EcoSMART Bed Bugs

What can I do to protect myself from bed bugs while traveling?

When traveling, your focus should be on PROTECTION and PREVENTION. That means, you need to take measures to protect yourself from the possibility of becoming a bed bug blood meal wherever you are staying and also take measures to prevent these annoying pests from hitching a ride back home with you. Our Bed Bug Killer and Repellent – Travel Size is the perfect travel companion to do exactly that by creating a “barrier” between bed bugs, you and your luggage.

Here is a handy checklist to follow:

Protect Against Bed Bugs and Hitchhikers When on the Road

Upon entering your hotel room, do NOT put your suitcase on the bed or the floor. Bed bugs can and will jump to your suitcase without your knowledge. Instead, set your luggage on the luggage rack and barricade them from entering by spraying repellent around the legs of the luggage carrier and the perimeter of your suitcase.

If you’re traveling with Fido, remove him from the carrier and treat the carrier with the repellent just as you did your suitcase. Remember, the repellent is 100% safe, but Fido just may not appreciate being sprayed or may not like the herbal fragrance.

Look for bed bugs – or signs of them – in the seams of the mattress. Pull back the bedding and look at the mattress. Check the seams (looks like a ribbon or cord around the perimeter of the mattress). Check in and around any buttons or ribbing. You may not be able to see the bed bugs (they’re the size of an apple seed), but you may see reddish spots (blood smears) or brownish spots (bed bug poop).

Check the cracks and crevices around the headboard. Bed bugs love to hide in small places, so be sure to check screw and nail holes and at the joints where the wood is glued or screwed together.

Check the night stand, dressers and even look in electrical equipment, such as alarm clocks. Check these pieces of furniture as you did the headboard, but remember, you need to do more than just open a drawer and look inside. You must make a thorough examination of all nooks and crannies.

Do not put your clothes on hangers until you have checked them thoroughly. Bed bugs can live in the cracks and crevices of hangers, so this area should be checked before placing clothing, especially if the hangers are wooden.

Do not put clothing in hotel room drawers. It’s difficult to check the entire room, including all the drawers of a dresser, so to be safe, keep your clothing in your suitcases or hang it up only after checking the hangers.

Travel with zip loc baggies large enough to hold an outfit. When packing, separate clothing into outfits, then when you’re done wearing each outfit, return it to its bag.

If you see signs of bed bugs, request another room! Request one that is as far away as possible, preferably in another section of the building. Bed bugs can move from room to room.

Remember, bed bugs can live anywhere and not only in dirty places. Just because you’re in a 5-star hotel, don’t assume it’s a bed bug free zone. Bed bugs are not attracted to dirt and grime; they are attracted to warmth, blood and carbon dioxide and can live up to a year without food.

To effectively prevent the possibility of bed bugs entering your luggage, spray EcoSMART Travel Repellent daily to erect the barrier and keep your suitcase a bed bug free zone. The 3-ounce travel repellent will support 3-5 applications, so if you have an extended trip, be sure to pack enough product to keep your bags safe.

To protect against the possibility of becoming a blood meal, apply EcoSMART travel size Killer and Repellent every night (following label directions) to create a barrier of protection before going to bed.