Are you going to be traveling soon? If so, you’ll likely spend the night at a motel so you can relax and rewind. It is wise to do so, but you need to be careful when staying at
motels since they could have
bedbugs. It is pertinent to take steps to prevent
bedbugs from entering your luggage and clothes. Below, you’ll find tips to avoid
bedbug infestations while traveling and staying at motels.
Surveying The Motel Room
When staying in a motel room, it is pertinent to enter the room and survey it thoroughly. Depending on the time that you arrive, you might be able to spot
bedbugs around the room. However, they normally remain hidden. Therefore, it won’t be easy to spot them. Furthermore, these pests can be hidden in any motel room. Even if the room is thoroughly clean, it might contain
bedbugs. Carefully survey the motel room to see if you can spot any bedbugs. You’ll also want to take note of the smell.
Bedbugs produce a sweet, musty odor that smells like soda syrup. If you notice this smell, you’ll want to ask for another room.
Don’t forget to check the shoots for brown or red stains.
Bedbugs do not transmit serious illnesses, but they do bite. When this happens, you might develop an itchy, red welt.
Lift & Look
As mentioned above, you likely won’t find bedbugs crawling on the floor or sheets. You have to look closer and more carefully. When a home is infested, most of the bedbugs are going to hide on the mattress and box spring. Therefore, you need to pay close attention to these items. You need to check both carefully. Lift the covers and sheets. Remove them from the mattress before carefully checking the mattress. Once you’ve done that, you should check both sides of the mattress and box spring. Pay close attention to fabric folds.
Check their most common hiding places before looking at baseboards, pictures, and other items.
Elevating Your Luggage
Once you’ve finished surveying and checking the motel room, you need to take steps to prevent bedbugs from climbing into your luggage. Thankfully, the motel room should have a luggage rack. If it does, you’ll want to use it to your benefit. Elevating your luggage using the luggage rack can make a big difference. Just remember to place the rack in the middle of the room. Doing this will prevent bedbugs from climbing the walls and entering your luggage.
Examination
Before going home, it is wise to carefully examine your luggage. As soon as you return home, search through your luggage again. Unfortunately, you might find bedbugs in your luggage and clothes. If you find bedbugs in your belongings, do not bring them inside. Instead, you’ll want to eradicate them by using your dryer. Be sure to check your luggage in your garage or an exterior utility room.
Place Them In The Dryer
Finally, you’ll want to deal with the bedbugs hiding in your luggage. Throw what you can in the dryer so you can eliminate them. Let them dry using the hottest temperature for 15 minutes or longer. The extreme temperatures produced by the dryer will eradicate the bedbugs on your clothes.
Bedbugs aren’t easy to eliminate, but we can help. Our technicians can wipe out the infestation for you quickly and efficiently. Although you could use DIY methods, you shouldn’t since it is too dangerous. Team up with a local, licensed pest control expert to ensure that the problem can be dealt with promptly. When you’re ready to begin, call our office and let our technicians take care of it for you.
