Blog
Bed Bugs Gearing Up For A Busy Holiday Season
11/21/13
The holiday season is well known for the increase in people traveling around the country. But there are other species that travel more this season as well, bed bugs! These pesky little blood sucking critters get around incredibly easily, using us as their mode of transportation. What happens is that bed bugs jump onto our clothing, bags, or other items and then settle into the places we reside. The most common areas you’ll pick up bed bugs are infested homes and hotel rooms; but any place that sees a lot of travel is susceptible as well, including busses, taxis, and even airplanes!
The best way to avoid bed bugs, is to be able to recognize bed bugs and the signs of an infestation. Although these critters are tiny (roughly the size of an apple seed as adults) you can see them, even though they primarily come out at night to feed. When getting to a hotel room, before bringing your luggage inside, take a quick look between mattresses, near the nightstands and headboard, under carpets and even near electrical outlets. A few other signs of having bed bugs aside from seeing the live bugs themselves, is that you may find dried bed bug skins, small blood spots on your sheet, and wake up to itchy red bed bug bites.
There are a few simple tricks you can use while traveling to avoid picking up bed bugs. A real simple tool is to carry a tiny flashlight with you, to help search the room. As mentioned before, bed bugs generally are only out of their hiding places at night so it is most effective to search for bed bugs at night. When you get to your room, it is helpful to have a couple large plastic garbage bags with you. putting your luggage and dirty laundry into these bags and keeping the tops tied will keep the bed bugs from being able to jump in them. And, when you return home, be sure to thoroughly inspect and vacuum out your suitcases, wash all your laundry, and keep an eye out for signs of bed bugs in your home. Using these simple tips, along with simple observation, should be able to keep you bed bug free this holiday season.
For information on bed bug treatments in Wisconsin, including Appleton, Eau Claire, Madison and surrounding communities, contact Wil-Kil Pest Control today!