Ditch Unwanted Pest Souvenirs on Vacation

It’s easy to understand why souvenirs are so popular. Everyone wants something physical that reminds them of a happy vacation spent with loved ones. When you picture souvenirs, however, we’re guessing you picture snow globes, postcards, and culturally appropriative knick knacks–not bed bugs. Unfortunately, traveling is maybe the number-one way most homeowners end up with bed bugs. And you don’t even have to travel somewhere with a bed!

Bed bugs, ticks, moths, and other pests like them have evolved to become excellent hitchhikers. Given half an opportunity, they’ll happily bum a ride back to your place with you. The last thing you want to do after a nice, restful vacation is contend with an infestation of gross bugs. Here are some vacation pest prevention tips to ensure you only bring home the things you want next time you go on vacation.

 

plane in flight above the clouds during a sunrise

Flight

You’re not even safe from pests 30,000 feet in the air. Pests like moths, silverfish, and bed bugs sneak into suitcases. You check those bags, take off, and your new pests get a free flight. It’s not uncommon to pick up pests at the airport itself, too. The number of people traveling and the amount of garbage they create foster pest communities that are just as diverse and thriving.

Keep your bags sealed whenever when you aren’t using them–this means in the hotel, on the road, in the airport, and even on the plane. Refrain from keeping food in carryout bags. Don’t take garbage from the plane with you. Wash all your clothes when you get home. Throw your bags in the dryer for 20 minutes to kill bed bugs hiding in them. Carefully inspect everything you brought home for signs of pest infestation, even after washing and drying it.

 

Long, lonely desert road

Road Trip

People have nothing on a bug’s love of the open road. Bed bugs, fleas, ticks, and spiders are just as comfortable wandering from one (ahem) cockroach motel to the next on a cross-country adventure. All of the hotel advice above counts double for road trips. Check the sheets, carpet, curtains, and bathroom for signs of pest infestation. Keep your bags elevated and tightly shut whenever you’re not using them. Check your socks and the inside of your shoes every morning.

Keep your windows closed when possible out on the road, especially if you’re traveling through wooded areas. Don’t eat messy foods in the car, and thoroughly clean up any food or beverage spills immediately. Keep the interior of the car clean and dehumidified. Have everyone stay hydrated to prevent sweating and heat generation, but make sure you don’t leave beverages in the car after you get out.

 

visiting grandma and grandpa

Visiting Relatives

No, we’re not going to teach you how to keep your in-laws from coming back with you. That’s not the kind of vacation pest prevention we specialize in. But it’s important to be wary of pests in any home, no matter how clean and well cared-for it seems. Pests don’t discriminate, and the theory that they only pick on dirty homes is totally wrong.

Follow all the steps above, and change the sheets you’ll be using as soon as you arrive. Check furniture for signs of infestation, particularly if it’s old or beat up. Don’t hang up your clothes in their closet or leave your bag open in their living room. Remember that bed bugs seem to look for travelers specifically. The residents probably don’t even know they’re around. Following these tips should keep you safe from those pests, but good luck explaining what you’re doing under the bed to your mother-in-law.

 

Campers sitting around a campfire at night

Camping Trip

The greatest vacation pest prevention challenge yet! You’re going outdoors. Pests LIVE outdoors. Insects and all kinds of other pests will assail your site for as long as you’re there, looking for a weakness to exploit. You won’t give them one.

Keep food in sealed containers 10 feet from the site and at least 8 feet in the air. Keep your firewood supplies 20 feet away. Seal your tent with your bags inside it when you’re not using them. Sleep under a mosquito net and check your sleeping bags for pests every night. Dispose of food remains immediately by taking them away from the site. It should go without saying, but always wear bug spray and anti-tick ointment. Thoroughly wash and dry all your equipment when you get home, including your clothes, your tent, your sleeping bag, and your own body. Check yourself for ticks or bites.

 

Follow each of our vacation pest prevention protocols while you’re out enjoying your time off, and you won’t have to worry about bringing back any unexpected “guests” when you return. Those freeloaders will have to find some other tourist!

If you’d like to learn more about pests, check out some of our blogs. If you need pest investigation, prevention, or a treatment service, let us know right away. Have a great vacation!

Bed Bugs: Summer Travel Tips

BED BUG

Bed bugs are highly mobile pests and as a result they possess the uncanny ability to infest a wide array of environments.

