Bed bugs have been in the news a lot lately. And, no, I'm not talking about the Bed Bugs board game by Milton Bradley (yes, there is a game about bed bugs!) I'm talking about the kind you bring home with you when traveling away from home. Did you know that one of the most common ways for your home to become infested with bed bugs is for you to bring them home with you from a vacation? That's right: If you spend even one night, or one hour in an infested room, you are liable to have bed bug hitchhikers in your clothing or your suitcases when you come home.

Yuck!

What's a traveler to do?

Luckily, there are some things you can to do prevent bed bugs when traveling:

Make sure you pack the following items: A small flashlight and some large trash bags. And, make them easily accessible.

When you arrive at your hotel room, be sure to keep your luggage away from bed bug sources until you know that the room is free of bed bugs. That means you keep your luggage off the bed and carpeting, or any other surface covered in fabric. That's where the bed bugs lurk. Check your room as soon as you arrive for bed bugs. The first place to look for evidence of bed bugs is on the mattress itself. Peel back the sheets and mattress cover so you can inspect the mattress seams and corners. You are looking for blood spots, cast off insect skins, and actual bed bugs, which are small brown insects, ranging in size from that of sesame seeds to lentils.

Next, use your flashlight to inspect behind the headboard and under the bed, especially in the pleats of any bed skirt that might be on the bed.

After inspecting the beds, look at any other fabric covered items in the room, such as decorative pillows, comfy chairs, or even desk chairs with fabric seats. Again, you are looking in all the nooks and crannies of the fabric for blood spots, skins or bugs.

If you find evidence that the room is infested, call the hotel desk to have your room changed. Do not take any room next door to the infested room. Check the next room the same way as the first one. If everything passes inspection, you are prepared to unpack your luggage and stay in the room.

It's important that you keep your luggage from picking up bed bugs and transporting them home. That's why it's important to put your luggage on tiled flooring such as the bathroom. If you have decided to stay in the room - continue to keep your luggage off fabric surfaces until you have unpacked. Use the folding luggage supporter or the bathroom counters to hold your luggage as you unpack. Hang your clothing up directly. Do not put any clothing on the bed or upholstered furniture. When you have unpacked your luggage, store it in one of the plastic bags you brought along.

Finally -- keep your laundry and your luggage from infecting your home. Put any laundry that has touched a fabric surfaces in the room in fresh plastic bags when you pack for home. Wash all your laundry in hot water once you get home. Unpack away from fabric surfaces in your home. Remember that bed bugs can live a year or more without a blood meal, so store your luggage away from the living areas of your home between trips.

If you're curious if the hotel you're heading to has any reports of bed bugs, you might want to visit bedbugregistry.com, where travelers can report any bed bugs they have discovered while on vacation. Just one warning: they seem to be everywhere.