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A little play on words, what is the travel bug – Bed Bugs of course!
Well in just about a week people will begin the Holiday traveling season, traveling to see relatives or friends. Hopefully not many will be bringing back any hitchhikers like Bed Bugs. So with traveling just ahead of us, here are a few tips for safety from National Pest Management Association and ProBest Pest Management:
- Thoroughly inspect the entire room with a flashlight before unpacking, including behind the headboard, under lights, and inside dressers, drawers, sofas and chairs. I prefer to leave my luggage in the bathroom and hand my clothes on the shower rod.
- Pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams and box springs, particularly at the corners, for telltale stains, spots or shed bed bug skins.
- Place suitcase in a plastic trash bag during the duration of your trip to ensure that bed bugs cannot take up residence there prior to departure. *Tip: Pack clothes in zip lock bag for easy cleaning upon returning home.
- Do not place luggage on upholstered surfaces. The safest place is in the bathroom in the middle of a tile floor or on a luggage rack after it has been thoroughly inspected. Do not use a luggage rack if it has hollow legs, where bed bugs may hide unseen.
- If you notice bed bugs in your room, notify management and request to change rooms immediately.
- Do not move to a room adjacent and/or directly above/below the suspected infestation.
- When you return home, inspect your suitcases before bringing them into the house.
- Vacuum your suitcase thoroughly before bringing indoors and storing away.
- Wash all of your clothes – even those items you haven¹t worn – in hot water to remove any bed bugs or eggs that may have traveled home with you. Dry clean only clothes should be thrown in the dryer and run on high heat.
200x’s the sniffer – Bed Bug Dogs
I’m all about efficiency but the Bed Bug dogs got it going on. I had this school that thought they might have an issue with Bed Bugs and I thought WOW just how many places could a Bed Bug hide. Well I can now tell you – thousands maybe tens of thousands. From carpet tack strips to electrical outlets, from back packs and wall paintings to – well you get the picture right – anyplace where there is a crack or crevice. It only takes a small space ——————————– maybe that line right there to hide something like a Bed Bug. That dog Olivia was amazing, she went around the room with her handler and sniffed and sniffed, this would have taken me hours and I might have missed something.
Come on look at that face – only a Bed Bug should be scared!
Bedbugs Put Police Cars Out of Service
I think it is amazing where we are finding Bed Bugs, they are showing up in ambulances, movie theaters and now police cruisers. So if you’re a police officer, EMT or just a regular citizen take care when and where you take a ride.
A FEW FACTS
- Bed bugs get their name because they are commonly found in beds, but can also be found in other places. Dressers, baseboards, clothes, drapes, bed frames, wall mounted devices, tack strips/carpets, behind cracked paint or wallpaper.
- Bed bugs feed on the blood of any warm-blooded animal.
- They can ingest up to 7 times their weight.
- A severe infestation can result in over 500 bites in a single night.
- Bed Bugs are able to live up to 12 months without a meal, this is debatable in Arizona because of the lack of humidity.
- They are immune to many of today’s insecticides, generally permethrins.
- Many people can live with them without even knowing they’re there.
- Their eggs hatch within 10 days and only take 30 days to become fully grown.
- Females can lay up to 500 eggs over their lifetime.
- Reported cases have increased over 500% the past few years.
- Bed bug infestations are a traumatic experience for those attacked including increased stress, anxiety and insomnia – I call this the CREEP FACTOR.