Bug-Protection Tips for Summer Travel

To help prepare for your upcoming travels, Raid® has asked us to share our best tips for bug protection. They’ve recently launched a new product, the new Raid® Bed bug Detector & Trap, to expose evidence of bed bugs before an infestation occurs.

As frequent travelers, bed bugs are a huge concern for us. Whether we’re temporarily renting an apartment or staying at a hotel, it’s something we definitely think about. We’re happy to see the Raid® bug experts have provided consumers with tools that can help prevent a more costly bed bug infestation.

Here are some tips to protect yourself from bed bugs, mosquitoes, and ticks during your upcoming travels.

Bug-Protection Tips for Summer Travel

Bed Bugs

Unfortunately, not all insects live outside. Bed bugs can live in any climate and urban travel-hotspots are particularly susceptible to spreading them. Checking into a hotel with bed bugs can ruin a summer vacation; even hard-to-spot bed bug larvae can cause itching and welts, as bed bugs must bite their hosts at every stage of growth. Worse, it’s tough to perform thorough inspections on the go. According to a recent Raid® survey, most Millennial travelers know to check the mattress, but only 37% check the headboard!

To keep from being eaten and bringing home unwanted guests, use an early detection device from Raid®. The Bed Bug Detector & Trap can be placed anywhere bed bugs hide—under the mattress, behind the headboard, and in corners of the bed frame, to name a few.

The partially enclosed trap is designed to keep bed bugs trapped inside and the see-through window allows you to easily identify any trapped bugs. With the early detection, you can spend your vacation well-rested and bring home only enjoyable souvenirs!

For more information on the new Raid® Bed bug Detector & Trap, visit their website, ask them a question on Twitter, or check out their YouTube videos.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes breed naturally from still water, so you should expect to find them pretty much everywhere. Lakes, ponds, even puddles that will stay long enough: all create the ideal environment for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes don’t just bite at dawn and dusk. To get the most out of all outdoor activities, be sure to apply DEET-based mosquito repellent across all exposed body parts.

Luckily, using mosquito repellent has long been a proven method of keeping yourself protected from mosquitoes, so make sure you pack a bottle. Hang bug netting around your sleeping area at night for extra protection.

Ticks

Ticks are an even more insidious bloodsucking pest than mosquitoes. Not only can they carry Lyme disease, they will burrow down into your skin and become hard to find. Even pulling them out can be difficult, as tugging with tweezers can leave their head behind!

To protect yourself, make sure to wear sleeves, light-colored socks and long pants while hiking, especially in long grass. Ticks will crawl upwards until they find exposed skin, so tuck pants into your socks or boots. Tick repellents can also help, but won’t remove the need for full-body tick checks—don’t forget your hair!

If you do find a tick, grab the tick firmly as close to where it is attached as possible and then gently pull until the tick releases. Watch the spot for a few days and, in case of rash or skin irritation, consult a doctor.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of SC Johnson RAID. The opinions and text are all mine.