While it is safe to say that bed bugs are a threat to everyone, even those folks who don’t travel on a regular basis, it is also true that travelers are at a significantly higher risk than anyone else. Since hotel rooms are transient, meaning that they have a different inhabitant every few days, they are the ultimate breeding ground for pests. Some even accuse hotels of ignoring the problem since proper bed bug treatments and removal is time consuming and costly. If you have a hotel stay on the horizon, here are a few things you can do to minimize your risk.
Before you even leave the house, you can do some research online to see if any bedbug cases have been reported at your hotel. Sites like TripAdvisor and Bed Bug Registry catalog reviews from visitors and leave them unedited. That way, you know if you are walking into a possible creepy crawly situation before you walk in the door.
Once you’ve arrived at your hotel, it is a good idea to leave your baggage in your rental car or someplace safe while you head up to your room. As soon as you enter your room, take a look at how clean it is. A well-maintained room has a better chance of being bed bug free. Head directly to the bed and untuck the sheets so you can look at the mattress. Pull back the cord around the edge to see if there are any black and red dots. