Sleeping in a bed that isn’t your own is hard enough without the possible threat of creepy crawly critters disturbing your sleep. Most hotels are thorough when it comes to preventing bed bugs, but that doesn’t mean some don’t slip through the cracks. Read on to learn how to avoid bed bugs in a hotel before you go on your next vacation.
How Common are Bed Bugs in Hotels?
According to the National Pest Management Association, hotels and motels are one of the top three locations where bed bugs have been found.
Bed bugs are more frequently found in single-family homes and apartments, but according to the Bugs Without Borders survey, 68% of pest control professionals reported finding bed bugs in hotels and motels.
According to a study done by Orkin in 2017, eight out of 10 hotels found bed bugs that year, while 40% of hotels had dealt with bed bugs in the past month.
Signs of Bed Bugs in a Hotel
Bed bug signs are universal whether you’re at home or in a hotel. With its oval-shaped body and reddish-brown color, a bed bug looks like an apple seed in size, shape, and color.
Here is what to look for when you enter your hotel room:
- Live adult bed bugs
- Small blood stains from crushed bed bugs on the mattress and sheets
- Small dark spots from bed bug droppings
- Tiny white oval bed bug eggs that appear similar to rice
- Tiny pale yellow eggshells
- Discarded skin casings from bed bug nymphs
How to Check for Bed Bugs in a Hotel
Here are a few tips on how to check for bed bugs in your hotel room.
- Step 1: Use a flashlight and check along the creases and corners of the headboard as well as behind it where it meets the wall.
- Step 2: Pull back the bed sheets to check all the way around the top and bottom mattress piping for adult bed bugs or nymphs. You can use your hotel keycard to scrape along the piping if you don’t feel comfortable using your hands. If your room has any couches or chairs, you should check their piping and seams as well.
- Step 3: Check the top of the mattress and the mattress pad for blood spots.
- Step 4: Take the drawers out of the bedside table and inspect them from top to bottom. Check along the corners.
- Step 5: Take the luggage rack and fold it closed so that the webbing is loose. Take a flashlight and inspect between the webbing and the metal.
How to Protect Yourself From Bed Bugs at Hotels
If you find yourself in a hotel with a bed bug problem, there are a few tricks to make sure you don’t bring bed bugs home when traveling.
- Thoroughly inspect the room for bed bugs.
- Store your clothes in plastic bags before and after your stay.
- Use hardsided luggage, and check for bed bugs in your luggage.
- Keep your luggage off the floor by placing it on the luggage rack or in the bathtub.
- Don’t scatter your clothing on the floor or on furniture.
If you find these pests in your hotel room, don’t try to get rid of the bed bugs yourself. Instead, report the situation to the front desk. Either change rooms or get a refund and go to another hotel.
What To Do If You Slept in a Hotel With Bed Bugs
If you overlooked the signs of a bed bug infestation, you can still avoid bringing the pests home with you. Here are a few things you can do:
- Step 1: Wrap your luggage in a garbage bag and keep it stored inside your garage or on your porch until you have time to do laundry.
- Step 2: Wash your clothes with hot water. Clothing that can’t be washed in hot water should be dry cleaned.
- Step 3: Dry your clothes on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
- Step 4: After you’ve unloaded the clothing, the garbage bag should be tied up and thrown in an outside trash can.
- Step 5: Toiletries, shoes, and your suitcase should stay outside until you have a chance to inspect them.
- Step 6: Treat these items for bed bugs by placing them in the freezer for at least three days at 0 degrees. You can also steam clean these items or seal them in a plastic storage container with a fumigant strip.
(Pest control strips claim to kill bed bug eggs in about a week and nymphs and adults in as little as two to three days.) - Step 7: Vacuum your suitcase with a high-powered vacuum to remove bed bugs and bed bug debris (eggs and frass). Seal the vacuum bag and throw it away in an outdoor trash can.
How to Report a Hotel for Bed Bugs
It’s ideal to check if your hotel has had reports of bed bugs before you book your room. But if you’ve found evidence of bed bugs in your hotel room, here’s what you can do to report the situation:
- Take photos and video evidence of the bed bugs.
- Call the front desk and speak to a manager.
- Call the customer service number and speak to the corporate office.
- Contact the local health care department if the infestation is especially severe or repeated in the replacement room.
- If you aren’t satisfied with how the hotel handled the situation, you can leave a review or report your findings on one of the several bed bug reporting sites online.
Keep in mind that popular hotel chains with a higher number of customers are more likely to get a higher number of reports. If you can prove negligence on the hotel’s part for failing to provide sanitary, bed-bug free conditions, then you may be entitled to financial compensation if you choose to pursue legal action.
FAQ About Bed Bugs in Hotels
If One Hotel Room Has Bed Bugs, Do They All?
Not necessarily. Bed bugs are able only to crawl, though even with their limited movement, they can still spread to other rooms and even to other hotels by hitching a ride on clothing and luggage. However, if the bed bugs are reported early, the hotel can usually take precautions to keep them from spreading.
How Do Hotels Get Bed Bugs?
Guests can carry bed bugs into hotels through infested luggage and clothing without even knowing it, and bed bugs spread from there. Hotels with a high turnover of guests are more vulnerable to bed bugs.
How Do Hotels Prevent Bed Bugs?
Most hotels will thoroughly wash bedding, rugs, and towels after every guest.They also inspect the beds, furniture, and closets for any sign of bed bugs.
Hire a Pro
If you brought bed bugs home with you even after taking all precautions, there’s no need to panic! Let Pest Gnome connect you with a local pest control pro today for bed bugs or other pest issues.
Source:
Pest Gnome participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Pest Gnome may earn revenue from products promoted in this article.
Main Image Credits:
Background: Tarzan9280 / Canva Pro / License
Bed Bug: dblight / Canva Pro / License
