Bothersome Bed Bugs

I love to travel, especially in the winter, but so do millions of other people from around the globe. Using public transportation, staying in public places and returning home with gifts or new items is an exciting adventure.

However, a trip on the train or an overnight stay in a luxury hotel might offer more than lasting memories. Travelers could take home unwanted guests – bed bugs.

Bed bugs don’t care about income or status, but about location, location, location. The real estate buzzwords apply to these bugs too.

According to the National Pest Management Association, bed bug cases, and the cost to fight them off, have risen dramatically since 2006. Bed bugs can find a home in everything from mattresses, couches, clothes to inside carpet and outlet covers as well as pin holes in woodwork. The bugs typically come out at night and feed, which can take between two and six minutes. Once they eat, the bugs molt and then move on to the next stage of life.

Bed bugs can reproduce faster than mice, and once a female gets pregnant, she stays that way for life, laying eggs until she dies.

Avoid bed bugs with these quick tips from the National Pest Management Association:

• Before packing your items to return home, inspect luggage thoroughly for live and dead bedbugs, inside and out.

• Shake out all items before packing them in your luggage.

• Soiled items that will be laundered upon returning home should be placed in a plastic bag before being packed in your luggage. Immediately wash the items upon return.

• Upon arriving home, do not bring luggage directly into your home. If possible, bring bags directly into a garage or outdoor area to disassemble. Bedbugs cannot live in extreme temperatures.

• Clothing that was in the laundry bag and brand new items should be washed immediately in hot water and dried on high or sent to the dry cleaner.

• Your empty luggage should be inspected again at home for live and dead bed bugs inside and out before being placed in storage for future use. For an additional level of protection, luggage can be placed in large construction or lawn leaf sized bags for storage.

Treating for bed bugs can be costly. Catching an infestation early is key. Typically, two to three treatments will take care of the problem and can cost between $300 and $400. However, with larger houses or a more severe infestation, treatment can take much longer and can cost upward of $5,000.

Are you looking for a job in Real Estate? Take a look at RealEstateJobSite.

Staci Dennis is a freelance writer and blogger for Nexxt. She uses her job skills and life experience to formulate unique and clever blogs and stories.