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Health & Fitness

Bed Bug Prevention

Bed Bug Travel Advisory by Vision Pest Management.

Summer vacations are a fun and exciting time for the whole family; but, if your itinerary includes plans to stay in a hotel, motel or condo it is a good idea to take precautions to avoid bed bugs.  In a recent survey by the National Pest Management Association and University of Kentucky, 75% of pest management companies indicated they had encountered infestations of bed bugs in hotels and motels in 2012.  In this regard, Vision Pest Management has put together some recommended bed bug prevention tips for summer travelers:

 

  • When entering your room, place your luggage on the tile floor in the bathroom or at the door away from walls until you’ve had a chance to inspect for pests.

 

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  • Inspect the bed first as this is the most likely place to find bed bugs.  Using a flashlight and pulling back the sheets, inspect the seams and folds around the outer edges of the mattress and box spring for signs of bed bugs or stains. Continue to inspect the surface of the bed and the headboard.

 

  • Inspect the nightstands: look for signs of bed bugs on the inside and on the bottom side of drawers.  Also inspect under clocks, telephones and lamps.

 

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  • Inspect sofas/chairs by examining the seams around and under the cushions for signs of bed bugs or stains.

 

  • Inspect the luggage rack: partially collapse the rack to remove tension from the straps and carefully look between the straps and the frame for evidence of activity.

 

  • Consider placing your luggage and any other personal items in plastic bags during your stay to help avoid bed bug hitch-hikers.

 

  • If you detect bed bugs at any time, calmly notify management and request another room.  Do not accept a room adjacent to, above or below the initial room - you want to be as far away from that room as possible.

 

  • To prevent carrying bed bugs into your home after your travels, inspect yourluggage before bringing it into your house. You can vacuum suitcases or use a hand steamer to treat your luggage.  A good quality fabric steamer will produceenough heat to kill any hitch-hikers.  Before storing away your clothing, place your clothing in the dryer for at least 30 minutes to kill any bed bugs and their eggs.

 

  • Contact a pest management professional immediately if you suspect bed bugs have already entered your home.

 

At Vision Pest Management, we are focused on serving the community and providing information to protect travelers from bringing back unwanted souvenirs this summer.  If you would like more information on this topic or other pest management practices please visit our website at www.visionpmp.com

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