As much as these bed bugs love to travel, there are ways to keep them from climbing aboard.

5 ways to be sure your next vacation is bed-bug free

Travel with Zip Lock bags- When traveling, Zip Lock bags can be a lifesaver. Not only can they keep your clothing and items clean and organized, but also they will prevent bed bugs from crawling into your stuff and hitching a ride back to your home.

Use Hard Luggage- Hardcover luggage bags do not have zippers, cloths or seams that can deteriorate or break down causing entry points for bed bugs. If you don’t own hard luggage, use luggage with color and texture that will make it easy to spot bed bugs.

Inspect where you stay- Whether you’re staying for a single night or for multiple weeks, before you unpack your bags check the room for bed bugs. Your 15-minute inspection could prevent a costly infestation in your home later on. Inspect underneath bed sheets, in the mattress seams, headboard, sofa and anywhere that bed bugs might frequent.

Keep luggage away from the beds- Placing luggage close to the bed can allow easy access to your belongings if bed bugs are present. Keep your luggage away from beds, couches – and off the carpet.

Wash it all! – The most important factor in having a bed bug free trip is the washing of your clothes. It all starts with how you pack. Refrain from bringing clothing that can only be washed in cold water. Hot water and the heat from a clothes dryer works well to kill bed bugs that could be hiding in clothing. A greater measure one can take when trying to avoid bed bugs on vacation is to stop off at a Laundromat on your way back home to give all of your clothing a good wash. If a Laundromat is not available, put your clothing directly into your own washer and dryer as soon as you get home.

By following these few simple tips you can greatly reduce the chance of bed bugs returning to your home. Bed bug control is one of the most difficult challenges facing the pest control industry. Once bed bugs have settled in your home, they can be difficult to get rid of. For quick detection, thorough inspections and properly-timed treatments contact Lloyd Pest Control today.

The post Bed Bugs: The Wrong Kind of Vacation Souvenirs first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

It is uncommon to experience bed bugs in a single-family residence, so don’t be frightened by the recent hysteria.

Bed bugs are more common in a high transient population, dorms and apartments.

They are passed around from one infested home to the other.

Although they are called “bed bugs,” the bugs can live anywhere that you are sedentary so that they can feed from your blood.

How to know if you have bed bugs

You find rust colored blood stains on your sheets.

Small bites on arms and legs result in red swollen and itchy skin.

How to prevent bed bugs

Sadly, the best prevention is to avoid contact with bed bugs altogether.  If you have been in contact with bed bugs, it doesn’t mean that a new colony will sprout at your home.  In order for bed bugs to proliferate at your property, you would have needed to import a pregnant female or a mated pair.

How to treat bed bugs

There is no at-home or over-the-counter remedy for bed bugs. Don’t even waste time trying different solutions — get them treated QUICKLY.  If just a single pregnant bed bug is left in your untreated home, four months later you’ll have 9,600 of them.  At the five-month mark, you’ll have 31,500.

If you spot any of the signs, a detailed and thorough inspection must take place by a professional. Bed bugs can hide where you would least expect.

There is sometimes a physical removal of live bugs with a vacuum-chambered device.  The mattress and box spring are sealed with bug-proof encasements to ensure any bed bugs that might have remained hidden inside are never able to escape.  Targeted residual and contact insecticides are also applied.  In the past year,  heat treatments have been used with great success.

Follow-up visits are also crucial and should be scheduled at intervals that match the hatching patterns of newly hatching bed bugs.

For more information about bed bugs in Southern California, contact Lloyd Pest Control.

The post Frequently Asked Questions About Bed Bugs first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

• It is uncommon to experience bed bugs in a single-family residence, so don’t be frightened by the recent hysteria.
• Bed bugs are more common in a high transient population, dorms and apartments.
• They are passed around from one infested home to the other.
• Although they are called “bed bugs,” the bugs can live anywhere that you are sedentary so that they can feed from your blood.

How to know if you have bed bugs?

• You find rust colored blood stains on your sheets.
• Small bites on arms and legs result in red swollen and itchy skin.

How to prevent bed bugs?

Sadly, the best prevention is to avoid contact with bed bugs altogether.  If you have been in contact with bed bugs, it doesn’t mean that a new colony will sprout at your home.  In order for bed bugs to proliferate at your property, you would have needed to import a pregnant female or a mated pair.

How to treat bed bugs?

• There is no at-home or over the counter remedy for bed bugs. Don’t even waste time trying different solutions — get them treated QUICKLY.  If just a single pregnant bed bug is left in your untreated home, four months later you’ll have 9,600 of them.  At the five-month mark you’ll have 31,500.
• If you spot any of the signs, a detailed and thorough inspection must take place by a professional. Bed bugs can hide where you would least expect.
• There is sometimes a physical removal of live bugs with a vacuum-chambered device.  We seal the mattress and box spring with bug-proof encasements to ensure any bed bugs that might have remained hidden inside are never able to escape.
• We also apply targeted residual and contact insecticides.  In the past year, we have employed heat treatments with great success.
  Follow-up visits are also crucial and should be scheduled at intervals that match the hatching patterns of newly hatching bed bugs.

Click here for further information about bed bugs.

The post Bed Bugs: Frequently Asked Questions first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.