During the holidays, many people are traveling to spend time with family and friends.  This time of year can already be stressful and picking up bed bugs along the way can lead to even more stress once you return home.  This is why the experts at Thomas Pest Services want to offer tips to help keep you, your family and home bed bug free this holiday season.

With an estimated 42 million people (according to AAA) traveling over the holiday seasons, it is no wonder that instances of bed bug infestations increase during this time of year.  Airports, airplanes, hotels, bus stations, taxis, malls, and unfortunately, even Aunt Susie’s house are all places where travelers can pick up bed bugs and return home with them. 

Bed bugs cannot jump or fly so instead they crawl onto or into people’s personal belongings (clothing, bags, purses, etc.) and hitchhike their way into a new home with new hosts to feed off of.  Luckily, although bed bugs are small, they can be seen by the human eye and they do leave tell-tale signs that they are present.  Some of the most common signs that bed bugs are invading an area include: black fecal spots on mattresses or bedding, red blood stains from bed bugs that have been crushed, and piles of exoskeletons on mattresses, floors, or other areas.

Bed bugs are difficult pests to prevent against, but there are some easy steps that travelers can take this holiday season to help limit their exposure to bed bugs.  Bed bug prevention tips include:

• Keeping coats, luggage, and bags up off of the floors of public places, like airports and bus stations.
• When first entering the accommodations that you will be staying in over the holidays, inspect under mattresses, box springs, in the cracks of wooden furniture, behind pictures frames, along floorboards, and around electrical outlets for adult bed bugs or signs of their presence.
• Keep suitcases up off of the ground. Do not leave even dirty clothing lying around on the ground.
• Keep items that are not in use in sealed plastic bags.
• When returning home from the holidays, immediately wash all clothing in hot water, and vacuum and wipe down all suitcases.

As was stated before, preventing a bed bug infestation can be very difficult and despite all precautions, these pests can unknowingly travel back home with us.  The best thing to do at the first sign of an infestation is to immediately get professional help.  The faster help is sought, the less time bed bugs have to reproduce and invade your home.  At Thomas Pest Services, we offer chemical-free heat remediation services to eliminate very small to very large-scale bed bug infestations.  Using heat to treat bed bugs is very effective, can be completed in one day, allows for quick re-entry, and kills all stages of bed bugs, from the tiny eggs to the larger adults.  

For more information about bed bugs, and how Thomas Pest Service can help to control and eliminate bed bugs in Albany homes, visit http://www.518gotpests.com.