Keep Bed Bugs Away when Traveling this Summer

June 20, 2011 - PRLog -- Summer historically is the time for millions around the US to travel.  The Air Transport Association predicts that more than 206 million Americans will take to the skies between June and August this year; 26 million of those travelers will be flying to international destinations.

More than ever before, travelers both at home and abroad are having to keep a closer eye out for bed bugs--the parasitic, bloodthirsty insects that can infest mattresses, carpeting, clothing, wall voids, and more, and cause physical and mental distress by inflicting painful bites.  

As a 2011 joint report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes, the resurgence in bed bug populations across the US are due in part to increased mobility.  Travelers have inadvertently transported the insects from place to place and have introduced bed bug infestation to locales where it previously did not exist.

Donnie Shelton, President & CEO of Raleigh bed bug extermination company Triangle Pest Control, elaborates on this.

"Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers," says Shelton. "They sneak their way into luggage and bags, and travelers have no clue that they've transported the parasites with them until it's too late."

If you are traveling this summer, Triangle Pest Control offers these helpful tips to prevent bringing home bed bugs.

1. If you are staying in a hotel, check with hotel staff before booking a room to find out if the hotel uses bed bug mattress encasements.  These washable protective mattress covers are a huge deterrent to bed bug infestation and can keep you safe from bed bugs' painful bites.
2. Bring a small flashlight with you.  Use the light to check under your mattress and boxspring, around the headboard, in drawers, around carpets, behind mirrors, and behind wall art for signs of bed bugs, including dried spots of digested blood, molted exoskeletons, and even live bed bugs.  If you find any of the above during your inspection, notify hotel staff immediately, and vacate your room.
3. Pack your clothes with bed bug-proof luggage liners and keep your clean clothes, laundry, and also shoes in protective, bed bug-proof bags until you are ready to use and/or launder them.
4. At the end of your stay, check your luggage and belongings before departure for any hitchhiking bed bugs.  If you find bed bugs, make the decision right then to either have the item immediately laundered at high heat or to dispose of it.
5. Upon returning home, unpack your luggage outside and thoroughly vacuum your baggage.  Then, wash and dry your clothing in high heat to kill any bed bugs or eggs that you may have overlooked.

For more information about bed bugs and bed bug elimination and extermination, visit Triangle Pest Control online at http://www.trianglepest.com/bed-bug-control/bed-bug-exter...

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Founded in 2003, Triangle Pest Control is North Carolina's leader in Bed Bug Management. A Raleigh extermination company, Triangle Pest Control specializes in an integrated pest management process that includes both elimination and prevention. The company has a firm commitment to working only with materials that have maximize the safety of families, children, and pets and is ranked #1 in customer service among Raleigh pest control companies.