Bed Bug Travel Tips: Prevent Bed Bugs When Travelling

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Want to skip ahead?

Introduction: 0:00
Essentials to Pack: 0:55
Arriving at Your Hotel Room: 1:22
Preventing Bed Bugs After Travelling: 2:56

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Whether you’re traveling on a work trip or simply enjoying time away, there’s at least one thing that should stay far from your mind when you reach your hotel room: bed bugs. Bed bugs are known to be some of the most difficult pests to get rid of. They bite, they suck blood, they’re good at hiding, and they reproduce rapidly, so be sure to use our tips and products to prevent yourself from picking them up when you travel.

Before traveling, there are a few things you can bring to help deter bed bugs from attaching themselves to your property:
Close-seal storage bags
Large disposable plastic bags or garbage bags
A flashlight

Once you’ve arrived at your destination, you’ll want to give yourself enough time to check the room for bed bugs. The first thing you should do when arriving is to leave your personal belongings in your vehicle. If you are being dropped off then you will want to leave your luggage in the bathtub of your hotel room. The reason we leave our luggage in the bathtub is because bed bugs cannot climb slick surfaces, like porcelain, glass or smooth plastic. So until you have confirmed there are no bed bugs in your hotel room, the bathtub is the safest place to put your belongings. Never leave your luggage on the floor of your room, the luggage racks, or especially the bed when you first arrive. If the room is infested, leaving your luggage in your car or in the tub will prevent them from becoming infested as well.

Next, you can take your flashlight and conduct an inspection of the room. Bed bugs like to hide in tight cracks and crevices, so be sure to check any crevice as thin as a credit card. Check the tufts and lining of the mattress, carpet edging, curtains, dresser drawers, inside or behind bedside tables, underneath cushions, behind and under furniture, picture frames, and inside closets. You’re looking for any sign of bed bug activity, including black dried smears, shed skin shells, eggs, and any bed bugs themselves.

If you don't find anything, great! However, if you’ve found any signs of bed bug activity, you’ll need to take action immediately. You can check out of the hotel and into a new one, or opt for a different room at your current hotel.

Bed bugs are a serious and fast-acting pest that can be difficult to get rid of. Once you're done traveling and safe at home, these final steps will ensure that any bed bugs you may have picked up will be unable to take over.
Don’t immediately unpack your belongings and luggage once you arrive home. First, you’ll want to unpack your clothes directly from your luggage to your washing machine. This includes all of your clean laundry as well. Once your clothes have been washed, be sure to dry them on high heat to kill any bed bugs that may have hitched a ride.
Next, you may want to wash your car and vacuum the upholstery in the interior. Then vacuum your luggage, and dispose of the vacuum’s contents into your outdoor trash can.

Once you’ve cleaned your luggage and clothes, you may want to consider treating your own home with products like Flex 10-10 and Gentrol IGR. Before using either of these products, be sure to wear your personal protective equipment, or PPE, and remember to keep all people and pets off the treated areas until dry. After treating with Flex and Gentrol, you can flush out hiding bed bugs with an aerosol like Pyrid.
Please note that bed bug treatment may take time and could require several retreatments.

Click the link to learn more about bed bugs and shop the professional-grade products featured in this video!

Thanks for watching!

#diypestcontrol #solutionspestandlawn #bedbugs

[dillpicklefig]

Thank you for mentioning all the places to look! Most of these videos only mention checking the mattresses. I had bb in my own apartment and it took weeks to find them because I was only looking at my mattress, pillows, sheets, and boxpring (they were in a crevice in my bedframe).

[prevsol]

This is a very thorough way to investigate for bed bugs. Great tips!

[noracharles]

How long do bedbugs live if they have nothing to feed on? Can a mattress be in storage for months and have bedbugs still living on the mattress?

[mamanothing]

What spray can I bring with me that I can spray on the hotel matresses and that is safe for my family?

[LoisPinnock]

This is a very thorough way to investigate for bed bugs. Great tips!