Summer Travel? Avoid Bed Bugs with these Tips

After more than a full year of not traveling because of the risks of spreading and contracting COVID-19, many Americans are finally back to hitting the road and taking to the skies once again. According to Air Tracker online, the airline industry took a major pounding in 2020, but they seem to be bouncing back with an increase in recreational and business travel from the last quarter of 2020 to the second quarter of 2021. Are you going to be one of the hundred of thousands that are planning summer travel this year?Summer travel seems to be in the cards for many Americans as many people are now becoming vaccinated and want to set off to their favorite locations. While the risk of bringing coronavirus back home with you seems to have decreased substantially, the risk of bringing home an unwanted pest has not. We are talking about the hitchhiking pest called the bed bug.Here is a quick guide to help you get back into the summer travel mode while still being safe from bed bugs at each hotel, on each plane, bus, Uber, and train you take.

Tips to Avoid Bed Bugs While Traveling

After the year we have just experienced, we all deserve to head off to some tropical location and relax for an extended vacation. Summer travel can be fun and enjoyable, unfortunately, traveling means being aware of bed bugs at each step of the way.The National Pest Management Association states that bed bugs have made a major resurgence since the late 1990s. More and more travelers are noticing the telltale signs of bed bug infestations in hotels, busses, planes, and other common areas during their trips.

• Check the Bed Bug Registry to see if the hotel or resort you are traveling to has any reports of bed bugs in the past few months.
• If the resort has any past violations or infestations, ask what steps they have taken to prevent future bed bug occurrences.
• Inspect your seating on planes, busses, and anywhere you sit in a public place. Look for active bed bugs, smaller larvae, nymphs, or blood stains caused by previous bites.
• Keep your clothes hanging and off the floor of your hotel room.
• Inspect the furnishings in your lodging including taking the sheets off the bed and looking for signs of bed bugs on the mattress seams.
• Inspect the other furnishing including drapery, sofa, chairs, and dressers.
• Keep your suitcase off the floor and in a plastic bag if possible. Check the case before leaving for home to be sure you are not bridging bed bugs back home with you.
• Use laundry facilities to wash and dry your clothes in hot water and high heat before you head home. If laundry facilities are not available, put your clothes in a garbage bag and wash immediately when arriving home.
• Look for distinct signs that bed bugs have been a problem in the room(s) you are staying in or vehicles you have traveled in.

If bed bugs have traveled home with you after your vacation, you may need professional help to remove the problem before it gets worse. Talk to our bed bug specialists about our treatment options and what might be best for your home.