Unwanted Souvenirs: Bringing Bed Bugs Home from Vacation

Filed under: Pest Control

Tagged with: · · ·

After enjoying time in an exotic location with your family, it feels nice to arrive home and sleep in your own bed. But, are you unintentionally bringing hitchhikers home in your suitcase? Bed bugs can take over anywhere people congregate, including hotel rooms. It’s possible that these bugs might get into your suitcase and move into your house when you bring that suitcase into your bedroom.

Bed Bugs in Hotel Rooms

When you are traveling, getting bit by a bed bug isn’t your highest risk. More importantly, be careful to avoid bringing these bugs home in your bag. You can prevent this issue by using hard-sided luggage (bed bugs are attracted to fabric), keeping your luggage zipped, and putting the luggage on a rack instead of the floor.

Also, be diligent about checking the hotel room to look for signs of bed bugs:

  • Dark spots on the bedding (bed bug excrement)
  • Blood spots on the sheets (from bed bug bites)
  • Light brown colored insect casting
  • Visible bed bugs

If you find any of these signs, then reach out to the hotel front desk to ask for another room. Or, you might move to a different hotel.

What To Do When the Bed Bugs Come Home

Even if you are careful when staying in a hotel room, there is still a risk of bringing the bed bugs home. It’s critical that you take action as quickly as possible to avoid a major infestation.

You’ll need to clean all fabrics in hot water, then dry everything on the hottest setting in the dryer. Bed bugs can be present on bedding, clothing, curtains, shoes, stuffed animals, linens and more.

Vacuum the area frequently, then put the vacuum collection bag in a sealed plastic bag and take it outside immediately. Also, work to clear clutter around the bed to minimize areas where the bugs can hide.

These DIY tips can help with a bed bug infestation, but most of the time chemical treatments are necessary to eliminate the infestation. The best solution is to call a professional pest control team for more information.

Riche’s Termite and Pest Service is just a phone call away. Contact us to learn more about available pest control services: (951) 233-7697.