Your Guide To A Bed Bug Free Summer

Summer is finally here! The temperatures are on the rise and the kids are finally out of school for summer break. For a lot of people, summer means getting out more, more trips to the beach, possibly some time on vacation. Something no one wants to cloud their mind with when the sun is shining is bed bugs. It seems as though this is one of their favorite times of the year as well.

Bed bugs are hitchhikers. They catch a ride into home and businesses on clothing, backpacks, luggage, bedding and furniture. They can catch a ride on you pretty much anywhere you go. Whether you’re on vacation and sleeping in a hotel, heading out to catch a matinee at the local movie theater or at the library looking for a good book to read at the beach, you can pick up an unwanted hitchhiker and bring it home with you. If you take a cab to any of those places, you could even pick up bed bugs there!

While it isn’t really logical to stay home all the time to avoid bed bugs, there are some things you can do while you’re out and about this summer to make sure you don’t bring home any unwanted guests.

Before you leave:

• Make sure your mattresses and box springs at home are encased before you leave. This will help with early detection should you bring any bed bugs home with you.

• Bring heavy duty plastic bags in your car with you to put your luggage and clothing in on the drive home so if there happen to be any bed bugs on your luggage, they will be contained to the bag rather than hiding in your car.

While you’re on your vacation:

• Keep your luggage away from areas that are more likely to have bed bugs, such as furniture, curtains or beds.

• Check the cracks and crevices of the mattress and boxspring at your hotel with a flashlight. If you see any bugs, shed bed bug skins or brown spots on bedding, contact management right away.

• Keep clothing in large plastic bags and your luggage up on a luggage stand, rather than in the dressers or closets provided.

When you get home:

• Wash all of your clothing in the hottest water possible. Try to take it right from the plastic bag you brought with you, into the washing machine.

• Any clothing you can’t wash should be kept in a sealed, plastic bag until it can be dry cleaned.

• Inspect your box spring a mattress on a regular basis after returning home.

If you suspect you have a problem with bed bugs in your home you should contact a pest professional right away. Bed bugs are not a pest you can get rid of on your own, and while they don’t pose any known threats to humans, that doesn’t mean we want them crawling on us and biting us in our sleep.