You're so excited for your vacation - the sand, the sun, the fresh air, the bed bugs? Bed bugs are a lot more common than you may think, and you could have them in your hotel room, which could end up back home with you if you aren't careful. Bring back memories from your vacation, not bed bugs. Read on for tips on how to prevent bed bugs while traveling.

Inspect The Room

Before unpacking your belongings into the hotel room, take a good look around the room and at the mattress you'll be sleeping on. Pull up the bedding and inspect the sheets and the seam around the mattress. You're looking for tiny bugs that look nearly the same size as an apple seed and about the same color. If you don't see any live bugs, look for any skins. These bugs will shed their skin and leave them behind. 

Also look for any blood splatters on the wall or near outlets and baseboards. Take a look around the carpeting and any other furniture for signs of bed bugs.

If you spot any signs of bed bugs at all, get back to the front desk and either ask for another room on a different floor or ask for your money back.

Keep Your Belongings Off Of The Floor

Even if you didn't see any bed bugs or signs, there's no reason to take any chances. Keep your belongings off of the floor and place your suitcase on the luggage rack instead. Keep your suitcase zipped up and place your things inside a plastic bag to prevent any type of bug from getting into your things. You can place each outfit in a plastic bag and unpack just that one outfit each day. 

Wash Everything

When returning home, be sure to wash everything. Keep your luggage out in the garage until you can get to it. Wash every single thing in your luggage. If you have things that cannot be washed such as the luggage itself, place it in a plastic bag and seal it for at least 24 hours. This will kill any bed bugs that happened to come home with you. You can do the same thing with your shoes and any other item that you can't wash.

If you're traveling, it's important to protect yourself and your family from bringing bugs home with you. Keep your belongings in your suitcase and wash everything when you come back from your trip. If you happen to have any bed bugs in your home, call a professional pest control company to get rid of these bugs and prevent them from taking over your home.