If you're planning on traveling this holiday season, you may want to protect yourself against stowaway bugs. This is particularly true if you're going to be staying in hotels. Bedbugs love to hide away in hotel rooms and then travel home with you. Unfortunately, once they get into your home, they can be difficult to get rid of without professional assistance. Luckily, there are a few safety precautions you can take that will reduce your chances of bringing bedbugs home with you.

Watch Where You Put Your Luggage

Bedbugs love to hide out in carpet fibers and furniture like mattresses and upholstered chairs. When you place your luggage on any of those surfaces, you run the risk that the bedbugs will crawl inside with your clothes. If that happens, you're going to be bringing them home with you. You can keep the bugs away from your belongings by placing your luggage on hard surfaces such as table tops or portable luggage racks.

Be Careful With the Drawers

If you're going to be placing your clothing in the dresser drawers, be sure to inspect them first. Open up each of the drawers and look for small brown specks along the edges. Those specs could be bugs, or egg casings. Egg casings are small brown shells. Bedbugs aren't usually found in drawers, they could have been left there by the last guests who stayed in the room. For maximum protection, use a damp cloth to wipe out the inside of each drawer you plan on using.

Use Resealable Plastic Clothing bags

You'll want to have plenty of resealable plastic bags with you. They'll come in handy for storing previously worn clothes. Each time you undress, place your dirty clothes on a hard surface, such as a table top or counter. Shake the clothing out and then carefully place them in resealable plastic bags. This will prevent bedbugs from finding their way on to your dirty clothes. For added protection, wash your dirty clothes in warm water as soon as you get home.

Give Your Luggage the Once-Over

When you get home, you'll want to make sure that there are no bugs hiding on or in your luggage. Before you take your luggage in the house, take a good look along the seams. Look for bugs or egg casings. Remove your clothing and then place your luggage in dark plastic bags for several days. The heat inside the bags will kill any bugs that might be hiding in your luggage.

If you spend time in hotels, chances are you might come in contact with bedbugs. Use this simple tips to help stop them from traveling home with you. If you do find bedbugs in your home, be sure to contact a pest control technician, like Arab Termite and Pest Control, as soon as possible.