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Tips To Avoid Bed Bugs While Traveling

There honestly isn’t much like getting the family together and hitting the open road. Everything about the entire process can be from. From the planning to the execution, the entire process can be exciting. That being said, there are dangers that one is exposed to when traveling. This is especially true if you are going to be spending a lot of time in a hotel room. The hospitality industry has grown more and more plagued with bed bugs. If you plan on traveling these days, you’re going to need to know how to protect yourself from such threats. And, there is no potentially better way than the SLEEP theory.

SURVEY

First up is the surveying of the room. The SLEEP theory starts with an S, and that S representing surveying. It means to perform an in-depth, thorough search of the areas where you and your family will be sleeping. Of course, this helps if you know all the potential hiding spots for bed bugs. In addition to this, remember that bed bugs are not discriminatory creatures. Clean, cluttered, rich, or poor, it doesn’t matter to them. While they are more likely to invade cluttered areas, they will just as likely invade a clean area. They leave behind reddish-brown stains on sheets and in large infestation, you will likely encounter sweet, musty odors.

LIFT And LOOK

The second part of the SLEEP theory is the L, but just because it is second that doesn’t mean it isn’t important. It is so important that it has two meanings. These meanings are lifting and looking. This is pretty much a continuation of the surveying step, but it just means taking it a step further. It means don’t just visually inspect the areas where you and your family will be sleeping. It means to physically lift and look under the sheets, pillowcases, mattresses, and box springs. Physically lift and look for all the potential hiding places for bed bugs.

ELEVATION

While there is no denying that all the steps of the SLEEP theory are equally important, it is perhaps the elevation part of the theory that is really ingenious. This one means to elevate your luggage upon entering the hotel room. Most people just unwittingly unpack their belongings and put them in the hotel’s closet or dress drawers. Unfortunately, this is a major mistake because it is one of the potential hiding spots for bed bugs. This is where the elevation step comes in. It means elevating your luggage up on the hotel’s wall rack. Bed bugs are good hitchhikers, but they have a hard time climbing up walls. The theory is, the harder you make your luggage to get to, the harder it will be for them to invade. Elevate your luggage while you scour the room for signs of an infestation.

EXAMINATION

The second E in the SLEEP is just as genius as the first when you sit down and consider things. However, this part of the theory does not apply to the starting trip. It applies to the return trip. It means to examine your luggage and belongings before returning home. Of course, this is something you can do upon returning home as well. Either way, it’s not a step you want to omit. It means to examine your belongings for signs of an infestation. Just because you stayed in a room and haven’t experienced any signs of an infestation, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you or your belongings weren’t exposed. A quick examination of the luggage will help you determine whether or not this is the case. If you do wait until you get home, you can spread your belongings out on the garage floor and do a quick peripheral check.

PLACEMENT

It is the last step of the entire process, but it’s a step that ties everything together. That being said, this is perhaps the most important step of the entire process. It is one that also applies to the returning leg of the trip, as it means placing your luggage and belongings in the washer and dryer. With a bit of research, you’ll discover that one of the major killing factors of bed bugs is heat. Bed bugs cannot survive when exposed to specific amounts of heat. Washing your clothes in hot water and then drying them on the highest heat settings possible will ensure complete eradication of the bugs from your belongings. And the great thing about heat is, it doesn’t just kill adult bugs. No, it kills eggs, larvae, and adults. It kills all stages! If there is anything that can be said about bed bugs, it would be that they are extremely cryptic pests. Combine this with their quick-witted nature, and it should be easy to see why most infestations require the assistance of a professional pest management firm. Just remember to get multiple quotes before deciding on a major provider, as this will save you a whole lot of money, hassle, and time in the grand scheme of things.

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