Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite!

Many of you will no doubt be on holiday now, or about to go somewhere soon, so just make sure that bed bugs don’t bite you and spoil your trip. Bed bugs are extremely small, around 5mm long, and can be difficult to detect. They often live quite comfortably in beds and bedding and old furniture, but they can also be found in things like electrical outlets or wallpaper. These insects vary in colour and can be dark yellow, red, or brown, and can produce a red and itchy rash on the skin that can be on any part of the body.

How do bed bugs get into your home?

Bed bugs are very adept at hitchhiking and can literally attach themselves to your luggage or clothing and travel with you over long distances without the need for food. They are also capable of climbing inside suitcases and staying comfortably inside them for many weeks. They can live comfortably on train, plane, or coach seats and flooring and then just transfer from one person to another and onto your luggage.

How to avoid bed bugs

The best way to avoid bed bugs is by taking a few precautions. Whenever you arrive in a hotel, or any other holiday accommodation, avoid getting into your bed with your travelling clothes on and don’t put your luggage on top of the bed and then open it up. You should also check your bedding before getting in it just to ensure that there are no bed bugs lurking. If you acquire any old furniture, it is best to check this over thoroughly, too, before bringing it into your home.

It is a good idea to carry a small UV torch or flashlight with you when you travel so that you can inspect your bedding and surrounding area of the room carefully for any signs of bed bugs. Look out for things like dark spots, eggs, shed skins, and blood stains on the bedding and mattress. You should also inspect any cracks and crevices in the bed frame. Bed bug waste will glow under UV light, making it easier for you to detect their presence. Obviously, if you find anything of concern you should contact the hotel/accommodation owner immediately. Bed bugs can easily travel around from room to room once they have arrived somewhere and will go straight to where there is any human activity.

Once you arrive home from your holiday, do not take your luggage straight up to the bedroom. Make sure you keep it on a hard surface, if possible, and empty your washing straight into the washing machine. Then hoover the inside of the case out and clean over the outside – hard suitcases are a better option because bed bugs find it harder to attach themselves to the surface.

Packing cubes are also a good way of keeping bed bugs out of your clothing when travelling and always carry plastic bags with you to put dirty washing in so that you can separate it from everything else in your luggage.

Hard floors in the home are easier to keep clean than carpets, as bed bugs can hide more easily in type of soft furnishings. Cleaning the house regularly will help to avoid any unwanted bugs from invading your home.

Treating bed bugs

If you do ever get an infestation of bed bugs in your home, you may need to consider contacting your local council or a pest control company. Minor issues can be treated with the use of a steam cleaner and by removing all bedding and washing it at a high temperature, 60 degrees for at least 30 minutes, and then drying it thoroughly. Skin rashes should heal up on their own and don’t usually pose any health risks. If you do experience a lot of itching or have a bad reaction to the bites then you can use calamine lotion and/or antihistamines to clear it up more quickly.

Conclusion

Even though bed bugs are more common than you may think, you can usually manage to avoid them by taking the simple steps explained in this article. You could also consider carrying a spray around with you when you travel, such as lavender, peppermint, or tea tree oil, as these scents are supposed to help repel bed bugs. Hopefully, with this knowledge, you will now manage to have stress-free holidays without the presence of pesky bed bugs!