Guide to Florida Hotel Bed Bug Inspections

Florida bed bug inspection in hotel - Florida Pest Control

Aside from residential properties, hotel rooms are the most common bed bug breeding grounds throughout the country. Though you may think bed bug infestations are confined to roadside motels or hotels, they are more widespread and commonly found than you think. Hotels as prestigious as the Ritz Carlton can suffer from bed bug infestations. Infestations have been on the rise for the past decade, and another surge is currently underway. Whether you work in a hotel or are planning to visit one soon, you need to remain vigilant.

Our team at Florida Pest Control understands how distressing it is to deal with bed bugs. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about inspecting hotel rooms for bed bugs.

Bed Bugs in Florida Hotels

According to PestWorld, hotels are amongst the three most common spots for bed bug infestations. But why are hotels vulnerable to these pests to begin with? Known as a “hitchhiking” pest, bed bugs can hide in mattresses, bed frames, and other parts of a room while waiting for a new host. With the level of tourism we have in Florida, pests like bed bugs are especially common in hotels. Bed bugs are rarely lacking access to a blood meal in a hotel room. Bottom line: it’s imperative to always be on the lookout for bed bugs when traveling.

5 Areas to Inspect For Bed Bugs

No matter whether you’re checking into a hotel as a guest or if you’re in charge of cleaning the rooms, everyone should take the same precautions to look for bed bugs. The following areas should be thoroughly checked for signs of bed bug activity:

  • Mattress, box spring & bed frame
  • Sofas, chairs, pillows, & other seating
  • Wardrobes, dressers, & baseboards
  • Nightstands and wall fixtures
  • Closet items

In-depth guide to hotel bed bug inspections >>

What to Do if You Discover Bed Bugs in Your Hotel

You should contact the hotel’s manager as soon as you suspect your room has bed bugs. By doing so, you can prevent bed bugs from spreading throughout the hotel. When you turn to a bed bug control professional like Florida Pest Control, you can be sure the most effective treatment will be used to eliminate these pests. To learn more, contact us now.

How to Avoid Bringing Bed Bugs Home From Vacation

What bed bugs look like in Florida - Florida Pest Control

If you’re planning a vacation, you’ve probably considered what you’re going to pack or what your itinerary might look like, but have you thought about bed bugs? Many people we’ve serviced for bed bug infestations in Florida have told us that their troubles started soon after they returned home from a vacation. Bed bugs have the ability to sneak into the luggage and belongings that we bring to new locations, aiming to spread however they can to find shelter and food. To learn how to avoid bed bugs during your next vacation, read on for expert advice from the Florida Pest Control technicians.

How Do Bed Bug Infestations Start?

Bed bug infestations start when we leave our belongings accessible to them in a foreign location. Specialized to move discreetly, bed bugs wait until the nighttime to move in search of food or better places to take shelter. They are also able to change their schedules to be active whenever people are at rest—their whole existence depends on being able to feed off of us without us noticing.

So, this means that we aren’t often going to catch bed bugs in the act of infesting our belongings. Instead, we have to learn how to take proper preventative measures against a potential infestation, especially when going on vacation or staying in a new location temporarily.

How to Avoid Bed Bugs on Vacation

Avoiding bed bugs on your getaway starts before your vacation and ends after you get home. Although it might seem like a lot of work, you will thank yourself later for being able to return to a clean home! Here are the three phases of vacation bed bug prevention:

  • Before you leave: Check the reviews of your hotel to see if they have had a recent bed bug infestation. You can also call your chosen destination to ask if they use mattress covers and box spring encasements.
  • During your stay: Look for evidence of bed bug activity, like dried blood spots on mattresses and furniture, shed bed bug skin, and, of course, live bed bugs. Inspect your room’s furniture, drawers, baseboards, closets, and any other places that could offer them shelter. Additionally, store your luggage above the ground or on a tile floor and keep your clothing inside your bags instead of unpacking.
  • When you return: Turn out your luggage to make sure there are no signs of bed bugs anywhere, especially around folds and zippers. You can wash all of your clothes in a hot water cycle to ensure that any bed bugs don’t make it out.

Professional Bed Bug Control in Florida

If you’re one of the unfortunate ones that couldn’t avoid a bed bug infestation, let your local pest control company know. At Florida Pest Control, our bed bug specialists are trained in multiple methods of bed bug control and have the experience to assess your property to determine the proper strategy to go forward with. For a free quote or to learn more about our bed bug control services, give us a call or fill out our contact form today!

Ouch! Something’s Biting Me!

What mites look like in Florida - Florida Pest Control

One of the most universally loathed feelings is the sensation of a bug crawling up your leg or your back, out of sight. You quickly jump to swat it away, and sometimes you make contact with a critter, but sometimes there’s nothing there at all. This leaves you wondering whether there’s a pest lurking somewhere close by or your imagination is making you believe that there is.

Florida residents know that there are a lot of different bugs that could be biting during the summer. Read on for Florida Pest Control’s expert advice on bug bite identification and our regional conditions that could trick you into thinking you have bug bites.

Bugs that Bite in Florida

Florida is home to more pests than almost any other state in the country. Our wet, subtropical climate creates the perfect environment for insects and arachnids of all kinds to thrive. Because of this, Floridians are subject to all kinds of bug bites each year. Here are five of the most common types of bites that we experience here:

  • Bed Bugs: Bed bugs come out of hiding during the night to bite us while we sleep. They bite us in zig-zag patterns across our exposed skin, leaving tiny, bright red bumps.
  • Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes are so light that you often won’t feel them on your skin until the bite mark appears. They start as a raised white welt and recede into an itchy, pinkish-red bump over the next few days.
  • Ticks & Fleas: People often pick up tick and flea bites in heavily wooded or vegetated areas. Flea bites are tiny and of a light red color, but ticks lodge into your skin and stay there for up to two days sometimes.
  • Midges: Also known as “no-see-ums,” biting midges are only about 1-3 mm long. They leave tiny bite marks that are very itchy.
  • Mites: Mite bites have raised white centers with a bright red ring around them. Sometimes they are harmless, but they are also able to cause swelling, itchiness, and sharp pain.

Conditions that Cause Itchiness

Certain conditions of the environment around you and your body’s reaction to them can cause skin symptoms that resemble bug bites. Redness, itchiness, and pain are all related to pest-related and unrelated skin issues. These are a few other reasons why your skin could feel worse than usual:

  1. Low humidity: A stark drop in humidity can cause your skin to become dry. It will also increase static electricity, so part of your skin or hair can be made to move in a way that feels like a bug crawling.
  2. Skin allergies: Changing your detergent, soap, perfume, deodorant, or any other topical product can result in a skin allergy. Red bumps and rashes that result from these changes can feel and look like bug bites.
  3. Clogged air conditioning filter: A clogged air conditioning filter can actually result in more particles in the air due to an excess expulsion of trapped dust and debris. This can lead to irritated skin and rashes that might look like bug bites.

How Florida Pest Control Handles Biting Bugs

If you’re sure that you have an infestation of biting pests in your home, the best way to get rid of them is to have them handled by a professional pest control company. At Florida Pest Control, we train our technicians with an emphasis on IPM principles, meaning that we integrate eco-friendly solutions and preemptive pest control strategies into our priorities. No matter what kind of pest you’re dealing with, contact us today for a free quote!