How to avoid bringing bedbugs back from vacation – KelownaNow

When escaping to the sun this winter, youre probably expecting to come back with a tan, not bedbugs.

According to Health Canada, bedbugs bite people while they sleep and feed on their blood, usually causing minor skin reactions. In rare cases, it can lead to severe allergic reactions.

Before leaving for vacation, travellers are urged to learn how to spot bedbugs and avoid bringing them home in their luggage, clothing and other personal items.

Bedbugs are brown and have small, flat, oval shaped bodies that are similar in appearance to an apple seed. In advance, you should do your research and learn how to spot them.

When youre on the trip, you should check your hotel room before you unpack. If you find signs of bedbugs, you can notify the front desk and ask for another room, or stay somewhere else. If you change rooms in the same hotel, make sure your new room is not next to the possibly infested room.

Bedbugs can hide in many places, like under wallpaper, behind picture frames, in electrical outlets, inside box springs, in mattress pads and in night tables, so make sure to check everywhere.

Bedbug fighting tips:

When you return home, carefully check your luggage and all of its contents. It is also a good idea to wash and dry all clothing and fabric items at a high temperature after you get back, to help kill any bedbugs you may have picked up.

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How to avoid bringing bedbugs back from vacation - KelownaNow