There are no preventive actions or tactics to guarantee freedom from hitchhiking bed bugs after an overnight stay at a hotel. There are, however, numerous steps you can take to minimize the possibility. It is important to learn the necessary steps to not bring bed bugs home. There’s no such thing as a guaranteed bed bug-free lodging. You’re more likely to encounter bed bugs in locations close to airports, cities known to have relatively high bed bug incidences and low-budget facilities, but they’re not the only places.

• The website, Bed Bug Registry is designed for travelers to check-up on the hotel they plan to stay in.

• When you check into a facility, ask the person at the front desk if it has had any cases of bed bugs within the past year. If they answers yes, explain you’re willing to check in but not in a room adjacent to or above and below it.

• Before checking into your room, leave your suitcases and belongings in the hallway in the open doorway and perform a hot air inspection (see sidebar).

• Leave your belongings outside the room, and bring in a hairdryer, 20-ft. extension cord and flashlight. (Many rooms have hairdryers, but most are hard-wired into the wall in the bathroom and can’t be removed.) Use the hairdryer to blow hot air around the four sides of the headboard, and use your flashlight to look for running bed bugs.

• Use the hairdryer inside the top drawer of the nightstands. The heat generated by the hairdryer causes bed bugs to run, but it’s not meant to kill them. If you see any signs of bed bugs, leave the room. If you can’t carry a hairdryer, use your room key card, and run the card along the top of the headboard, trying to scrape out anything that might be hiding.

• Pull the dust ruffle back from the box spring near the headboard. Check for dark stains, cast skin eggs and live bed bugs with your flashlight. Check both sides of the box springs and mattress. Concentrate on the front end of the bed. You’ll have to pull back the mattress covers and sheets to inspect.

• If you insist on storing your clothes in dresser drawers, insert them in clear plastic zipper storage bags before you pack your suitcase.

• Don’t place your suitcase on the folded support to hold suitcases. It can be a prime suspect area.

• Don’t leave dirty clothes on the floor; human odors attract bed bugs.

• When you arrive home, put your suitcase in the garage or another isolated spot. Unpack while watching for any activity. Place the clothes in the washer and dry at a high heat setting for 30 minutes.

• Consider having a bed bug removal company inspecting your home within a few days of your return.

During the course of traveling, if you come across bed bugs or signs of bed bugs, contact the facility immediately. Be sure to follow our tips to avoid bed bugs at home and contact Thomas Pest Services who is licensed and trained in bed bug removal. Thomas Pest Services gets rid of bed bugs in Albany, Troy, Latham, Clifton Park, Glens Falls, Lake George and surrounding areas. For questions, contact us by phone 1-877-518-2847, info@518gotpests.com , twitter or facebook.

Source: PMP Magazine October 2013 Issue