There isn’t much more entertaining or exciting than hitting the open roads. The prospect of meeting new individuals and discovering new sights for the first time. It’s all very exciting, right down to the planning stages. Maybe you are just one of those fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of people. Whatever the situation is, you also must know there are plenty of potential dangers associated with traveling these days
Not only must one worry about scams and muggings, but you also must worry about a little pesky pest known as the
bed bug. Luckily, this something that might be avoided with the right information.
Understanding The Bed Bug
If you are going to tackle any pest, you might first understand its mentality and personality. This is especially true when it comes to the little pesky bedfellow that hails from the Cimex lectularius Order. These pests are particularly known for their thirst for warm blood. They are commonly found feeding on humans and sometimes animals. Generally, nocturnal pests, these
bedbugs will live within the cracks and crevices of your home, coming out to feed when you are asleep. They are only considered nocturnal because most people sleep at night. If you sleep during the day, this is when they would feed, thus forcing them to sleep at night.
In addition to living in the cracks and crevices of the home, they’ll also hide in the mattress, box springs, carpet, baseboards, electrical outlets, and a variety of other hard-to-access locations. They are incredibly resilient and have adapted to most pest management pesticides. The chemicals that used to once be effective at eliminating them have grown weaker and weaker.
Bed bugs typically only feed on the exposed skin, although their bites look like that of mosquitoes and mites. Given that they feed on the exposed skin, this usually helps dictate the placement of the bites.
They oftentimes appear in rows of two or three and can cause excessive itching and hive-like welts in some individuals. It’s not something you’ll want to experience. Especially not if you are getting feed on by an entire colony.
Travel Tips For Today
This might seem a bit obvious, but the very first thing you are going to want to do is, inspect your room. It doesn’t matter if you are paying $100 a night or $300 a night, you’ll want to at least give the room a visual inspection. It’d be much better to get in there and physically look in the drapes, under the mattress, in the pillowcases, and other potential hiding spots, but if a visual inspection is all you can achieve, it’ll do.
Another good tip is to always avoid upholstered furniture like sofas, couches, and chairs. Avoid them in the room and in the lobby, regardless of how enticing they appear.
Avoid leaving your luggage sitting on carpeted floors.
Bed bugs will hide in carpet and rugs and hitch rides on your luggage. They’ll ride the piece all the way back to the home. Instead, utilize the hotel’s racks. Don’t even unpack your clothes in the drawers until you’ve performed a good inspection of the area.
Keeping your luggage always closed also helps. Of course, there will be times when you must open it, but if you leave it closed and zipped up much of the time, you’ll be doing yourself a great justice. You can even go the extra mile and place your luggage in sealable plastic bags.
The Return Trip Home
Just because you are returning home without incident, it doesn’t necessarily mean you haven’t been exposed. You could have an infestation on your hands and not even know it. Therefore, it is pertinent to take the time to check your luggage and clothing before heading home. When you arrive home, you can even throw your belongings in the washer and wash them in hot water followed by a high heat drying. Also remember, our services are always available. We always have pest management techs standing by ready to assist if you uncover a
bedbug in your clothing.
Maybe you just have some questions and concerns. Whatever the situation is, feel free to
reach out to our local pest management firm. 