How to Prevent Troublesome Travel Pests

This Friday, May 26, is National Road Trip Day! Travel is one of the most common activities in spring and summer, and for good reason. The consistent warm weather naturally encourages us to spend more time outside and explore what the world has to offer when the flowers are blooming and the sun is shining. Pests unfortunately never take a vacation, and they can create a frustrating end to any kind of trip. The best way to prevent pests from either ruining your vacation or disrupting the days following your return home is to be prepared for anything. This is exactly what we will do today as we discuss the four primary pests that can hitchhike on trips, as well as some tried-and-true ways to prevent pests from invading both your vacation and your home upon your return.

Fleas

The good news with fleas is that they won’t suddenly materialize without warning. They are usually only a problem when a place is already infested, like in a hotel room or vacation rental. The bad news is that if you do visit an infested place, it will be extremely difficult to eliminate them. Fleas commonly live in carpeting in between feeding, as it gives them easy access to their next meal when people are visiting. This means that any objects placed on the infested ground are at risk of housing fleas, especially if the items give the fleas access to us and our blood throughout the vacation. We highly recommend not leaving any clothing or bags on the ground, especially in a hotel room, because fleas are so small that it is nearly impossible to see if the place has them until it’s too late.

Fleas prefer cool and moist areas, so they will not survive as often in a hot room or building throughout the summer. But if they can hide in some kind of material close to a blood source, like hair or clothing that a person is wearing, they might be able to continue laying eggs while constantly feeding. They prefer organic fibers (like wool), but fleas will settle for anything since they will not stay there for long anyway. If your vacation involves hiking and other outdoor activities, stay out of thick brush and apply bug spray before embarking on the adventure. If you are taking a pet along for the ride, check their fur throughout the trip for any fleas or flea dirt (flea droppings). It’s also crucial to check their bedding and the spots on the floor that they lay on for any fleas, as these pests love to hide right next to their reliable food source. 

Ants

Ants may seem like a random addition to this list since we normally associate them with invading a house or a picnic. But ants love our food so much that they will invade any kind of unsealed food if it is left out for a while. They have great scent receptors located on the outside of their bodies, which allows them to detect scents from further away than other insects. Worker ants like protein since they don’t burn it off as quickly, but they are primarily drawn to sugary food and drinks for the spike in energy they give. Whether you have plenty of remaining road trip snacks or some delicious leftovers from that local restaurant you tried, ants will detect if these open foods are not sealed properly. 

The easiest way to keep open food away from ants is to put it in the fridge, whether it’s the hotel room’s mini fridge or the kitchen fridge in the vacation rental. Even if the items don’t need to be refrigerated, the seal of the door is tight enough to keep out tiny pests. But if you know that there will be a lot of open snacks, and if you have the room in your luggage, you can bring some zip-top plastic bags to keep them in. Make sure to go through smaller bags, like purses and satchels, for any wrappers and discard them before going home. Ant can end up hitchhiking home with you by accident if they invade snack bags and open containers when you’re still on vacation. They may also be found on public transport if there are a lot of crumbs and spills on the floor. But no matter how much food is left over after the trip, it’s a good idea to inspect all luggage for pesky ants when you return home.

Bed Bugs

If you were to research pests that are great at hitchhiking home with people after vacation, bed bugs are almost always at the top of every list (take it from us). They are a double-threat pest since they can go without food for months, and are usually not noticed until after they have bitten any nearby people. They can hide in a myriad of places because of their tiny size, and are often found in bedding, clothes, appliances, luggage, furniture, and wall outlets. Since bed bugs can’t fly or jump, they can only crawl from place to place. This is yet another reason why it is a good idea to keep all items elevated off the floor during your stay. 

Bed bugs live for about ten months, which may not seem like a long time, but it certainly feels like it when they’re biting people every night! They will feed on a sleeping mammal’s blood at night, then crawl somewhere safe to hide while they digest the blood and eventually get hungry again. Female bed bugs can only lay eggs when they are full of blood, and reproduce quickly once they begin feeding. The easiest way to determine the difference between flea bites and bed bug bites are to consider the location of the welts. Fleas are more sporadic and stay around the legs and neck, while bed bugs tend to bite in a cluster or line. Bed bugs prefer warm and dark environments, especially when there is a lot of fabric and carpeting to conceal the pests. Checking the room or house before settling in is essential to preventing bed bugs from ruining your vacation, but more on that later.

