Bed Bugs Bite.

cities in Canada, and Toronto is in the top spot. The creepy critters are also crawling through Winnipeg and Vancouver, which took the second-and third-place spots, respectively. With heightened reports of bed bugs in movie theatres, on public transit, and even truck cabs, no one is safe. If you have the heebie jeebies just thinking about it, read on as we tell you the top five ways to prevent beg bugs from bugging you. n Check yourself, before you wreck yourself So tonight you’re spending the night in a motel. That means cable, a hot shower, and some room to stretch out. It could also mean bed bugs. Beg bugs are notorious for transporting themselves from one location to another on soft clothing and bags. Before you lie down remember to check the sheets and seams of a mattress. The bugs may be no bigger than the period at the end of this sentence, but if you look closely, you should be able to spot them. They like to hide in crevices, so do a quick survey of the floor, headboard, and baseboards before heading to sleep. If you find anything suspicious, report it to management and ask for a new room. Leave all non-essentials in your truck. If you’re just staying for the night, there’s no need to bring a week’s worth of clothes with you. Bring only what you need, reducing the risk of the bugs latching onto something you own. oCheck everyone else, too If you have a guest or team driver, ask if they’ve checked for beg bugs. Be polite but firm, ask them to do a quick scan of their luggage, and consider placing luggage in a heavy-duty garbage bag while it’s in the cab. pRemember that heat kills Bed bugs are resilient little buggers, but can be killed in the dryer. While you can’t microwave your whole sleeper, separate and heat the stuff that might have come into contact with the pests. Once you realize you have a beg bug concern, stop moving items in the cab around. Don’t take your clothes, pillows, blankets, luggage, or other soft items back into the house, motel, or other areas without sealing them tightly in a plastic bag. The same can be said for moving things from an infected area into your truck. Don’t do it! Plastic garbage bags will be good enough to get to a dryer, but the bags won’t kill them, and beg bugs can live up to 10 years, so don’t assume you’re safe just because something has been in a bag awhile. Separate things that are a concern into two piles – those that can go in the dryer, and those that can’t. Put the sealed bag in the dryer, open it once inside, empty the contents, then remove the bag and close the door. Use high heat, as the bugs die at 117 Fahrenheit. Don’t reuse the bag, either. Replace your mattress It’s expensive and a giant hassle, but an infested mattress has to go. Get a Mattress and pillow protector for an added layer of protection,Bed bugs have been known to live inside mattresses for up to 10 years. If you can’t get rid of the mattress, seal it up in a specialized plastic cover. You can find them online, made in every size. Once the protector is on, it never comes off. Make sure to treat your protector as part of the mattress and not assume it can be removed to be washed. Taking it off before the 10-year mark may unleash a wave of bugs. rClean every surface So they’re in your cab, and it’s going to be a nightmare. Not only can the tiny creatures live up to 10 years, but they can also survive the inside of the vacuum. After you’ve tossed things in the dryer, and sealed up your mattress, vacuum everything else. But do it with a vacuum that has disposable bags. You want to be able to throw the bags out in a dumpster far away from anything you own. Vacuum every crevice and corner. Then be prepared to do it again. You’ll have to vacuum your cab two or three times a week for several months until you’re sure they’re all gone. After you’ve cleaned, spread Diatomaceous earth – available at most hardware or gardening stores – around your bunk or anywhere the pests can hide. The white powder is a pain, but it dries out and kills the bugs. TT Dispatches Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite