The words “bed bugs” are enough to make the skin crawl on most of us and one of the most common ways of getting bed bugs is during traveling, especially while staying at hotels. If you plan on traveling this holiday season, use our quick and easy hotel bedbug check tips.
Research Your Hotel: Before booking a hotel, you’ll want to do a little online research first. If an unhappy guest experienced bedbugs at a hotel, there is a high chance that they will post a negative review online. You’ll want to be wary of any hotels that have negative bedbug reviews.
Once you book a hotel and arrive at your destination, you’ll want to give your hotel room a thorough check. You can identify an infestation by reviewing physical signs. Bed bugs often dwell in bed coverings, mattresses and furniture. According to the The U.S. Environmental Protective Agency, physical signs can include:
- Tiny black dots in your bedding or furniture (bed bug excrements)
- White colored eggs and eggshells (about 1mm)
- Skin shedding
- Rust colored stains in bedding from crushed bed bugs
Areas to inspect:
- First are foremost, peel back the bed sheets and check the mattress. Inspect all blankets and sheets for signs of bedbugs.
- Next, broaden your bedbug search to the area immediately surrounding the bed: nightstand, underneath the alarm clock and table lamps.
- We recommend you elevate suitcases and keep them off the floor, like on a luggage stand.
- When you pack to leave, inspect your luggage carefully first, and inspect every item as you pack to help detect any bugs or their signs. Laundering most cloth items with typical hot water and detergent followed by drying on low heat for at least 20 minutes (or standard dry cleaning) should kill all bed bugs in or on such items.
