Thursday, March 21, 2013

Dont Let the Bed Bugs Come Home

Here are some tips to avoid bed bugs while traveling:

Know what to look for. If you’ve never seen them, check out bedbugger.com for some detailed (and gross!) pictures of what bed bugs look like and what to look for.

Pack like a pro. Seal items and clothing in plastic bags before traveling. Remember to bring extra bags for dirty laundry. Also bring a large bag to seal up your suitcase when you get to your destination. The bag will ensure bed bugs can’t take residence in your luggage while you’re away.

Research before you go. On websites like bedbugregistry.com, you can enter a hotel name and location and the site will search through a user-submitted database to see if there are any bedbug reports on file for that hotel.

Inspect your room. Before you get too comfy where you are staying, check the bed, pull back the linens, and inspect the mattresses, box springs and in cracks of the headboard. If you spot any bed bugs, or signs of bed bugs, like dots of blood or brown dots, change rooms far from the room you found them in, or change establishments.

Be meticulous when you unpack. Unpack your belongings and sort them before you go in your home. Take all your clothing and/or bedding and immediately wash and dry them. The heat from the dryer, for 20 minutes or more, will get rid of any bed bugs that may have hitched a ride on your clothes. Thoroughly check and wipe down your luggage carrier, toiletries, shoes and other belongings before bringing them into your house.