There are a lot of vacations coming up for kids in school - spring break for college students and a winter and spring vacation for most high schoolers and elementary students. And if you are like many New England families, your child’s vacation means it’s time to get away to a warmer place! But before you toss the flip-flops in the bag and jump onto the plane, make sure that you are prepared to avoid encounters with bed bugs during your trip. From the New England pest control pros at Big Blue Bug Solutions, here are a few tips to help avoid bed bugs on your spring vacation.
Check the online bed bug registry at www.bedbugregistry.com to make sure that your hotel has not had a recent bed bug outbreak. Keep in mind that most hotels have strict pest control standards in place so an infestation that occurred a while back does not necessarily mean there are problems now.
Pack your clothing in large sealable bags like oversized Ziploc bags before putting them in a suitcase. This way even if bed bugs get near your suitcase they cannot hide in your clothing.
Keep your luggage outside of the hotel room until you have thoroughly inspected the sheets, mattress, headboard, nightstands, mirrors, carpet edges, upholstered furniture, and around the electrical outlets for bed bugs.
Since bed bugs hide during the day, it is important to learn the signs of a bed bug infestation since you are not very likely to see them in person except in the case of severe infestations.
• small blood spots on the sheets
• light brown colored skins that bed bugs shed as they grow
• waking up to itchy red bumps on the skin
Work from your suitcase while on vacation rather than taking all of your clothing out and using the dressers and closets provided. While you may have some extra ironing to do, you can be sure that your clothing will remain bed bug-free.
Once you have arrived home there are a few more things that need to be done to ensure that you have made it through vacation bed bug-free. First, send all of your clothing through the wash, then vacuum out your suitcases and continue to inspect your own home for signs of bed bugs.
If you are living in Providence, RI; Shrewsbury, MA; or elsewhere in Big Blue Bug’s New England service area and you believe that bed bugs have found their way into your home, please contact us right away. We are committed to getting rid of bed bugs quickly and effectively so you can get back to your normal routine, bed bug-free.
For more information on our bed bug control services, just give us a shout!