Avoid Bed Bug Encounters During Holiday Travel

City Wide Exterminating and the National Pest Management Association share tips for travelers on how to check for bed bugs this holiday season. 

Whether you’re heading home for the holidays or taking a vacation during the break, the last gift you want this season is bed bugs! While most associate bed bugs with the summer travel season, these pests are a year-round threat and quickly cause problems during winter travel. To protect your holiday travel plans from the threats posed by bed bugs, City Wide Exterminating is joining the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) in sharing key inspection and prevention tips. 

“Recent bed bug outbreaks at Paris Fashion Week and now in South Korea, have brought a lot of attention to these pests and how easily they can be transported from place to place,” said Ashley Morrison, President of City Wide Exterminating. “It is still too early to know how recent international infestations could affect the U.S., but we do want to warn those who may be traveling this holiday season to perform thorough inspections in their hotels or rental properties to avoid these pests.”

City Wide Exterminating and NPMA are sharing key bed bug inspection and prevention tips to help reduce encounters with these hitchhiking pests this holiday travel season:  

• Upon arriving at your hotel room or rental property, thoroughly inspect the entire space before unpacking, including behind headboards, under lights and inside dressers, sofas and chairs. 
• Pull back sheets and inspect mattress seams and box springs, particularly at the corners, for telltale stains or spots. 
• Avoid placing luggage on furniture or luggage racks where bed bugs can hide unseen.   
• Carry a small flashlight to assist you with visual inspections. 
• If you see anything to suggest bed bugs, change rooms/establishments immediately. Do not stay in an adjacent room.  
• When returning home from a trip, vacuum and properly inspect suitcases before bringing them into the home. 
• Wash and dry all clothes – even those that have not been worn – on hot cycles. 

Bed bugs are not a DIY task and can be extremely difficult to eradicate. If you suspect you may have brought bed bugs home with you from a holiday visit or vacation, give us a call at 704.850.6091 today!