Bed Bugs in Hotels
In today's world of international travel, bed bugs in hotels are a common occurrence. Every day a hotel is at risk of a guest bringing them into the hotel in their luggage.
Therefore, it's important for you, as a guest, to inspect your hotel room for bed bugs upon checking in. If the room has visible signs of the creepy crawlies, such as cast skins and black fecal droppings, this means that the infestation is severe and you should not be sleeping in that room. On the other hand, just because you don't see any visible signs, specifically on the mattress, doesn't preclude their presence. Common places for them to hide are in the seams of the mattress, in the cracks of the bed's headboard, in the baseboards, and in the folds of upholstered furniture.
An early infestation of them in a hotel can be very difficult to detect with the naked eye. And it only takes one of the little critters to hitch a ride in your luggage and go home with you where it will start multiplying. Therefore, it is very important that you keep your suitcases off the floor and if possible, use encasement bags to further prevent a hitchhiker entry.
Bed bugs feed at night (on you), then climb off the bed to find a dark place to lay their eggs and sleep. They have been known to travel 30 feet in a single night, which means no spot in your hotel room is 100 percent safe.
It is a very naive person who thinks that just because they have not experienced any bites or seen any signs of bed bugs in their hotel room that they are safe. These bugs are clever and resilient and are just waiting for an opportunity to go home with you. It is important that you be as proactive as possible at keeping them out of your belongings while travelling. Don't leave clothes on the carpet or upholstered chairs and use a metal suitcase rack if available.
The best way to avoid coming into contact with bed bugs is not to book a room in a hotel with recent reports of infestations. The Bed Bug Registry site collects reports of sightings from hotel guests and it lets you look up a particular hotel to see where guests have reported encounters with bed bugs in the hotel. If your hotel is listed with bed bug sightings, don't panic. Check the date of the last report. The hotel may have already cleared up the problem.
Be vigilant. Always assume they are hiding and just waiting for an opportunity to go home with you. It is better to be safe than sorry.
Therefore, it's important for you, as a guest, to inspect your hotel room for bed bugs upon checking in. If the room has visible signs of the creepy crawlies, such as cast skins and black fecal droppings, this means that the infestation is severe and you should not be sleeping in that room. On the other hand, just because you don't see any visible signs, specifically on the mattress, doesn't preclude their presence. Common places for them to hide are in the seams of the mattress, in the cracks of the bed's headboard, in the baseboards, and in the folds of upholstered furniture.
An early infestation of them in a hotel can be very difficult to detect with the naked eye. And it only takes one of the little critters to hitch a ride in your luggage and go home with you where it will start multiplying. Therefore, it is very important that you keep your suitcases off the floor and if possible, use encasement bags to further prevent a hitchhiker entry.
Bed bugs feed at night (on you), then climb off the bed to find a dark place to lay their eggs and sleep. They have been known to travel 30 feet in a single night, which means no spot in your hotel room is 100 percent safe.
It is a very naive person who thinks that just because they have not experienced any bites or seen any signs of bed bugs in their hotel room that they are safe. These bugs are clever and resilient and are just waiting for an opportunity to go home with you. It is important that you be as proactive as possible at keeping them out of your belongings while travelling. Don't leave clothes on the carpet or upholstered chairs and use a metal suitcase rack if available.
The best way to avoid coming into contact with bed bugs is not to book a room in a hotel with recent reports of infestations. The Bed Bug Registry site collects reports of sightings from hotel guests and it lets you look up a particular hotel to see where guests have reported encounters with bed bugs in the hotel. If your hotel is listed with bed bug sightings, don't panic. Check the date of the last report. The hotel may have already cleared up the problem.
Be vigilant. Always assume they are hiding and just waiting for an opportunity to go home with you. It is better to be safe than sorry.
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