- Thoroughly inspect the entire hotel room or rental before unpacking, including behind headboards, and around the bottom of cushions and seams of other furniture.
- Pull back bed sheets and inspect mattress seams and box springs, particularly the corners, for pepper-like stains or shed bed bug skins.
- Use a large plastic trash bag or a protective cover to store your luggage during your stay.
- Do not place luggage on upholstered surfaces. The safest place is typically in the bathroom in the middle of a tile floor or on a luggage rack after it has been thoroughly inspected. Do not use a luggage rack if it has hollow legs, where bed bugs may hide unseen.
- If any pests are spotted, notify management and change rooms or properties immediately. If staying in a hotel, be sure your new room is not adjacent to the possibly infested room.
- When you return home, inspect and vacuum your suitcases thoroughly before bringing them into the home. Consider using a garment hand steamer to steam your luggage, which will kill any bed bugs.
- Wash all your clothes – even the items not worn – in hot water or dry on high heat.
German Cockroaches: The Most Common Indoor Roach and How to Beat It
Quick answer: The German cockroach (Blattella germanica) is the most common indoor roach species worldwide, thriving in kitchens and bathrooms where warmth, moisture, and food are abundant. These light-brown roaches reproduce faster than any other household pest, with...
