When bedbugs find their way into your home, they can spread fast—and leave you with very unpleasant side effects. In particular, these parasites are known to leave irritating bites after feeding on your blood. For some, these bites can cause allergic reactions and make it difficult to sleep at night. While keeping a clean home can help prevent these small insects from entering your home, you should take extra precautions when traveling, as these pests are often found in hotel rooms. To help you strengthen your pest control strategy, here are a few ways to keep a major headache from returning with you after travel.

5 Ways to Keep Bedbugs Away During a Vacation

1. Pack to Protect

Plastic sealable bags—such as those designed to save space—are great for storing clothes in your suitcase. These will prevent unwelcome guests from hiding out in the fibers of your clothes. If you decide to put your items in a hotel dresser, keep them sealed up.

2. Inspect Hotel Rooms Right Away

As soon as you enter your hotel room, inspect the space for signs of bedbugs. These pests are very small—from 2.5 to 4.5 millimeters—have a brown-red color, and are shaped like flat ovals. Using a flashlight, look for these critters on all sides of the mattress, pillows, luggage and dresser areas, carpet, and furniture. Other signs include eggshells and pale skin that shed from younger insects as well as rust-colored stains on the mattress. If you spot any potential warning signs, don’t unpack and request a different room.

3. Use the Luggage Rack

Luggage racks are a common feature found in hotel rooms. Keeping your suitcase on these holders—and well above floor level—can make it more difficult for pests to infest your luggage.

4. Unpack With Care

In case they did make it into your luggage, there are steps you can take to kill them immediately. First, immediately unpack all your clothes into the washing machine and run the cycle with hot water and soap, followed by drying at high heat. Next, seal your suitcase in a plastic garbage bag and place it in your car trunk for a few days. The temperature should get hot enough to kill the pests.

5. Consider a Mattress Cover

If you travel a lot and are concerned about bedbugs, purchase a mattress cover. These covers zip around the mattress and provide a safe barrier, allowing you to keep your bed safe.

While it may be alarming to find bedbugs in your home, there are additional steps you can take to eliminate the critters—such as calling Southeast Termite & Pest Control in Knoxville, TN. Using high-quality tools and products, this EPA-certified exterminator will pinpoint all areas of infestation and provide safe treatment to effectively remove these pests. To keep the rest of your home bug-free, their advanced solutions can also address roach, mosquito, ant, and termite control concerns. To learn more about how they can help, visit this extermination company online. To experience service that’s gone 46 years without a complaint with the Better Business Bureau®, call (865) 925-3700.