bags, including the seams, crevices and compartments.Bed Bugs are successful hitchhikers. Don't let them tag along on your next vacation or come home with you. Follow these five tips prior to and during your travels and you can avoid the unwanted bed bug. Make sure bed bugs are not a part of your next family vacation.