Once the holidays are over, many of us like to retreat to a warm and sunny destination to escape these cold Canadian winters. For others, business travelling also picks up in the new year. Regardless if you’re travelling for work or pleasure, it is important to be aware of the dangers of bed bugs and how to avoid bringing them home with you.
Below are all of the facts that you need to know about bed bugs, as well as some prevention methods to help you take the necessary measures to ensure these little guys steer clear of you!
Recognizing a bed bug:
Bed bugs are very small, (about the size of an apple seed), making it easy for them to fit into small spaces and crevices. In general, an adult bed bug is reddish-brown with a long, oval-shaped body that’s about the size and shape of an apple seed. Bed bugs may be flat or they may look like tiny brown balloons, depending on whether they’ve fed recently. Similar to fleas and ticks, bed bugs need blood ( a host) to survive. Bed bugs are nocturnal, so spotting them (noticeably) during the day/light will be a hard task.
How do bed bugs travel:
Before you pack your bags and head out on your vacation, there are a few factors to consider when booking your hotel.
Bed bugs have the capability of infesting any home or building, despite its cleanliness. Whether your hotel is a five star or a three star, it still has the possibility of an infestation, as it can be difficult for staff to thoroughly check all rooms for pests after every single guest. If you do find bed bugs, notify the staff and ask to be relocated to a different room immediately. Hotel staff will want to know if there are bed bugs in their hotel, and should be eager to accommodate you.
Tip: There are a few things you can do to prevent a bed bug ridden vacation. Sites let you search hotels and browse user-submitted bed bug hotel reports across Canada and the United States. If you are travelling outside of Canada or the United States, there are a number of travel review sites that will be able to give you some insight to guest experiences with bed bugs in hotels or other housekeeping issues.
Some websites available are:
Avoiding bed bugs when packing:
Avoid bringing your own pillows and blankets, as well as super bulky items as the large, folded creases can be easy hiding places for bed bugs who will make their way back home with you. Also, if you can, use light coloured luggage and clothing. It’s been proven that bed bugs are attracted to darker colours (specifically red and black), so avoiding these colours will better your chance of not only attracting bed bugs, but also being able to spot them more noticeably without the ability for them to blend in. Also, Pack large sealable bags to separate clean/dirty laundry.
*Helpful tip: Use the flashlight on your phone to search in the crevices of all of your luggage when packing.
Checking your hotel room:
Before you do ANYTHING in your room it is IMPERATIVE that you check for bed bugs. Set your luggage down outside of your room, and do the following:
- Use a flashlight/phone’s flashlight to inspect the closet, linens, pillows, bed coverings, bed skirts, bed frames, and legs.
- If there is a wall-mounted headboard, try to shine your light behind it, or if it’s easily removable, have someone help you lift of off and put it back on again.
- Inspect your mattress thoroughly. This includes the box spring as well. Lift the mattress up and look in all of the crevices of where the mattress is bound.
- Check any other furniture such as office chairs, couches etc. with the same attention to detail.
*Helpful tip: Put your luggage in the bathtub or shower if you don’t want to leave it in the hallway. Bed bugs are rarely found in bathrooms, opting for warm, cozy spaces instead.
Preventing bed bugs when you get home:
After your holiday/work trip, the first thing you should do is wash your clothes in hot water. If you cannot wash all of your clothes, put them in the dryer on a hot cycle for 30 minutes.
Finish unpacking your suitcase, and vacuum it out top to bottom.
*Helpful tip: When you’re finished vacuuming out your luggage, remove the canister contents into an outdoor garbage can.
Bed bug infestations are very common, and very hard to manage and get rid of on your own. It’s best to take every safety precaution regardless of whether it seems overboard or not. If you suspect there are any bed bugs in your hotel room, ask to be moved right away. Do not take any chances. If you do happen to have a bed bug issue, contact us for safe removal.