Summer is peak travel season — and peak bed bug season. Bed bug populations in hotels, vacation rentals, and other shared accommodations surge in summer as travel volume increases and the warm temperatures accelerate their reproduction. Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are expert hitchhikers: they do not travel on your body, but they readily climb into luggage, clothing, and personal items left near an infested bed or furniture. A single pregnant female stowing away in your suitcase can establish a full infestation in your Arizona home within weeks. The good news is that a few simple habits dramatically reduce your risk.

The moment you check into any hotel, vacation rental, or Airbnb, do this before unpacking: put your luggage in the bathroom (bed bugs are rarely found there) and inspect the bed. Pull back the sheets and examine the mattress seams, the box spring, and the headboard for small rust-colored stains (fecal spots), shed skins, and live bugs. Bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed — flat, oval, and reddish-brown. Check the nightstand, the upholstered headboard, and the seams of any upholstered furniture. If you find evidence of bed bugs, request a different room on a different floor (bed bugs spread through wall voids between adjacent rooms) or change properties entirely.

When you return home, do not bring luggage inside immediately. Leave it in the garage or on a hard surface outside. Wash all clothing on the hottest setting and dry on high heat for at least 30 minutes — heat above 120 degrees Fahrenheit kills all life stages including eggs. Inspect your luggage carefully before storing it. If you discover bed bugs in your home after travel, act immediately — early infestations are far easier and less expensive to eliminate than established ones. Pest Control Bros provides bed bug inspections and treatment across Maricopa, Chandler, Casa Grande, Tempe, Gilbert, and Mesa. Free inspections, no contracts.