The holidays are possibly the biggest time of year when it comes to family time. For some, it’s the only time of year they see certain family members. For others, it’s simply another reason to get together with the family who lives across town. Others may not have family in the traditional sense to get together with, but their friends become like family.
Regardless of who may visit your home this holiday season or where you may be traveling, you need to be on the lookout for other, much smaller visitors that may tag along. Bed bugs love the holidays because they love to travel. In fact, although summer is when their activity is at its peak, there is an uptick in bed bug activity during the holidays due to the increase in travel.
Bed bugs climb onto or into luggage, purses, backpacks, and clothes and travel along to the next destination. Only two bed bugs in a previously pest free home can start laying eggs and grow their numbers to a large population in a rather short period of time.
Precautions To Take When Traveling
If you’re traveling this year, it’s wise to take some precautions. Here are a few ways to ensure you aren't inadvertently bringing bed bugs home with you.
Upon arriving at your destination, check the room for bed bugs before bringing in your belongings.
Inspect the area between the mattress and headboard and footboard for signs of the bugs themselves, or their eggs or casings.
- Look behind picture frames for bed bugs.
- Check the sheets and the mattress itself for small, dark streaks that could be bed bug feces.
- Observe the area along the seams and in the creases of upholstered furniture.
- Keep your luggage and bags off the floor by hanging them on hooks or keeping them on dressers.
- Check your belongings before bringing them back into your house.
- Wash all travel clothes on a hot water cycle before putting them away.
Precautions To Take If You’re Hosting
If visitors are coming to stay in your home this holiday season, it’s wise to take some precautions both before and after their visit:
Check for signs of bed bugs before anyone arrives. This will ensure that they don't accidentally travel to other homes (see previous section for where to look).
After your guests leave, check again for any signs of bed bugs, including scanning for small red dots on sheets or pillows. These indicate that bed bugs were biting the bed’s occupants while they slept.
Wash all bedding on a hot water cycle.
When To Call The Professionals
If you’ve seen any signs of bed bugs, it’s important to call a professional pest control company right away. Bed bugs are difficult to completely eradicate through DIY methods. Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators offers several types of bed bug treatments and can suggest the best option based on the size of your infestation.
If you’re not sure if you have bed bugs or not, Quik-Kill can also inspect your commercial or residential property in Moline and other Quad-City area's to set your mind at ease. Our technicians are trained to spot the signs of a bed bug infestation. We even offer a K-9 detection service that can pinpoint where the bed bugs are hiding with a high degree of accuracy.
Don’t let your holidays be ruined by bed bugs. Let Quik-Kill help keep your home bed bug-free.