Thinking of Traveling?

Its March break and almost everyone and their uncle are making plans to do some travelling. To ensure that nothing dampens your fantastic vacay, it’s always wise to prepare. Bed bugs are a global problem and so you are more susceptible to bed bug infestations during your travels.

Here are a few tips to keep you and your belonging free from those little hitchhikers.

While getting ready to travel:

• Put your belongings in clear plastic bags and properly seal them before putting them in your suitcase/ bag. This will protect your clothing even if bed bugs have latched onto your bag.
• You also have the option of investing in a suitcase cover that protects from bed bugs.

During your trip: 

• Check your hotel/motel room for any signs of bed bugs before settling in. Inspecting Your Hotel Room gives you detailed instruction regarding what to look for and where.
• Store your luggage in the bathroom until you have completed your inspection- bed bugs are rarely ever found in the bathroom, therefore it’s the safest place for your luggage.
• Keep all worn clothing in a tightly sealed plastic bag to reduce risk of infesting clean clothing.
• Keep your luggage away from the bed, cushions or any upholstered furniture.

After your trip: 

• Inspect your luggage and belongings before taking it into your home.
• Wash all clothing and dry using the hottest heat setting for 30-45 minutes.
• If you are worried about your luggage being infested, it would be a good idea to get a prepping or a pest control company to steam or heat treat your luggage.  If not, put it in a black bag and wait for the summer heat to cook away any stragglers. 

Other Resources:

·         Bed Bugs and Travel: Don’t let them Get To You

·         How to Avoid Bed Bugs while Traveling

 

Fighting Bed Bugs with Fungus...?

I am not sure why but when ever I have any type of bug/insect infestation, the first thing I think is “OMG, I need to get to [insert favorite home improvement store here] and buy a spray”; hoping to spray the problems dead. But, I also forget (and I really do know better) that these sprays while they might work (kind of); are also carcinogens and are no good for anyone’s health in the long run. 

That’s the reason I believe that we all should leave the chemical treatment to the professionals, right?  If you are going to DIY, then the suggestion is always to stick to eco-friendly/ non-chemical methods. Besides, I think we all know by now that chemical treatment alone is no good for total elimination of your bed bug problem.

So, like most of our clients I am always looking out for emerging studies and information on anything bed bug/ bed bug treatment related.  On my bed bug information forage, I came across an article titled:  New hope in the fight against bed bugs.  Basically, this article is entertaining the idea that researchers are now studying a natural fungus (Beauveria bassian) that causes diseases in some insect populations and indicated that bed bugs that are exposed to the fungus becomes infected and die within five days.  The awesome thing about this fungus, apparently, is that the infected bug will take it to where they aggregate and expose it to the others. This means that this fungus will be able to kill bugs in places chemicals or maybe even steam treatments cannot get to. 

Are you as excited as I am? I am definitely excited about the prospects of that and will definitely be on the look out for any more news on that research.  In the mean time, check out that article. The link is below.

Read it on Global News: New hope in the fight against bed bugs