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How to Guard Against Bed Bugs When Traveling?

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Bedbugs are quite common in hotels and motels. But how to guard against bed bugs when traveling? Bed bugs are present in large numbers in our houses, offices, hotel rooms, department stores, etc.

When you are traveling, you can’t get rid of these bloodsuckers easily. Bedbugs are crawlers and can easily crawl into different small places. They can also crawl into your luggage, clothes, or anything left open in the hotel room easily in just one night. Hotels and motels are hotspots for bed bugs because of the regular supply of fresh and continuous food supply. 

Bed bugs cause itchiness, redness, and even skin infections. And that is the reason people don’t travel in hotels and lodges. Bedbugs create anxiety for certain people, causing them to stay at home instead of traveling. An infestation of bedbugs can become a reason for less sleep and can ruin your plans and even your whole trip. How can you enjoy your trip if bed bugs ruin your sleep?

But don’t worry, there are different methods to guard yourself against bed bugs when traveling. By following different methods of luggage packing, unpacking, an inspection of the hotel room, etc., you can guard yourself completely against bed bugs and also can sleep tight and prevent ruining your sleep, and can enjoy your trip.

How Can You Detect and Prevent Bed Bugs When Traveling?

Bed bugs are reddish-brown in color. They are similar to the size of apple seeds. Bed bugs have a flat and oval-shaped bodies. Adult bed bugs are more balloon-like than small ones. Bed bugs have wings, but they can’t fly.

Suitcase on bed

In addition to this bed bugs have all the other characteristic features of a Bug like an antenna with four parts, have a beak with three segments, and golden hairs on their bodies.

On the lower side of the bed bugs, they have glands that produce a musty-sweetish odor. Bud bugs create black and brown stains similar to pepper flakes. Bed bugs also shed skin occasionally.

How to Guard Against Bedbugs When Traveling?

Bed bugs cause itchiness and different severe allergic reactions to the skin. And when you are traveling, bed bugs can cause many serious problems. So, what is the solution? How can you guard yourself against bed bugs when traveling? When traveling, there are different ways to guard yourself against bedbugs.

how to guard against bed bugs when traveling

Bed bug prevention methods like careful packaging and unpackaging of your suitcase, hotel and motel room inspection, use of proper full-sleeved clothes and long pants, use of bug repellent, etc., can guard you against bed bugs when traveling.

To guard yourself against bed bugs, you should not put your clothes directly on beds and sofa in your hotel room. These methods can directly result from invitation to Bed bugs.

Tips for Packing Luggage At Home Before Travelling to Guard Against Bed Bugs

Using hard-shelled travel bags can prevent bedbug infestations in your bags. Hard-shelled travel bags have fewer folds than bags of fabric. Hard-shelled travel bags can reduce the hiding places for bed bugs.

Unpacking of clothes

Try to pack your items like clothes, shoes, and other accessories in sealed plastic bags so you can use them only when you need them and prevent unnecessary contact with the belongings.

For extra protection, carry your entire traveling bag in a plastic trash bag to prevent the remaining possibility of bed bug infestation in your travel bag.

Tips for Unpacking at The Hotel Room to Avoid and Guard Against Bed bugs.

It is very common for travelers to throw their suitcases over the bed when they enter the hotel room or keep the bags unzipped unnecessarily. To guard yourself against bed bugs, keep your bags, including your purses, travel bags, backpacks, etc., in the bathroom or anywhere where there are fewer corners and narrow spaces.

Also, try not to open your bags unnecessarily, and when you do, make sure to zip them properly. Do not leave your travel bags unzipped on the ground or on the bed.

Hotel Room Inspection to Avoid Bed Bugs Infestation.

Bed bugs commonly like to stay in places like cracks, corners, ruffles, folds, etc. They love places that are constantly populated by human beings. Whenever you enter a hotel room, the first thing you have to do is, remove the bedsheet and inspect the bed, different gaps, and pillows properly.

Mattress with bed bugs

Look under the bed and mattress, behind the frames, under the bed, tables, lights, etc. If bed bugs are not on the bed, they must be in close proximity.

Bed bugs are crawlers, easily crawling behind wall hangings like mirrors, paintings, and different frames. Check the wallpaper if it has gaps or small spaces because that can be a great hideout for these bloodsuckers.

How to Guard Against Hotel Room Bedbugs Pests When You Suspect Breakout when Traveling?

If you saw and killed a few bed bugs in a hotel room, you are using, that doesn’t mean there are no other bed bugs hiding in different small corners and gaps. If you suspect any bed bugs in your hotel room, then find a solution with the help of Hotel management.

Bed bug

If you find any bed bugs infestation in your room, you should change your room. But make sure not to take the room directly above, below, or adjacent to the previous infested room.

As bed bugs are good crawlers, they can easily ride to the surrounding room with the help of electric sockets, luggage, carts, etc. Many hotel management provide repellents for bed bugs like bed bug fact sheets and ensure the treatment of infested areas.

Some hotels even provide a free laundry service for our clothes. Most sleep sacks can’t provide you with complete protection against bed bugs, as bed bugs can eat the fabric of sacks and even crawl in by small openings.

Unpacking at Home after Traveling

Even a few bed bugs can cause a large infestation in your suitcase. Before leaving your hotel room, there is a high possibility that you might carry a few bed bugs accidentally along with your luggage.

Inspect your suitcase and other travel bags. But make sure to inspect this luggage outside of your home, in the garage or back yard, away from the furniture, beds, and sleeping areas.

It is hard to crawl on smooth surfaces if you live in an apartment using your balcony or bathroom for bed bugs. Use the vacuum to clean your luggage properly.

Wash your clothes properly on a high heat setting. Even wash the clothes you didn’t wear to kill undetected bed bugs. Don’t forget to check pockets and lines to guard against bed bugs.

Conclusion

You can not get rid of bed bugs easily as they are good crawlers and can easily crawl in your traveling bags, backpacks, camera bag, and even small purses when left open on the bed or anywhere in the hotel room for a long time.

As bed bugs can cause different skin-related issues like itchiness, redness, and even allergic reaction to the skin, which can eventually ruin your entire trip, it is important to guard against bed bugs when traveling.

But by using different prevention methods, you can get rid of the bed bugs from your hotel room and sleep tight so that these bloodsuckers won’t ruin your trip.

About the author

A biotechnologist by profession and a passionate pest researcher. I have been one of those people who used to run away from cockroaches and rats due to their pesky features, but then we all get that turn in life when we have to face something.