A recent national survey of pest management professionals revealed some very unusual locations where bed bugs were found including a prosthetic leg, in a casket with a deceased body, a dance club, and on a tow boat in the Ohio River.

The point is bed bugs are a threat to strike virtually any environment and brick and mortar structures including homes, hotels, movie theaters, healthcare facilities, college dormitories and apartment/condominium complexes do not hold a monopoly on being prime bed bug real estate.

Transportation environments including trains, buses, planes, boats, taxis, and camper trailers are susceptible to bed bug infestations. Bed bugs are able to access these locations when brought in on clothing, bedding and luggage, and the numerous cracks and crevices located in these environments create ideal harborage for bed bugs.

While not a seasonal pest by any stretch, 66% of pest management professionals responding to the survey said summer is when they receive the most calls about these nasty, blood-sucking pests. This can be attributed partly to the increase in summer leisure travel when vacationers are hopping on trains and planes, checking into hotels, jumping into taxis, and packing and unpacking luggage.

Bed Bug Summer Travel Tips

  • Pack your belongings inside sealable plastic bags and bring some extra large plastic trash bags.
  • Upon arrival inspect your room for dark fecal or dried blood spots on bedding and closely examine the folds or creases of the mattress and box springs, upholstered chairs, drawers, and headboards.
  • Don’t unpack your suitcase; Only take the clothes out that you will be wearing, and don’t leave your shoes on the floor – keep everything inside your sealable plastic bags.
  • Store the luggage in the bathtub or on a tile floor. These areas are the least likely places bed bugs will be residing.
  • When you return home carefully inspect your possessions for any hitchhiking bed bugs and make sure to thoroughly check the clothing you are wearing. Unpack your bags outdoors or in the garage, and put everything that can be in the washer. For items that can’t be washed, it is recommended placing them in the dryer at the highest temperature setting for at least 10 minutes.

Griffin Pest Solutions’ clients can count on us to deliver proven, highly targeted treatments to any environment. These treatments are done using the latest products and application techniques, and are performed in a time-efficient manner to limit disruption and eliminate the infestation.

If you have questions or concerns about bed bugs call or e-mail Griffin Pest Solutions at 888/547-4334 or callcenter@https://www.griffinpest.com/ for more information and a free estimate.

Bed Bugs: A Moving Target For Travelers

Bed bugs are highly mobile pests and as a result they possess the uncanny ability to infest a wide array of environments.BED BUG

A recent national survey of pest management professionals revealed some very unusual locations where bed bugs were found including a prosthetic leg, in a casket with a deceased body, a dance club, and on a tow boat in the Ohio River.

The point is bed bugs are a threat to strike virtually any environment and brick and mortar structures including homes, hotels, movie theaters, healthcare facilities, college dormitories and apartment/condominium complexes do not hold a monopoly on being prime bed bug real estate.

Transportation environments including trains, buses, planes, boats, taxis, and camper trailers are susceptible to bed bug infestations. Bed bugs are able to access these locations when brought in on clothing, bedding and luggage, and the numerous cracks and crevices located in these environments create ideal harborage for bed bugs.

While not a seasonal pest by any stretch, 66% of pest management professionals responding to the survey said summer is when they receive the most calls about these nasty, blood-sucking pests. This can be attributed partly to the increase in summer leisure travel when vacationers are hopping on trains and planes, checking into hotels, jumping into taxis, and packing and unpacking luggage.

Bed Bug Summer Travel Tips

  • Pack your belongings inside sealable plastic bags and bring some extra large plastic trash bags.
  • Upon arrival inspect your room for dark fecal or dried blood spots on bedding and closely examine the folds or creases of the mattress and box springs, upholstered chairs, drawers, and headboards.
  • Don’t unpack your suitcase; Only take the clothes out that you will be wearing, and don’t leave your shoes on the floor – keep everything inside your sealable plastic bags.
  • Store the luggage in the bathtub or on a tile floor. These areas are the least likely places bed bugs will be residing.
  • When you return home carefully inspect your possessions for any hitchhiking bed bugs and make sure to thoroughly check the clothing you are wearing. Unpack your bags outdoors or in the garage, and put everything that can be in the washer. For items that can’t be washed, it is recommended placing them in the dryer at the highest temperature setting for at least 10 minutes.

