• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Arrow Exterminating Company

Arrow Exterminating Company, Inc.

Always On Target

CALL NOW (516) 593-7770
Make A Payment  Make a Payment
  • Residential
    • Ant Control
    • Bed Bug Removal
    • Bird Control
    • Bird Mite Extermination
    • Carpet Beetle Control
    • Cockroach Control
    • Earwig Control
    • Exterior Tick Treatment
    • Flying Insects
    • Flea Treatment
    • Mosquito Control
    • Moth Control
    • Rodent Control
    • Spider Control
    • Termite Control
    • Wildlife Control
    • Cricket Control
  • Commercial
    • Bird Control
    • Bug & Pest Control
    • Rodent & Wildlife Control
    • Nursing Home & Assisted Living
  • Air Purifier
  • PEST LIBRARY
  • Services
  • Contact
    • Request Consultation
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Testimonials
    • Submit Testimonials
  • About
    • Service Areas
    • Michael Deutsch MS, BCE
    • Awards
    • Employee of the Month
    • In The Media
    • Our History
    • What’s New
    • Video
  • Blog

How to Ruin Bed Bugs’ Travel Plans

September 21, 2016

Macro image of an insect bed bugs, clear tube to withdraw bloodIf you think you have been exposed to bed bugs, don’t panic.

What you do after discovering you and your luggage may have been exposed can make a big difference as to whether you take the bug home. It’s worth proceeding carefully and cautiously since avoiding an infestation can save you thousands of dollars and months of trouble and discomfort.

First, you need to learn a little bit about bed bug biology and behavior. Many internet sites have this information. I recommend searching college and university websites such as Cornell University and the University of Kentucky. Also check-out Bedbugger.com

You need to know what a bed bug looks like. You can get images from the internet. Bed bugs develop from an egg. When the egg hatches, a very tiny, but visible, bed bug emerges. This immature stage known as the nymph, also needs a blood meal to survive. The bed bug matures to an adult by going through, typically five (5) stages. It must feed on blood in all stages before maturing to the adult stage.

Bed Bugs are very good hitchhikers.
 

Bed bugs do not hop, skip, jump or fly (they do not develop wings). However, bed bugs are great “hitchhikers”. They are usually brought home in your luggage and clothing items, books and almost any item they can grab onto and hide in. I have seen them in CD jewel cases, cell phones and all types of electronic devices including IPODS and IPADS.

When traveling, you need to ask at the registration desk if there have been any reports of bed bugs. By law, the hotel / motel must tell you. However, you may want to inspect the room before you occupy it. This is difficult for an individual without any experience inspecting for bed bugs.

By keeping your luggage in the bathtub (this may be a little extreme) bed bugs cannot climb-up the smooth surface to get into your stuff. Check the headboard of the bed. If it can be removed from the wall, remove it and look for signs of bed bug activity. Typically, but not always, higher-end hotels usually do not have bed bug issues. However, if a guest brings in bed bugs in their belongings, it may take some time for the management to discover the problem and address it immediately.

Once home, if you do find bed bugs or signs of bed bugs in your luggage, clothing or in any rooms, call a pest management professional right away Save any samples to show them.

Finally, if you know you were exposed to bedbugs in a hotel, hostel, or other accommodations, consider leaving a review on Tripadvisor.com, or a post on the Bed Bug Registry to warn others of your experience.

Ultimately, it’s your responsibility to become educated about this resurging pest. Knowledge is power. Empower yourself!

By;
Michael Deutsch MS, BCE
Board Certified Entomologist
Arrow Exterminating Company, Inc.

Filed Under: Bed Bug Prevention, Bed Bugs

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Ready to get rid of those pests?

Let’s chat! Call us or we can call you!

NYC-METRO AREA

(631) 654-0110

NASSAU/SUFFOLK

(516) 593-7770
FREE ESTIMATE
Red strikethrough circle over insect and pest motifs.
  • Residential
  • Commercial
  • Air Purifier
  • Pest Library
  • Services
  • Contact
  • About
Make a Payment Live Support
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2021 Arrow Exterminating Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. – Privacy Policy – Cookie Policy – Terms