How To Avoid Bed Bugs On Your Vacations

Whenever we go on vacation, we always run the risk of experiencing pitfalls that can ruin a day if we let it. Missing luggage, constant rainstorms, and wrong directions are all common troubles on people’s vacations, but these are usually resolved by the end of the trip. One issue that is not as easy to fix is staying in a bed bug-infested place, as these pests can hitchhike home with us.

We don’t wish to scare you away from traveling due to this topic. After all, life is short and traveling to new places is one of the most rewarding ways to spend our time. That being said, it’s still a good idea to keep an eye out for bed bugs to avoid making life a nightmare when you return home. Let’s discuss the main reasons why bed bugs are a common problem before we dive into the best ways to prevent them from ruining your vacation.

Why Are Bed Bugs So Common While Traveling?

Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs aren’t exclusively found in seedy motels that look like they’re already falling apart. These pests don’t have any preferences for their habitats — besides darkness for hiding — so they can live in any home, business, or hotel. This is exactly why it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for bed bugs regardless of where you travel.

Some of the related reasons why bed bugs are a frequent problem for travelers are:

• Bed bugs squeeze into tight spaces because they can flatten their bodies.

• Bed bugs can sneak into suitcases and bags if the bags are left open for long enough.

• Bed bugs can live over a year without food, so they don’t need to eat every day.

• Bed bug bites don’t always cause big welts, so it’s not immediately obvious if you have them in your bed.

• Bed bugs travel to different cities and states (and even other countries!) by hiding in bags, clothing, and fabric-covered furniture.

• Female bed bugs reproduce with each blood meal, so an infestation grows every day.

With these disturbing facts in mind, let’s talk about some of the easiest ways to make sure you don’t return home from your vacation with bed bugs as your souvenir!

Read Reviews

Before you book your accommodations, we highly recommend reading the reviews of each place you’re considering. You don’t want to walk into the lion’s den of pests if it can be avoided. Any of the standard review sites — Google, Yelp, Tripadvisor, etc. — should give you a good look into how the establishment is viewed by recent customers.

If you see any reviews that mention bed bugs (or other pests), pay close attention to the posted date and the business’s response. That will tell you everything you need to know about how they handle an infestation and if there’s a current problem. If they have an abundance of bed bug-related reviews, choose a different place to stay.

Check The Beds

Once you arrive in your hotel room or rental home, check the bed(s) before you start unpacking. True to their name, bed bugs are usually found in beds because they are more likely to have a reliable food source there. When we say “check,” we really mean inspect every part of the bed. You never know if bed bugs are hiding within the layers, left by any of the previous occupants.

Pull back the pillows and sheets to get a good look at the whole bed. Pay close attention to the creases, seams, sheets, headboard, and pillows, as bed bugs often hide in these crevices. Check the wall behind the bed for any flattened bed bugs as well. You’ll know if there’s bed bugs here because they leave a number of clues, such as blood spots, egg cases, shells, and a musty odor.

Inspect Other Furniture

Bed bugs may love our beds, but that doesn’t mean they won’t hide in other furniture. Humans use each type of furniture enough to make it easy for bed bugs to find their meals in these areas as well. Anything that is near humans — aka every item in the room or house — and has dark areas is appealing to bed bugs.

You don’t have to turn the whole place upside-down in search of bed bugs; a basic scan of the furniture is good enough. Before using any of them, look over the couch, chairs, dressers, and tables for any of the aforementioned signs. Wall outlets and wallpaper can also hide bed bugs (ew!), so keep an eye out for any flat, reddish-brown bugs.

Don’t Fully Unpack

Living out of a suitcase isn’t the most comfortable way to spend a vacation, but it is one of the easiest ways to prevent bed bugs from hiding within your belongings. Your suitcase and bags aren’t immune to pests (unless they have invisible force fields we don’t know about), so this isn’t a foolproof method. But the more things you keep in your bags, the less opportunities bed bugs have to sneak into your stuff scattered across the room.

First of all, never put any of your bags or clothing on the floor. This is the easiest way for bed bugs to sneak into their new hiding spots. Keep your suitcase and bags elevated by placing them on a table, luggage rack, or dresser throughout your stay. If you have clothes you need to hang up, give the closet a quick scan before using it. Bed bugs also hide in drawers, so we suggest keeping your items out of any drawers and in your suitcase.

