It’s that time of the year again! As your summer travels draw to a close, make sure you don’t accidentally bring bed bugs home with you from vacation. These hitchhikers can move from city to city via luggage, and New York City has the one of the highest incident rates in the entire country.

Bed bugs are not attracted to dirt, so even the fanciest five star NYC hotels can become infested. However, there is no need to cancel your ticket to the Big Apple. There are plenty of simple preventative steps you can take, and products available.

• The first step is to check out the hotel’s history first on Bedbugregistry or Raveable before arriving. Some hotels take preventative measures seriously, protecting their guests and their reputations. Then call ahead and see what measures they take to prevent bed bugs. Ask if they use any Bed Bug 911 products or similar services:  more and more hotels are opting to protect their guests with mattress encasements, pillow covers, bed bug laundry and dry cleaning services.  You can also bring your own, if they don’t offer any of these services.
• Before settling in, check your room thoroughly for signs of bed bugs, especially drawers, mattress, under the sheets, and the area around the bed area, or in drawers. Bed bugs may not be readily visible, which is why we offer hotels and travelers another product, which is great for detection:  our 911 Exterminator Spray. The product instantly dissolves bugs on contact, leaving a tell-tale red smear, giving a visual confirmation if there are bugs are present. If you find bed bugs in your room, contact management immediately, and request a room that is neither adjacent, nor directly above or below your room:  or request a refund. We also offer a FDA-approved, travel-sized version of the Exterminator: “Don’t leave home without it!”  It’s non-toxic and safe for luggage, clothes, and bedding.
• We recommended leaving luggage in the bathroom. Bed bugs usually only travel about 20 feet from their host and food source. In addition, they live in drawers, and could hitch a ride home with you from there. Alternatively, you could consider keeping your luggage or your clothes encased in a plastic garbage or luggage bag, to prevent contamination.
• Don’t forget to wash your clothes in hot water when you get home to prevent bed bugs from spreading. The water must be hotter than 120 degrees to kill bed bugs. A special detergent like BedBug911 Laundry Treatment 32oz ensures you kill bugs and their eggs. Also, vacuum out your luggage, carefully attending to seams, and dispose of the waste in a sealed container or bag.

Just follow these quick steps, and whatever route you take this summer, you can enjoy your vacation without worry.

One Response to “Tips on how to prevent bed bugs from hitching a ride home with you from vacation”