BED BUGS AND TRAVEL

4 Feb 2019,

“Night, Night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

This old nursery rhyme when putting your child to sleep has never rung truer than today!

This threat is spreading across North America and beyond…

Encountering bed bugs while traveling can be a nightmare. Bed bugs do not discriminate between budget or luxury and can be found in a five star as much as a budget hotel.  Coming in contact with bedbugs during your trip can cause physical discomfort and psychological stress.

They are Hitch Hikers!

Bedbugs are introduced into places by hitching rides. They have been around since the beginning of time. They have increased dramatically over the years because of all the increase in international travel today.  Travel, relocation, immigration, used furniture, moving vans and trailers are some of the ways bed bugs are spreading. When the chemical DDT was banned the bed bugs returned in full force.  Bedbugs have adapted well and are resistant to some pesticides.

What do they look like?

Bed bugs are small, flat and oval shaped. They have six legs and two antennae and are a reddish-brown colour. Adult bed bugs are usually around 5-6mm in size. Their four segmented antennae are attached to the head between the prominent compound eyes. Bed bugs are nocturnal, and bite at night, feeding on human blood. They live for about one year and can survive without feeding up to 6 months or longer. The bed bug is flat and thin when unfed and will appear more red and plump when engorged with blood after a blood meal. The female lays one to five eggs per day and 200-500 in her lifetime.

“They can be found in mattresses, box springs, bedframe, walls, headboards, carpets, other furniture, couches, or dressers”.

Check off list of how to inspect your room before unpacking your luggage

• Place your luggage on the luggage rack or in the bathtub and begin your inspection of the room. You don’t want to run the risk that they will climb into your open luggage.
• Start with the bed and check the headboard, along the mattress seams, inspect the bedding, pillow cases, duvet covers, and the fitted sheet.
• Check the furniture, sofa, chairs, dressers, walls and curtains.

Look for skins or eggs of bed bugs on the mattress, check for stains on the mattresses. If you see black dots, it’s a sign of bed bug fecal matter. Blood smears is when the bed bug has been crushed after a meal and comes from the undigested blood meal in its body. The sheds of skin are when they are growing and move on to the next stage of their life cycle.

Don’t leave your clothing on the floor or on the bed while staying in hotels. Low level infestations can be difficult to detect signs of an infestation.

Bed Bug Bites!

If you wake up with bites be suspicious that you may have been bitten by a bed bug.

Bites will be red and itchy. During the feeding, the bed bug injects saliva causing skin irritation and inflammation. Bites are commonly found on the parts of the body that are more likely exposed to bed bugs during sleep. The hands, neck, face, shoulders, legs and arms. Bites are small, flat or raised areas that may become inflamed, itchy, red or blistered. Bed bug reactions don’t always appear immediately after you’re bitten and may take a few days to show. Not everyone will exhibit the same with bites. Bed bug bites are not initially painful and can go unnoticed for hours or days. Some people will develop red welts after being bitten and others will not react at all.

Bed bugs in your Hotel Room

These are a list of things to do if you have discovered that you have bed bugs in the accommodation you are staying at.

• Put all your clothing in tightly sealed bags- After leaving the hotel upon arriving home make sure you immediately launder all the items in the tightly sealed bags.
• Put your suitcase in the bathroom – Place your suitcase in the bathtub.
• Notify the hotel of the problem– Let the hotel know about the problem. Most hotels will change your room or refund your charges. Most hotels, motels, inns, are very good about receiving a report on this and will have the problem dealt with by a professional. Try to avoid getting a neighboring room in the hotel in case the problem has spread to adjacent units.

Research has shown that bedbugs do carry diseases, but as of now there’s no proof that they actually transmit them to humans.

When you get home

• It’s a good idea to vacuum your suitcases and bags before putting them away.
• Wash your clothes by placing them in hot water and then in the hottest setting in your dryer. Washing at high temperatures will kill the eggs.
• Items that can’t be washed can be heated or frozen. If you freeze the item, it should be at a minimum of -5 degrees C for at least 5 days.

If you have bed bugs in your home

If you discover that you have introduced the bedbug into your home, you need to call a professional pest control company right away. The problem can increase quickly, therefore the sooner you get on top of the problem the better. Self treating the problem yourself can also lead to bigger problems. You may repel the insect and spread the problem even further all over your home. Call the JAPCO professional to eliminate your bedbug problems Today!