Bed bug management can be managed easily when traveling when you take a few extra precautionary steps when staying in either hotels or hostels. Ideally the best time to check into your accommodation would be a night as the bed bugs are nocturnal and you would have a better chance to spot them when you turned on a light and pull back the sheets to inspect the mattress.

Regardless of whether you check in during the night or day there are always signs that you will be able to see that will alert you that the property has bed bugs. Be very wary if the owner will not allow you to inspect the room first, and if I were denied this request I would definitely look for other accommodation.

What you are looking for in bed bug management:

When back packing I always take a torch this is not only handy for when you are camping but if you go in a darkened room you will be able to switch the torch on as you peel back the sheets for a closer inspection of the mattress seams.

Shine the torch over the entire mattress looking for spotting of blood as this will be from the bed bugs last victim. Continue your inspection of the bed head, pillowcases, around the legs of the bed and the mattress base.

If you get the all clear that is great, but are you aware that you could be transporting the bed bugs on your luggage? That is why it is important to not to have your bags close to your bed and you should either store the bags in another room, closet or even in the bathroom in the bathtub. Bed bugs are renowned international travellers and are transported easily around the world on or in luggage and clothing.

Bed Bug prevention is better than cure:

• A handy hint that my Mother said to me when I first started to travel many years ago is to always put your dirty laundry in a sealed plastic bag. This advice has proved to be gold over the years and if there are bed bugs on your clothes they are then contained in the sealed bag. When you do your laundry I have always used the hottest wash available and this in itself will kill any bed bugs.
• Another handy tip is that the bed bugs can not survive in heat so one of the most effective and cheap methods to ensure a good nights sleep is to invest in a travel hair dryer. Not only will you have something that can dry your hair it will also kill bed bugs.
Turn it up the hair dryer to the hottest setting and then just direct the dryer in slow motion to and fro not touching the cover the mattress, pillow, headrest etc. This will definitely give you an uninterrupted nights sleep.

What to do if you get bitten during the night:

If you get bitten during the night and if possible catch a bed bug to back up your claim and go and report it to the front desk. They may offer you another room but it has been my experience that if the bed bugs are in one room they are in all the rooms, and it is better to find accommodation elsewhere.

It is like when we get calls for bed bugs and the customer says that they only want the treatment done in one room where they were bitten. These are the same pest jobs we get called back to as guess where the bed bugs go from the treated room? You guessed it they move to the next room.

First Aid for Bed Bug bites:

There are a few people that have no to little reaction to the bed bug bites and end up with a small bite the size of a mosquito bite. All that I have done in the past is rub an ice cube over the bite to reduce the itch and the minor swelling.

Sometimes there are people that have a reaction to the bite/s and are literally very uncomfortable from the bites. For these people it is always advisable to seek medical attention to get relief from the bites as quick as possible.  As you can see with a little bit of pre planning bed bug management is possible.

Ring Bob on 0407 065 413 for any bed bug management information and free quote.  Or email him at Bob@a1pestcontrolcanberra.com.au