Modern travel often involves movement across several countries or continents to faraway places you see on TV or read about in books. Exotic destinations are as near as the airport.

Unfortunately, the smaller the world becomes with faster flights and more airports, the greater the increase of a common pest that NOBODY wants to encounter: bedbugs! This is not just a plague of third-world nations. Bedbugs can hang onto clothing or crawl into luggage. They then transfer quite easily to other luggage or airplane seats.

Even the cleanest of hotels, chain stores, and hospital emergency wards can fall prey to these tiny blood-sucking vampires. Bedbugs may lay dormant without food for more than a year. A delivery van that has been used to transport contaminated carpeting or bedding provides safe haven. The bedbugs find dark crevices to hide in until they take over their new quarters in the next cargo shipment.

By nature nocturnal, bedbugs are hard to locate during daylight hours. You may find them under pillows, in box-spring seams, behind headboards, in furniture, inside curtain folds, in dark carpeted corners, and under area rugs.

Because of their longevity, even a secluded cabin in the woods can provide a good home for these pests - and species that normally prey on animals such as birds, bats, and squirrels will gladly switch to human flesh if the opportunity presents itself.

Clean accommodations are less likely to be contaminated by bedbug infestations. However, you don't know by casual glance that your hotel is pest-free. Before staying in a room, check pillowcases, sheets, and bedding for rust-colored stains, black or reddish dots, or actual bugs. The staining may be caused by blood-engorged bug bodies - crushed as previous occupants rolled over in bed. The black or reddish dots are bedbug excrement.

If you see anything that appears dubious, demand a new room or move to another hotel. As an extra precaution, you may wish to pack large lawn-leaf garbage bags. When you settle into your room, place your luggage inside the bags. This makes it more difficult for bugs to migrate into your personal belongings.

A trip to Google before you travel will show you what these nasty little creatures look like. Click on the 'Images' search option, type 'bedbug' into the search bar, and you will find over 2000 images.

It is generally accepted that bedbugs are not serious disease carriers - although more research is being done on this point. However, they inject an anesthetizing agent when they bite. Many people are slightly allergic to the substance, and develop itchy red bumps. It would not be unusual to wake up in the morning with dozens of puffy bites.

If you are unfortunate enough to encounter an infestation, take extra care when you return home. Spray all suitcases and contents with a commercial bedbug preparation - there are environmentally-safe, non-toxic enzyme sprays available. Diligently vacuum everything, and then dispose of the used vacuum bags. Launder all clothing after the time-interval specified by the spray. If you carry a couple of bedbugs into your house or apartment, you could cause a massive infestation that costs you hundreds of dollars in extermination fees.

It is important to recognize bedbugs when you see them - but don't be paranoid! Enjoy your vacation, knowing that you will be able to identify an infestation before it becomes a major problem.

©Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author's note below (with active links) are included.