Griffin Pest Solutions’ clients can count on us to deliver proven, highly targeted treatments to any environment. These treatments are done using the latest products and application techniques, and are performed in a time-efficient manner to limit disruption and eliminate the infestation.

If you have questions or concerns about bed bugs call or e-mail Griffin Pest Solutions at 888/547-4334 or callcenter@https://www.griffinpest.com/ for more information and a free estimate.

Don’t let the bed bugs bite when college kids’ return

As parents and siblings look forward to returning college kids across the country, they need to do a little preventive maintenance that wasn’t so common just a few years ago.

A few extra steps to prevent a bed bug infestation will save you time, money, and trauma. College students tend to live a cluttered, communal life-style, giving bed bugs the upper-hand in hiding places and the ability to transfer and spread.
Don’t rely on your students to tell you if they have bed bugs or not, these pests can hide in the bindings of a borrowed text book, a cd-case, in objects that don’t even belong to your student. Just follow these simple tips to prevent bed bugs from taking up residence with your family this summer.

Getting ready for Homecoming
Put all “soft” materials in plastic garbage bags and close/secure tightly. – clothes, bedding, stuffed animals, pillows, anything made of cloth.
Seal backpack in plastic garbage bag. If he/she wants to use items on the way have them take out and wash thoroughly, but keep the backpack in the sealed garbage bag.
Discard used vacuum cleaner bags in an outside dumpster before putting it in any vehicle for transportation.
Put all small items like books, cds, game players, papers, and files in plastic garbage bags and close/secure tightly.

Upon Arrival
Do not bring items into the house all at once! In an orderly fashion –
Open the “soft” plastic garbage bags one at a time and launder, it is the dryer – not the washing – that will kill the insect and eggs – so you must put the contents in the dryer for 30 minutes at the highest setting for the fabric. Do not skip this step.
Inspect bags with items that can’t be easily laundered. You can place them in freezers for at least 5 days – books, papers, cds. Remember to leave them inside the bags.
Electronics are trickier, you need to inspect them carefully before bringing them inside, as bed bugs are small enough to crawl inside many devices. Once inspected, you should wipe them down. If you find they are infested, do not bring them inside. Return them to a sealed bag and contact a professional to see about treatment options.
Continue Inspecting for Several Weeks
Unfortunately, these insects can be elusive and they’re eggs are almost invisible.
Look for small darkish brown/red spots on the edges of bedding, live bugs, or empty bug shells. Some people, though not all, will also begin to show reaction to bites.
Don’t panic, if you end up with bed bugs, and the reality is that bed bugs are going to be a part of our life for a long time to come, there’s help available. Call 888-547-4334, click, or live chat with one of our agents right now. We’re here to help.

10 Bed Bug Truths and Myths

bed-bug-illustration_450x822Like many of you, I have Google Alerts set up for my industry, particularly for hot topics…like bed bugs. Let me tell you…the more news stories and blogs I read/see about bed bugs, the more I get peeved about bad bed bug information. So I’m going to set the record straight!

Myth #1 – Bed Bugs Are A Myth
Bed bugs are NOT a myth. They are real creatures whose meal of choice is human blood. Consider them the vampires of the pest world. And no, garlic will not keep them away.

Myth #2 – Bed Bugs Are Too Small To See
Adult bed bugs are the size, shape and color of an apple seed. Break out your bifocals if you need to. Trust me, you can see them.

Myth #3- Bed Bugs Are A Sanitation Issue
Take 2 houses side-by-side. One is occupied by an obsessive compulsive neat freak and the other is so full of garbage and junk it would be better to burn it down than empty it out. They are equally likely to get bet bugs. Bed bugs are not a sanitation issue. They are a human issue.

Myth #4 – If You Throw Away Your Mattress, You Will Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs will not magically go away just because you throw out your mattress. Bug bugs generally they live within 10 feet of where you sleep. In fact, if you throw out your mattress, you have likely spread the problem by dragging your mattress down the hallway and depositing bed bugs along the way.

Myth #5 – I Can’t See Them So I Must Not Have Them
Bed bugs are nocturnal…meaning they come out at night to feed. So unless you are jumping up in the middle of the night and turning on the light, odds are you won’t see them…until it is too late. Bed bugs can hide anywhere including in furniture cracks, behind picture frames, in electrical outlets, in books, clothes, stuffed animals…you name it. Go ahead; draw a 10 foot radius around your bed.

