Don’t Bring Bed Bugs Home From Vacation
We can all agree that we hate bugs, right? Even if you respect their role in the cycle of life or something like that, you probably don’t enjoy having them in your home. Any sane person would also not welcome their presence in a hotel or rental accommodation, especially such aggressive, hard-to-kill pests like bed bugs. As much as it ruins your holiday plans, in the worst case, you will unknowingly return with bugs from your vacation. This is a horror that truly defies comprehension. Here’s how to avoid it.
Search in the registry of bedbugs
Did you know there is a bedbug registry? I didn’t do it, but now that I did, I can’t stop looking for it. Before you go on your next trip, register your hotel options here . There will be past reports of bed bugs in your hotel, but even if nothing happens, stay vigilant. Lack of reports doesn’t always mean no bed bugs, and there are other creepy crawlies that aren’t bed bugs. (It’s also fun to just look up your address and your friends’ addresses. I’m proud that my apartment building has never had bed bug reports.)
Look around the room carefully
In addition to cleaning , you should check your hotel room as soon as you enter it for any signs of insects. Two months ago I was in Miami (no less than in a luxury hotel) and until the second night I did not notice that there were ants on the counter – or maybe under it, or around, or on all three. The concierge helpfully moved me to a new room, but the anguish of ants everywhere didn’t leave me long after I had checked all my things.
Abarb Pest Services suggests checking the seams of your mattress for bed bugs (their droppings look like little black dots that smudge when you try to rub them off). Check the floor and near cabinets for small feces that could indicate cockroaches. Check your mini fridge and counters for ants. If you notice anything, call the front desk and leave from there. Take a photo to document what you found, ask for a refund and if possible change the hotel completely. If bedbug activity is confirmed, report it to the registry.
Wrap it all up
You want to be sure that everything you’ve packed is free of travel parasites. This may include using plastic bags or cling film to separate clean and dirty clothes in your luggage, as well as your toiletries. Travel Noire also recommends using hard-shell suitcases or vinyl duffel bags that are easy to clean with disinfectant, rather than cloth bags.
Keeping everything separate and sealed will help you see any invaders and keep them separate, hopefully one stash in case someone lurks with you.
Finally, don’t keep your luggage on the floor, and also keep it away from plush surfaces like a bed, sofa, or chair. Use a luggage rack or, if not available, a table to keep your clothes and belongings off the floor and out of places where insects can nest.
burn them down
If you’ve just returned home from a stay in a contaminated hotel, the first thing on your to-do list should be to take plastic-wrapped or bagged clothes out of your luggage and throw them in the dryer, Abarb Pest Services advises. Use the highest setting and leave them there for 30-60 minutes to kill bed bugs, cockroaches and other critters. Vacuum your luggage thoroughly and wipe it down with standard cleaning products. If you’re really worried (especially about bed bugs) , you can treat your luggage with pesticides or steam clean it (or both).