One of the worst nightmares for travelers is the thought of bringing home foreign pests like bed bugs. Small in size, these pests are difficult to spot. That is, unless you know where to look for them. They avoid light and prefer to congregate in small cracks and crevices. Their hiding places are usually along the seams of mattresses or sofa cushions. Sometimes you may find a few in more remote areas.
They come out in the dark and feed only to crawl back into their hiding space once they have consumed their meal. Adult bed bugs look much like wood ticks. They are brown and have an oval shape but after feeding they swell, turning a purplish red and assume more of a cigar shape. In addition to being tiny, young bed bugs are fairly translucent before feeding so they can be especially hard to detect.
If you suspect that you and your belongings have been exposed to bed bugs, inspect everything before bringing it home. Check the folds of material along with seams and any cracks or crevices in your luggage or carry cases.
It isn’t necessary to get rid of items that may have bed bugs on them. You can contain the infestation by packing everything in plastic bags until you are able to deal with the problem by machine or hand washing or heating items. Clothes can be sorted and put in plastic bags for laundering before bringing home to help avoid the little critters escaping into your home.
To get rid of the bedbugs on washable items, wash and dry on the hottest setting possible. Keep items to be dry cleaned bagged and let the cleaner know the situation. Other items can be hand washed in soapy water, again at the hottest temperature possible, taking care to wash seams well. Luggage should be scrubbed with a scrub brush especially in seams, cracks and crevices.
Heating items can be rather inconvenient but don’t despair. We can do it for you! With 7 retail stores across western Canada, we serve almost any city and town in the prairie provinces. Your trip does not have to be ruined by tiny uninvited hitchhikers.