Traveling is a fun but sometimes it turns into a scary experience, especially when you come back with unexpected souvenirs for yourself—bed bugs. These little crawlies can easily tag themselves with your luggage and clothing to haul throughout the vacation. But you have no idea how they can turn your memorable vacation into a nightmare. These pests are by nature hard to get rid of once they infest your home. Therefore, it is important to take bed bug prevention tips right after you return home from a trip. Taking a few preventive measures immediately upon returning from a trip can go a long way in reducing the risk of these pests. It can save you from the strain and expense of possible infestation.

Bed Bug Prevention Tips: What Should You Do Immediately After Traveling?

Tip no 1: Check Your Bags Before Entering Home

Inspecting your luggage before even stepping foot in your house is the first step to keeping the bed bugs out. Because they are very good at hiding in nooks and crannies, it is important to examine all travel items closely for signs of the pests.

Give importance when examining your luggage and baggage. Inspect the seams and zippers as well as every compartment of your bags. They are a small, oval-shaped dark brown or reddish coloured bugs. If you find small aggregate dark material or live bugs, use a flashlight to magnify it. You might also see minuscule white eggs or shredded exoskeletons. Anything that seems strange should be dealt with outside before bringing it into the house.

Tip no 2: Unpack in a Controlled Area

• Unpack your luggage in a controlled area – one of the best ways to stop them from spreading. Find an area where any bugs that might have come along for the ride can easily be isolated and exterminated.
• Unpacking the suitcases in a garage, bathroom or outside area are also the best options. Well, these spaces are less likely to contain soft furnishings where the bugs could hide.
• Put the suitcase on a hard surface, like a kitchen counter to unpack and don’t rest it on carpets or upholstered furniture.
• Soft surfaces (where bed bugs like to snuggle) present the greatest risk of bugs making their way into your home. Thus, unpacking in a controlled area mitigates this risk.
• If unpacking outside is not feasible, it is suggested to do so on a tile floor (or bathtub) that can easily be cleaned afterwards.
• Get rid of any trash, papers or other items collected during your trip to reduce the number of places bed bugs could hide.

Tip no 3: Wash All Clothing and Belongings

Wash all of your clothes, including the ones you did not wear, after trip. They c can hide in clothes and other fabric products. Quick washing of these items will help to remove any bugs or eggs that could have travelled with you. When washing your clothing, use hot water since high temperatures help to kill bugs and their eggs.

Follow up with a high-heat drying cycle to guarantee even more that no bugs survive. If you have anything that cannot be washed, think about running it in the dryer on high heat for at least half-hour. Any bed bug should be killed with this treatment alone.

Tip no 4: Vacuum Luggage Thoroughly

• It’s time to give your luggage some thought once you’ve sorted through your stuff. One of the key steps in keeping them out of your house is giving your bags careful vacuuming. Best results come from using a hoover with a HEPA filter since this kind of filter may catch even the smallest of bugs.
• They are more likely to lurk in the seams, folds, and corners of your luggage, hence pay special attention to these. To guarantee you access to all the difficult-to-reach regions, run your vacuum’s crevice tool attachment.
• Well, to stop any bugs from fleeing back into your house, empty the canister right away in an outdoor trash container after vacuuming.
• Treating your bags in a steamer could help to provide further security. Heat is quite sensitive to bed bugs. Heating your bags will help eliminate any eggs or bugs you might have missed when vacuuming. For better guidance, hiring expert services of top bed bug exterminator on GTA can work magic

Tip no 5: Store Luggage Properly

Your luggage should be completely cleaned and store in a way that chances of any surviving bugs moving to your house is reduced. To separate your bags from the rest of your house, pack them in a sealed plastic bag or container. This stops any remaining of them from fleeing and invading your house.

If at all feasible, store your bags outside in a garage or shed instead of storing it in your bedroom or other living area. This lessens the possibility of any flaws discovering your furniture or bed. Furthermore, don’t forget to cover your bags to provide further protection and keep them away till your next travel.

Tip no 5:  Inspect Bedding and Furniture at Home

Once you get home, it’s still a smart idea to check your furniture and bedding even if you have followed all the required guidelines. They are well-known for their difficulty to find; hence early identification is essential to stop a full-fledged epidemic. This is an important tip for a quick bed bug identification, removal & prevention.

Search your mattress, bed frame, and any surrounding furniture for bed insect evidence. Search for any shed skins or live bugs as well as minute dark stains that can be their excrement. Because bugs may lurk between the borders and seams of your mattress, pay especially close attention to these places.

Remove the Bugs from your House with our Expert Prevention Measures

If you’re dealing with bed bugs, don’t wait until they infest your home. North Star Pest Control, the top exterminator in the GTA, offers expert solutions for identifying, removing, and prevention. Our professional team uses the latest techniques to ensure a bug-free environment. Visit us now for effective treatments tailored to your needs. Protect your home today with trusted services from the expert team!