According to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), most pest control professionals have found the presence of bed bugs in hotels, motels as well as in transportation vehicles such as taxis, buses, and aircraft. In other words, if you are planning on traveling, there is a high chance that you will come in contact with bed bugs at some point in time. However, if proper procedures are followed, there are ways to fend off bed bugs and make yourself more bed bug proof. The following are some tips to help you with that. When you arrive at any hotel, the first thing you need to do is inspect the beds. Pull off the sheets, take a close look at the seams and check each corner of the mattress. What you are looking for are brown or bronze colored spots. If you find any, then you can be sure that the beds contain bed bugs. Don’t hesitate to notify management and ask for a different room. After checking the bed, look around the room, especially in the dark corners. If the room has sofas and chairs, then don’t forget to pull up the cushions as well as the seat foam if possible, and behind the headboard of the bed to take a closer look. Again, you are looking for spots. If you see anything unusual, then it is better not to unpack your luggage. Hotels, specifically the high-quality ones, and motels are constantly striving to keep their establishments bed bug proof. However, since they are constantly taking guests, it can be difficult. If you check into a room and find bed bugs in the mattresses or sofa, then most likely they have infested the adjacent rooms. Bed bugs are tenacious insects and will hitchhike on service carts and even travel through wall sockets to go to the next room. Therefore, when asking for another room, try and get one on a completely different side of the building.
Once you have settled into a room, and even if you have established it is bedbug-free, you still need to be cautious to make things bed bug proof. Suitcases and bags should be put in plastic bags during the entire stay at the hotel/motel to make them more bed bug proof. This is because bed bugs will hitchhike on your bags and go back home with you. After you arrive at your residence, clean the bags and suitcases with a vacuum cleaner, before bringing them into the house. You could even steam them with a garment steamer to ensure all bed bugs have been eliminated. This also goes for any clothes you may have worn during the trip.
The bottom line is that making your home bed bug proof is not an easy task. You can follow all the necessary procedures and they will still manage to find a way to enter. It’s true that if you stay on top of the issue, you can greatly reduce the likelihood of an infestation. The best way to tackle it is by seeking the help of professionals. McDonald Pest Control can help you tackle all your pest control problems, not just making your home bed bug proof. Contact us today at (727) 734-0963 and our friendly staff member will help you take the next step to make things bed bug proof, including bed bugs in Clearwater.