Utilize the Bathroom

Surprisingly, the bathroom is often the “safe zone” from bed bugs. It’s probably because the bright lights, lack of fabric, and excessive moisture are the exact opposite of what bed bugs look for in a habitat. Plus, they can’t exactly hide from view when the tile and counters are light enough to give their position away immediately!

The bathroom counters are great places to put your toiletry bags and personal items since you can see if there are any creepy-crawlies trying to come home with you. It’s also helpful to keep your suitcase near the bathroom because the bright environment will deter bed bugs from crawling around there. If that’s not possible, placing your suitcase near a window achieves the same effect of keeping it in the light.

Alert The Hotel Staff

Okay, so the worst case scenario happened: you found evidence of bed bugs in your room. The first course of action is to remove all of your belongings from the room, which ideally aren’t scattered around the place. The next step is to inform the concierge at the front desk of the situation. This is specifically for hotels, but if you’re staying in a rental home, contact the owner immediately.

But back to the hotel. Make sure the concierge knows that your pest problem is specifically bed bugs. Any hotel worth its salt will take action against the bed bugs by bringing in a professional ASAP. If they brush it off as nothing, it’s a major red flag in the hospitality industry. They will likely offer to move you to a new room, and if you take them up on it, don’t agree to move to the room next door to your original one. Bed bugs travel through sockets and on clothing, so you need to move to a completely different area to avoid the infested room.

Clean Everything At Home

Once you’ve safely returned home from your fun vacation, the chores unfortunately start once again. This is optional and may sound like a waste of time to you, which is completely fine. But if you want to be positive that there aren’t any hidden bed bugs in your packed clothes and luggage, we suggest cleaning everything when you’re back home. This means washing all of your vacation clothes and drying everything (that you can), whether it’s used or not.

The dryer is necessary because bed bugs can survive the washing machine, but they can’t withstand temperatures over 118 degrees. That’s why it’s best to dry every vacation item that can be dried, including stuffed animals and blankets. If you find bed bugs on any of your clothes, throw the items in the dryer before the washer, then wash and dry as normal. Wipe down all of your suitcases and bags with an antibacterial wipe to sanitize them before storing them until your next fun-filled vacation.

Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite On Your Vacation!

Since bed bugs are resistant to most pesticides, they need to be treated by a professional who is experienced in applying the targeted treatments. This is exactly what you get when you choose bed bug services from Green Pest Services. Our licensed technicians solve each bed bug issue with the utmost care and efficiency. We constantly inspect and monitor the infested area throughout the treatment process, as we want to be completely sure that every bed bug is treated. You do not have to endure a bed bug problem on your own. Contact us today for more information on our dependable bed bug services!

Citations

Myers, A.L. (2023, August 7). How to tell if you have bed bugs in hotels, rentals, and what to do if you take them home. USA Today. Available at https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2023/08/04/bedbug-signs-size-prevention-tips/70290606007/ (Accessed on May 14, 2024).

Fox, A. (2023, October 11). Bed bug prevention tips for before, during, and after travel. Travel + Leisure. Available at https://www.travelandleisure.com/bed-bug-travel-prevention-tips-airport-hotels-home-8349787 (Accessed on May 14, 2024).

Bed bug prevention when traveling. (n.d.). Pest World. Retrieved May 14, 2024, from https://www.pestworld.org/all-things-bed-bugs/bed-bug-prevention/tips-for-travelers/

McCarthy, K. (2023, October 6). Expert tips for travelers to avoid bringing pests home in wake of Paris bedbug infestation. ABC News. Available at https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Travel/expert-tips-travelers-avoid-pests-wake-paris-bedbug/story?id=103716107 (Accessed on May 14, 2024).

Cornelius, K. (2023, November 16). How to avoid bedbugs while traveling. AAA. Available at https://mwg.aaa.com/via/travel-tips/how-to-avoid-bed-bugs-while-traveling (Accessed on May 14, 2024).

Brown, F. (2023, October 6). Bedbugs: What travelers need to know. CNN Travel. Available at https://www.cnn.com/travel/bedbugs-what-travelers-need-to-know/index.html (Accessed on May 14, 2024).