Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, the last thing you need to worry about is bed bugs. Unfortunately, bed bugs are commonly spread through travel-based circumstances. It’s always important to inspect not only your hotel room, but also your luggage when you return home to avoid an infestation in your home. Even though it’s somewhat of a myth that bed bugs infest every single hotel, it’s still important to stay vigilant. Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to get rid of and can go unnoticed for some time as the infestation becomes worse.

Tips to Avoid Bed Bugs in Hotels

When you check in to your hotel, it’s best to never assume your room is free of bed bugs. There are several helpful bed bug avoidance tips to take into consideration next time you go out of town:

Check out your room. When you get into your hotel room, pull back the sheets and inspect the corners of the mattress seams for signs of bugs. If you notice anything, it’s important to inform the staff right away.
Don’t unpack right away. Check out other areas in the room, such as the headboard or an accent chair, for bed bugs. Just because they aren’t on the mattress doesn’t mean they’re not elsewhere.
Move to a further room. If you have noticed bed bugs in your hotel room, make sure to request a room further than simply the adjacent room or the one directly or below the infected one. Bed bugs can quickly be spread by hitching a ride on housekeeping carts.

Although these prevention tips may seem over-the-top, you’ll surely regret not looking for bed bugs should you come home with them. Hotels take bed bugs very seriously and will of course accommodate your requests for a new room should you find bed bugs.

Checking Your Luggage for Bed Bugs

Traveling requires you to pass through airports, hotel lobbies, hotel rooms, and more with your luggage, meaning you’re coming in contact with a lot of heavily trafficked areas. Just as it’s important to stay vigilant about checking for bed bugs at your hotel, it’s equally if not more essential to inspect your luggage once you return home. Some tips to keep your luggage bed bug-free include:

Consider placing your luggage in a plastic trash bag or other plastic covering while it is sitting in your hotel room.
When you arrive home, inspect your suitcases outdoors before bringing them inside. Once you unpack, use a vacuum to clean out the interior of the bag. Garment steamers also work well to kill and bugs or eggs inside.
Wash all your unpacked clothes, worn or not worn, in a hot water cycle before putting them away in your dresser or closet.

Professional Help for Bed Bug Removal

If you’ve followed all the above prevention tips and still come home with bed bugs after traveling, give the experts at Western Exterminator a call. We can help protect you and your family from worrying about bed bugs biting and infesting your home!