When you wash your bedding regularly you’re working to prevent a host of issues, and bed bugs are one of them. However, no matter how clean you keep your bed if you travel, you risk bringing back bed bugs from a hotel room. Don’t let this keep you from traveling and staying in hotel rooms because you can protect yourself from hotel bed bugs by using these tips:
- Inspect your hotel room prior to unpacking by looking for bed bug castaway shells or little dark stains which could be the sign of an infestation.
- Keep luggage and other belongings off of the bed as bed bugs can latch onto these items and come home with you.
- Check behind your bed’s headboard, as bed bugs often hide in this area.
- If you find a bed bug in your hotel room, put it in a plastic bag or glass so that you have proof to show the hotel management. Bed bugs are crawling pests, so if it can fly or jump, it’s not a bed bug.
- Unpack your suitcase as soon as you are home. Wash and dry your clothes to help treat any traveling bed bugs.
Unfortunately, even if you follow these tips, there is a chance that you’ll bring bed bugs home with you. If you do end up with a bed bug infestation, merely washing your bedding won’t be enough to get rid of these pesky bugs. Washing your bedding will, in fact, kill the bugs that were in the bedding, but bed bugs are masters at hiding, and if they’re in your bedding it’s most likely that they are also in your mattress. Even worse, there is a chance that they’re also in your bed frame, curtains, and other bedroom furniture.
Treating the issue by washing your bedding isn’t enough, and you’ll miss out on killing many of the bed bugs. Unhatched eggs and nymphs are typically hidden until they mature to adulthood, and once they mature, you could end up in a vicious cycle with yet another infestation.
Washing bedding won’t be able to treat a bed bug infestation, so If you think that you may have a pest problem or just want to learn more about how to get rid of bed bugs, give us a call at 877-445-2847 and schedule a consultation today.