Regular bed bug inspections are the best line of defense to help you avoid a bed bug infestation.
Regularly inspect areas where pets sleep for signs of bed bugs such as pepper-like stains, molted bed bug skins and white, sticky eggs.
Never bring second-hand furniture, especially mattresses and box springs, into a home or college dorm without thoroughly examining it for signs of a bed bug infestation.
At hotels, thoroughly inspect the entire room before unpacking. Check behind the headboard and in furniture. Pull back the bed sheets and check the mattress seams for pepper-like stains that may be evidence of bed bug activity.
If you suspect an infestation or problem, notify management and change rooms immediately. Be sure the new room is not adjacent to or directly below or above the possibly infested room.
Keep suitcases in plastic trash bags or protective covers during a hotel stay to prevent bed bugs from nesting there. Do not put them on the beds.
Upon returning home from a trip, inspect all suitcases and other belongings before bringing them into the house.
Wash all clothes – even those that have not been worn – in hot water and dry them using an extra-hot dryer setting.
