Resurgence of Travel Brings Back Bed Bugs

Kids are coming home from college, the end of the school year is right around the corner for younger ones, and people are starting to think about summer travel. At this time of year, in 2016, 2017, and 2018, it seemed that every newspaper across the country was reporting on the surge in bed bug cases.  People have heard horror stories about bringing bed bugs home from vacation for years. Then, as the pandemic forced us all to stop travel completely, bed bugs seemed to disappear. Unfortunately, they didn’t disappear, and with the resurgence in travel has come the resurgence of bed bugs. Keep these tips in mind when you travel this summer.

1. Before you leave, consider the type of suitcase you will use. Hard-sided suitcases provide the most protection from bed bugs, but for many of us, it is simply not in our budget to buy new suitcases. Instead, there is a quick, easy, and inexpensive trick: bring large trash bags with you. It may sound crazy, but if you place your suitcase in a large trash bag once you reach your destination, bed bugs will have difficulty catching a ride home with you.
2. Speaking of destinations, don't unpack immediately once you get to your destination. Many of us want to get settled as soon as we arrive, but your first step when you enter your hotel room or rented home should be to inspect for bed bugs. Before putting your suitcase on the bed, you should inspect the bedroom. Although bed bugs can be found in various places, from sofas to rugs, the first place you should look for a bed bug is the bed. Start at the top of the bed and pull back the sheets to expose the mattress. Do you see any small dark-colored dots? Many describe a bed bug as looking like an apple seed. Bed bug excrement is often described as looking like pepper. If you see either of these things, there is a perfect chance of a bed bug infestation.
3. After your inspection, enjoy your vacation. If you inspected the area and found nothing, your chance of bringing home bed bugs is slim, but it still exists. To decrease your chance of getting bed bugs, you should take a few steps once you return from your trip. First, if you can leave your suitcase outside of your home in a protected area, that is great. Take all the clothes you brought (even if you didn’t wear them) and put them directly into the washing machine. Wash and dry your clothes at the highest temperature your clothes will allow. Vacuum your suitcase (paying particular attention to the zippers), and then throw the vacuum contents out in an outdoor trash bin.

Even if you have stayed in expensive accommodations and taken precautions once you get there, there is a slim chance that bed bugs could have traveled home with you. If this is the case, we at Cowleys can help! Using Cowleys to take care of the problem quickly and efficiently will significantly decrease the chance of the problem growing out of hand.