Recent news reports coming out across the U.S. are heralding the coming of Bed Bug Season 2011. The summer is an especially bad time for bed bugs because they thrive and reproduce during the warmer months of the year. Also, a bed bug’s metabolism slows in colder temperatures so when it starts to warm up these little guys get hungry, resulting in more bites and visible creepy crawlers in your bed. Given the recent bed bug epidemics in big cities across the country, Bed Bug Season 2011 is going to be something the U.S. hasn’t seen the likes of since before World War 2.
Researchers believe that the bed bug epidemic that has grown over the last five-plus years is due to an increase in travel from third-world countries to the Unites States. That is why these little, red critters are spotted most often in cities frequently visited by tourists. Bed bugs are commonly spread from country to country through hotel rooms where they grab onto luggage and clothing and hitch a ride back to the traveler’s home. Once the traveler arrives home they unwillingly unpack their new visitors who will soon find residence in their beds, pillows and furniture. Although bed bugs are a disgusting annoyance that leave unsightly bites on the afflicted, the real trouble comes from the process of bed bug eradication. It’s easy for bed bugs to check into your home but getting your home exterminated and throwing out mattresses and furniture can be quite costly.
One way to prevent the epidemic from spreading to your home is to purchase a bed bug protector kit. Here are some travel tips so you can keep your residence bed-bug free this summer and ride out the pending 2011 epidemic unscathed.
- Never leave your clothes on a hotel room floor or in its drawers.
- Check your laptop for infestations. Bed bugs like the warmth and feast on the human oils that collect beneath the keyboard.
- Travel with re-sealable bags to cover your clothing.
- While staying in a hotel, check the alarm clock – bed bugs like the warmth provided by electronic devices.
- Check your hotel room bed for small blood droplets – a clear indicator of a bed bug infestation.
- Get a bed bug protector for your bed and pillows to keep the little bloodsuckers out.
- Thoroughly wash your clothes in hot water after returning from your vacation.
