What Travelers Need to Know

 

Bed bugs are found all over the world. They feed only on blood and leave behind itchy bites on your body. Bed bugs hide in spaces as narrow as a credit card when they are not feeding. They aren’t known to transmit disease - but you don’t want to bring them home. Make sure you know what to look for while on your travels! It is important to know how to protect yourself and/or friends and family from bed bugs. Here are some helpful tips:

 

Bedbugs can very simply hide within your luggage, clothing, personal bedding and other personal items. So while you are traveling you do not want to carry your own personal pillows and sheets with you. This increases the chance of bedbugs gaining another place to hide and also increases the chance of them being able to come home with you.

 

Pack some large sealable plastic garbage bags in case you need to separate any belongings while you are traveling on the road.

Light or white colored plastic luggage is recommended, because bed bugs are meagerly attracted to plastic, plus the lighter color makes them much easier to identify.

You will want to perform a complete inspection of the room before you bring in any of your luggage, pets or other personal items.

You do not want to place your luggage on or around the bed. Instead place your luggage on a tile floor (like in the kitchen or the bathroom), away from any upholstered surfaces within the room.

Heat clothes, coats and shoes in a clothes dryer on high for 30 minutes to kill hitchhiking bugs.

When traveling, bring a small bright (LED) flashlight for inspections. Inspect your hotel room with a flashlight and be on the lookout for bugs and blood spots. Look first in the corners, crevices, and folds of fabric in the bedding and mattress, including the bed skirt! Check along the edge of the bare mattress, between the mattress and box spring and the bed and wall.
Also don't forget to look behind the headboard  - lift it off the brackets and around joints in bedside tables, including all dresser drawers and behind them.

If you do see any notification of any bedbugs, make sure that you quickly alert the staff at the front desk so that they can perform the proper bed bug treatment, and request another room, or make another reservation at a different location. If you do decide to change rooms within the same hotel, make sure that your new room is not directly next to the possibly infested room.

 

If you are still concerned about bed bugs becoming a problem in your home, it is highly recommended that you contact the bed bug experts in Delaware, LBPM for a thorough inspection and to take control measures if necessary. For more information on bed bugs, our scent detection dogs and bed bug treatments for Delaware and Maryland make sure that you check out our website or contact your local exterminator in Delaware, Lady Bug Pest Management!