Cockroaches

Where there is smoke there’s fire, and where there is one roach there are many more nearby. Roaches can make their way into all kinds of structures and containers, especially when they are motivated by the scent of food. Though they will happily eat actual garbage, roaches also enjoy all kinds of food. Crumbs, snacks, and restaurant leftovers are all captivating to a hungry roach family. They may be able to make their way indoors by finding a gap in the siding, but the most common way that roaches invade is by hitching a ride on objects. Cardboard boxes, luggage, clothing, and plastic containers can all house cockroaches if they chew through the material and hide within. If the vacationers take home a roach-inhabited bag or container without checking first, it will create a nightmarish infestation scenario after the vacation is over.

To further emphasize the importance of keeping everything off the floor in a hotel or rental, there is another major attractor for roaches: a laundry pile. The dirt and food stains that can be found on worn clothing is appealing to the pests, and they can hide within the darkest parts of the pile to remain undetected. Roaches will not stray from a food source, especially if they can also hide in a dark space in between feedings, so sealing all food and keeping your belongings tidy is important even on vacation. Make sure to check all luggage before returning home, especially if there are crevices and folds in the fabric. Roaches can even invade planes, trains, and cars if they hitch a ride on the baggage, so it would be optimal to prevent this horrific scenario before it can begin. 

Travel Pest-Free

On the surface, it may seem extremely easy to prevent pests while on vacation. After all, pest invasions are a “home” problem, right? Technically, yes, but it is very possible to inadvertently introduce one by bringing a couple of pests home in the luggage or car. Throughout this blog, we have emphasized the importance of checking each bag before bringing it home because it is the most efficient way to make sure there aren’t any pests ready to hitchhike home. But since there is always a pest-related risk when we visit a space that has been frequented by countless people, we recommend also completing these steps in addition to inspecting the bags:

• Do some research on the hotel or rental before you book it. You can look through online reviews for any mention of pest problems or pest sightings, and we recommend staying away from any places that have a history of pests. 
• Check the room or house for any signs of pests before unpacking and settling in. If there is a kitchen area, check around appliances and the counter for tiny insects. The most important place to inspect is the bed; check the sheets, pillows, and sides of the mattress for insects and dark spots that result from squished bed bugs.
• Clean the luggage upon returning home. If it’s a hard suitcase, wipe it down with an antibacterial wipe and check the zipper area for any insects. If it’s a duffel bag or large tote, check the care instructions to see if you can throw it in the washing machine. If so, that is an easy way to completely clean the bag; if not, an antibacterial wipe will work as well.
• Also, right after returning home, change out of your travel clothes and put them in the hamper or wash them immediately. If any pests are hiding on your clothes from the hotel or plane, it would not be ideal to sit in those clothes for very long.

It is important to be prepared and observant, but it’s not necessary to ruin a vacation by worrying about the possibility of pests the whole time. Pests are not a problem for most vacationers and can be easily avoided by keeping all food contained and belongings organized. So don’t let pests (or the thought of pests) spoil your fun during your travels this year! 

Get Back into a Post-Travel Routine, Thanks to Green!

It’s fun to travel and escape the everyday for a little while, but there is something to be said about getting back in the swing of things through routine. This typically means returning to work and school, completing chores, and running errands. But what if we told you that scheduling regular pest control services is a great addition to any routine? Although it is true that pest activity spikes during spring and summer (aka right now), it is best to receive preventative pest control at least four times a year. This is the standard schedule that we provide at Green because we know from experience that applying treatments in each season is the most efficient way to keep pests away. Our attentive technicians are prepared to tackle all kinds of pest problems, and we leave no stone unturned while inspecting for pest activity. Contact us to learn more about our eco-friendly services and how our team will keep you free of pests that travel near and far to invade your home.

Citations

Hitchhiking pests: Ways that bugs hitch a ride into your home. (2017, December 21). The Pest Force. Retrieved April 4, 2023, from https://thepestforce.com/blog/hitchhiking-pests/

How to prevent bringing hitchhiking pests home. (2017, May 30). Freedom Pest Control. Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://gofreedompestcontrol.com/prevent-bringing-hitchhiking-pests-back-home/

Jenkins, R. (2018, June 8). 6 ways to keep pests from traveling with you on vacation. Available at https://www.abchomeandcommercial.com/blog/cockroach-hitchhikers/ (Accessed on April 4, 2023).

Pests to watch out for when traveling. (2019, February 8). Griffin Pest. Retrieved April 4, 2023, from https://www.griffinpest.com/blog/traveling-pest-problems/ 

What bug is known as a hitchhiker?. (2018, April 5). Houseman Services. Retrieved April 4, 2023, from https://housemanservices.com/blog/what-bug-is-known-as-a-hitchhiker/