When I was a kid and my dad tucked me in at night, he always left the room saying, “Don’t let the bed bugs bite!” At the time I thought it was a cute little saying to make me giggle, but as I I grew up and started a family of my own, I realized that bed bugs were no joking matter. Especially after my most recent girls trip.
Standing in the airport and waiting for our luggage, we were all talking about how excited we were to finally be going home and back to our families, when my friend pointed out that my legs were covered in tiny red bumps.
A few of the other girls had the same tiny red bumps, but none of us knew what they were from. Wondering what caused them, I thought back to my dad’s bed-time comment about bed bugs. I should have taken him more seriously! But traveling? I’d never worried about bed bugs when traveling!
Then I stopped and thought about it – what did I really know about bed bugs? Was it even possible that we had gotten them? How were we going to get rid of them? None of us wanted to infest our houses and subject our families to bed bugs, so I quickly pulled out my smartphone and searched the Terminix website for bed bug tips.
For years, Terminix has been my one-stop shop for all things bugs. I’ve always been able to rely on them for accurate and up-to-date information on any bug or pest topic. My bed bug situation was the prime example and I was able to gather some helpful tips to avoid bed bugs in the future.
Terminix Tips:
- Travel with a hard-shelled suitcase because it offers fewer places where bed bugs can hide away.
- Check the room for bed bugs before you decide to settle in. You can place your luggage in the bathroom while you inspect the floors and bed. You may even consider hanging your clothes if you can.
- Pull back the sheets from the mattress and examine the seams and bed edges for bugs.
- Inspect the headboard and the area behind it.
- Examine the upholstered furniture and even the window treatments.
- Notify management if you find something suspect – do your part to stop the spreading of bed bugs!
Once you get home from your trip, you should always be careful to do the following:
- Vacuum off your luggage and use a scrubber brush to clean off items that can’t be washed.
- Immediately unpack and wash your clothes in hot water and on dry, hot heat.
The girls and I were lucky enough just to have encountered some sand lice (and ended up getting treatment right away!), but now I will always remember to be on the lookout for bed bugs when I travel in the future!