Check the Bed Bug Registry Before You Travel – It Might Make Your Skin Crawl

The mention of bed bugs makes my skin crawl.  I am constantly checking hotels when we go on vacation.  Did you know there was a National Bed Bug Registry for hotels?

A PESKY PROBLEM

I remember when I worked for the school system as a Youth Service Coordinator and bed bugs were a huge problem right here in Owensboro.  For several years it seemed we heard a lot about bed bugs and then for some reason talk died out.  Don't let that full you though.  Professionals say that there is an increasing issue with bed bugs.  Most people think they have one issue and it turns out to be these guys.

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WHEN AND HOW DO YOU GET THEM

Bed bugs are often reported more in the summer.  People are traveling from place to place and kids are staying the night at friends' houses and there is a whole lot more movement.  Do you have a kid that travels back and forth from college?  Make sure to check their stuff before they bring it to the house.

HOW TO AVOID BED BUGS

Terminix offers the following tips to mitigate the risk of being bitten or transporting bed bugs:

• Check hotel headboards, mattresses, and box springs for live bed bugs, their exoskeletons, and/or dark blood spots.
• While full-grown bed bugs are about the size, shape, and color of an apple seed, travelers should also look for newly hatched nymphs, which are cream-colored and the size of letters on a penny, as well as small translucent eggs, which may be found in the tucks and folds of sheets.
• Hang all clothing. Leave nothing lying on the bed or furniture.
• Avoid storing clothing in a hotel’s furniture drawers.
• Store suitcases on a luggage rack as far away from the bed as possible.
• Vacuum suitcases when returning home, and immediately wash clothing in hot water.
• Between trips, store luggage in a sealed plastic bag in a garage or basement, away from bedrooms.

HERE'S HOW TO CHECK THE BED BUG REGISTRY

Yes, there's actually a National and World Bed Bug Registry which still blows my mind.  These registries actually allow you to look at a map or type in an address to find out if a specific hotel, motel, or even apartment has bed bugs.

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