What travelers need to know: How to detect and protect yourself from bed bugs while traveling

While there’s nothing better than taking a vacation, nothing is worse than bringing home bed bugs as a souvenir.
Bed bugs, the great hitchhikers they are, can be found all over the world and are on the rise, especially in hotels. According to Steritech, a commercial pest prevention provider in North America, a recent survey of 700 business class hotels found a 58 percent increase in bed bugs infestations over the course of one year  These pests can be found anywhere from the local Motel 8 to the most luxurious accommodations. Hotels are prime targets for bed bugs since they are easily transported on luggage and other personal belongings.

But don’t cancel your vacation plans just yet. Be proactive; awareness is key when it comes to battling these bugs. Check out the tips below to help guard yourself against bed bugs. If you find evidence of bed bugs in your hotel, talk to a manager. You can also visithttp://bedbugregistry.com/ to find out if the place you’re planning on staying at for your next vacation has been reported for bed bug infestations.

Inspecting your hotel room:

• With a flashlight, look for bugs or blood spots in corners, cracks, and crevices…
• Behind the headboard (lift off brackets on the wall)
• Along the piping around the mattress, under the sheets
• Along the edges of the box spring
• Around joints in bedside tables (including drawers).

Steps you can take:

• Use luggage racks set away from the wall—and never set luggage on the bed.
• Put suspect items in sealed plastic bags until you can clean them.
• Dry everything you can on the highest temperature for 60 minutes when you get home.
• Freeze what can’t take the heat for 2 weeks.