Bed bug infestations are infamously linked to traveling. This is because people often unknowingly bring home bed bugs with them after a trip. Bed bugs will latch onto suitcases and make the long journey all the way home with travelers. Once inside, bed bugs can spread throughout your home without you even knowing! Bed bugs may be slow movers, but a single bug can lay up to 12 eggs in a single day—or up to 500 eggs in its lifetime. Needless to say, a small bed bug problem can quickly get out of hand. To stop this from happening, it’s important to know how to keep bed bugs from traveling in the first place. Read on for expert information from Blue Chip Pest Services!
How Do Bed Bugs Travel?
Because bed bugs bite people, it’s easy to assume people can spread bed bugs. However, this is not the case. Unlike fleas and ticks, bed bugs do not latch onto people. Instead, they will retreat after feeding. Bed bugs most commonly are spread when infested items are moved from one area to another. Typically, this happens when infested furniture or items are moved from one room to another. The spread of bed bugs can also be traced back to travelers and college kids bringing home infested luggage.
How to Keep Bed Bugs From Traveling
To stop bed bugs from spreading in your home, it’s important to learn how to inspect for bed bug activity. In addition, some of the best ways to prevent bed bugs are to:
- Be wary of purchasing second-hand furniture unless you’ve inspected it thoroughly for bed bugs.
- Place protective covers over the mattresses and box springs in your home.
- When traveling, use hard shell suitcases and thoroughly inspect your hotel room for bed bugs. Always store luggage up off the ground.
- When arriving home from traveling, steam clean your suitcase and wash all clothing before storing everything away.
- If you utilize shared laundry facilities or a laundromat, seal your clothes in a plastic bag to and from the facility, and always fold your clothes at home.
Have Bed Bugs After a Trip in St. Louis?
No one wants to worry about bed bugs while traveling or on vacation. But more often than not, infestations begin after a trip. If you find yourself with a bed bug problem in your St. Louis MO home, it’s time to call in the experts. At Blue Chip, our bed bug exterminators can get rid of bed bugs quickly and help you learn how to prevent them from traveling ever again.