Myth #6 – I Don’t Have Any Bug Bites, So I Must Not Have Bed Bugs
More than 50% of people who are bitten by bed bugs never show any signs of being bitten. So just because your husband has welts all over his body and you don’t, doesn’t mean you aren’t the meal of choice. Trust me. Bed bugs are not that picky.

Myth #7 – Over-The-Counter Pesticides Will Solve My Problem
It is well documented that bed bugs are becoming increasingly resistant to pesticides. Even pest control companies have to change up their arsenal of what they can use to help solve bed bug infestations. You’re kidding yourself if you think some powder or spray you bought at a big box store is going to do the trick. You’ll be wasting your time and money…not be mention your blood. And one more thing; more is not always better. If you insist on trying this method, please, please, please follow the label.

Myth #8 – Any Pest Control Professional Can Solve My Bed Bug Problem
In this instance, cheaper is not always better. We have quoted lots of bed bug jobs and not gotten them because we weren’t the cheapest. Many times those people have called back to hire us later because the cheap guy didn’t get the job done. Save yourself some money, frustration and blood. Go with experience when it comes to bed bugs.

Myth #9 – Bed Bugs Cause Diseases
There is no known evidence that bed bugs cause disease. There is both good and bad in this statement. If bed bugs did transmit diseases, the government would quickly make bed bugs a priority. But because they simply feed on humans and infest homes, apartments, hotels, movie theaters, schools, hospitals, buses, etc. it’s really no big deal.

Myth #10 – Bed Bugs Are Contributing to Global Warming
Seriously? I couldn’t believe this when I read it! So when bed bugs were infesting the earth back in the 1930’s and ‘40’s, where was the global warming?

Bed Bug Travel Tips

commercial pest control hospitalityWith so many people traveling over the summer months, we thought if best to offer a few travel tips to help reduce your risk of getting bed bugs. Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers and travel on your belongings. The more you can minimize your possible contact with them, the less likely it is that you will bring them home with you.

1) Do Your Research – Before you book your hotel, check out sites like www.bedbugregistry.com or www.tripadvisor.com to see if anyone has posted bed bug issues at your hotel. If they have, choose another hotel. Just because your hotel is not listed, does not mean they are without bed bugs. They may still have an issue, but no one has posted anything yet.

2) Pack a Flashlight – Our entire staff travels with flashlights. It’s your best tool in helping to determine if your hotel room has bed bugs. When you arrive at the hotel, if possible, leave your luggage in the car when you check in. Take your flashlight and inspect the mattress and bed. Remove the sheets and look for small rust dots (about the size of pencil eraser head). These will be blood stains. If you see nothing on the mattress, check behind the headboard. If you can take it off the wall, or shake it, go ahead. If you see the rust spots, insect skins or insects, inform the manager and check out!

3) Don’t Put Luggage on the Bed – No one from our office will put their luggage on the bed, furniture or luggage rack. Our suitcases go in the bath tub. I admit, it’s not very convenient, but better safe than sorry. My luggage never leaves the bathroom.

4) Pack Giant Zip Lock Bags – All of my clothes go into a giant zip lock bag before my trip home….even if I didn’t wear them. You can get a box at any grocery store for under $5. Don’t skimp…the bags must seal tight!

5) Don’t Bring Your Luggage in Your House – Once you get home, don’t bring your luggage in your house. You will need to remove everything from your luggage and vacuum thoroughly, inside and out. Vacuum, remove the vacuum bag, seal it tight in a plastic bag and throw it in your outside garbage. If you can make a stop at the car wash with a coin operated vacuum, on the way home, do it!

6) Dry Your Clothes – Take your zip lock bags and empty them directly into your dryer. Set on the hottest setting and leave clothes in there for at least 30 minutes. Don’t fill the dryer too full. You need the hot air to circulate. Shoes too if they can tolerate it (like sneakers). No need to wash clothes first. It will do no good.

This all may seem obsessive and extreme…but trust us; it is well worth the hassle. These simple steps could save you not only from red, itchy welts which can be caused by bed bug bites…but also save you thousands of dollars in bed bug extermination costs.