Avoid Bed Bugs This Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving holiday will soon be upon us and we will be engulfed in turkey and dressing, pies and more pies! Some of you will travel great distances to be with family and close friends. Others of you will receive guests into your home and enjoy spending your Thanksgiving holiday together. Traveling is just a part of the holiday.

There is one nuisance pest that seems to really enjoy traveling and not just during the holidays, and that is the hitchhiking bed bug. Traveling and staying in motels increases the risk of exposure to bed bugs. Unfortunately, receiving guests into your home can also expose your residence to bed bug infestation.

The good news is that bed bugs are not known to transmit diseases and they cause no damage to your physical property. The most an individual will usually experience is a few itchy red welts from a bed bug bite. Even then, the bite itself is normally never felt.

The adult bed bug is only about 1/4th inch long and is oval shaped and has a rather flat body. Being nocturnal, they are rarely seen in daylight and very adept at hiding. However, one can usually see signs of infestation once they know where to look. The first thing you should do upon soliciting a motel room is to give the room a thorough inspection prior to bringing in your luggage. Lift up the bed sheets and look along the ribbing and edges of the mattress for any sign of bed bugs or bed bug feces. Look behind the headboard and inside the nightstand and dresser drawers. Any sign or hint of bed bugs is grounds enough for moving to a different room and possibly even a different motel.

Never store your luggage on the floor—use the luggage stand to keep it off the carpet. This is another common place in which bed bugs can hide. Keep your clothing in the suitcase rather than placing it in the dressers. These precautions will reduce the chance of a stray bed bug hitchhiking back to your home with you. Inspect your suitcase and clothing immediately upon arriving home. Launder your clothing as soon as possible to remove any chances of a stray bed bug traveling back with you.

Bed bugs are extremely difficult to eradicate once an infestation has occurred. DIY techniques are rarely effective due to the nature of the bed bug and the multiple places in which they are able to hide. Russell’s Pest Control has provided quality services throughout the area for more than 40 years. Sleep with peace of mind and contact Russell’s highly trained professionals to come inspect your home for bed bugs. We will be happy to explain our highly successful bed bug heat remediation program to you.