Some seasoned travelers take their suitcases into the bathroom and place them in the bathtub as soon as they enter their hotel room. This may seem like odd behavior, but given the many reports of bed bugs in hotels, it's actually a savvy safeguard against bringing an infestation of the pests home with you.
Bed bugs are well-known for their traveling. Many people have found they've created an infestation of the insects in their homes because they brought bed bugs home with them from a trip. If your suitcases and clothing is in contact with the bugs that have infested a hotel room, there's a good chance you'll find they've come home with you.
If you have any suspicion that your guest quarters may have bed bugs, call hotel management immediately and request a move to a new room, but not a room next to the one you'll be vacating.
Hotels frequently rely on pest services like Abell Pest Control to inspect and treat hotel premises for bed bugs, but they need to act on it right away because an infestation can travel quickly. Reporting suspected problems - and certainly actual sightings of bugs - will help the hotel improve its pest management.
To give your room a quick check, leave your bags on the floor away from the bed. Raise the bed sheet and mattress pad to see if there are bugs - they're visible with the naked eye - or tiny dots of excrement in bedding or mattress seams. Use a flashlight to inspect crevices of the luggage rack, which could easily have attracted bed bugs from previous guests' luggage.
Don't stop at the obvious places because these bugs may also hide behind headboards that are attached to walls, around framed artwork, and on furniture that's near the bed. Upholstered chairs are especially vulnerable, but the bugs may also be found in desk or nightstand drawers.
To reduce your chance of bringing home bed bugs, inspect your luggage before leaving. Bring a plastic bag to keep your dirty clothes in since bugs are often attracted to human scents left on used clothing. Once you're home, launder clothes used on the trip immediately, vacuum your luggage and throw out the vacuum cleaner bag. Wipe down your shoes with a rag and hot water.
If there are bed bugs that make their way home with you, store your luggage in plastic bags to contain the insects and prevent them from infiltrating your home.
You probably already know that most people are repulsed by the simple sight of cockroaches. If you are personally dealing with a cockroach infestation, the feelings of disgust are probably even more intense. Unfortunately, the cold winter weather tends to be one of the reasons this pest ends up in your home in the first place, according to Any Pest. While you may know that you don't want to share your home with cockroaches this winter, there are a number of interesting facts about this pest that you've probably never heard.
Because of the high amount of traffic and the versatility of the facilities, pests are naturally attracted to long-term care institutions. Many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other care facilities include on-site kitchens and cafeterias as well as private rooms and common spaces. All of these places are susceptible to attracting pests because of the presence of food, water and viable habitats.
During the summer months, some people love to go camping with family and friends. Yet this fun trip can be ruined with a few unwanted visitors, most notably different types of bugs. Crawling spiders, hungry mosquitoes and buzzing flies can become annoying quickly. How can you avoid these pests when you're outdoors? Consider these tips to keep bugs out of your campsite.
Carpenter ants can chew through the strongest studs and stringers in a house as they hollow the wooden beams out for nesting. The resulting damage can weaken the home's structural support and require expensive repairs. Professional pest control workers can remove a colony of ants, but the best practice for homeowners is to learn the best ways to keep out an ant colony and prevent the problem before it begins.
As the weather cools, you'll probably see fewer pests than you did during the warmer months, but that doesn't mean they're all gone just yet. Some insects can actually come out in full force during the autumn, while others might seek refuge in your warm home. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as fall gets underway:
As the middle of summer approaches, you need to be vigilant about keeping your garden free of pests. Many insects breed during the summertime, which means they're on the lookout for great places to lay their eggs. For many bugs, that means near a source of food. In fact, some species of insects will lay their eggs inside budding vegetables and fruit so their larvae have something to eat as soon as they hatch. That's why you have to keep harmful bugs out without damaging the bugs that could help you, such as bumble bees.
You might have noticed that, with the exception of the kitchen, you find more pests in your bathroom than in the rest of your home. This is because insects and rodents see the bathroom as a convenient watering hole. Pests love leaky pipes and standing water because these offer them a hydrating oasis in the otherwise dry biome that is your house or apartment. And if your bathroom develops mold, all the better for pests, who may eat fungus or use it to lay their eggs.
The kitchen is largest gathering place for pests in a residential home. The reason is simple: pests can grab a bite to eat and take a sip of water while they're here. And when they find such a bountiful place, they will return home to their nests and report the finding - before you know it, your whole pantry is a buffet for ants! The problem could get even worse if a piece of food falls somewhere and begins to rot. Similarly, fruit and vegetables you bring into your home may be harboring unseen pests waiting to hatch.
