Travel is a holiday necessity for many families, whether it’s for a winter vacation or just to reconnect with family in other places. For many travelers, though, the holiday season can also end up being a pest control nightmare.
Due to their very nature, bed bugs are brought into homes following holiday travel. We’re breaking down how to avoid bed bugs during your holiday travel to help prevent a post-holiday bed bug infestation in your home.
Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?
Despite their name, bed bugs are found in far more locations than simply beds; in fact, these pests congregate virtually anywhere humans do. Some of the most common places bed bugs congregate are in hotel rooms and on public transportation.
How Do You Get Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are elusive and easily hitchhike from one place to another. They’ll latch onto clothing, shoes, luggages, or other items, which gives them opportunities to travel to new homes to take over. So, if you’re riding in an Uber, for example, and the last rider brought in bed bugs on their bag, which then hop onto your bag, which you take back into your home…boom—you could be looking at a future bed bug infestation in your house.
Inside a home, bed bugs can quickly spread, and they’re not limited to living in your bed or even your bedroom. We commonly find bed bugs in all of the following locations:
- Inside box springs
- Mattress seams
- Behind baseboards
- Inside electrical switch plates
- In photo frames
- Cracks and crevices of walls
- Headboards
- Couches
How to Prevent a Bed Bug Infestation While Traveling
If you are traveling this holiday season, here are some tips to help you prevent bringing bed bugs into your home.
- Use hard-shelled luggage, which have fewer hiding places in the seams and folds for bed bugs to hide.
- If you’re staying in a hotel room, do a thorough check of the mattress and bedding before placing any of your belongings on the bed. Be sure to check under the linens and pillows, along the mattress seams, and behind the headboard.
- Bed bugs feed on human blood, so be sure to look for stains or spots on any sheets which can be indicative of an underlying problem.
- If you change hotel rooms due to a bed bug infestation, keep in mind that bed bugs could also be in rooms directly above, below, or adjacent to your first room!
- Always inspect any luggage or belongings before you bring them back into your home after time away.
Dealing with Bed Bugs? Call Suburban Exterminating
Bed bugs are great at hiding, and despite your most careful efforts, sometimes they can literally slip through the cracks. If you think you may be dealing with a bed bug infestation in your home, don’t sweat it—Suburban Exterminating’s technicians are highly trained and ready to solve your pest control issue—just call or text (631/516) 864-6900 for your professional inspection!
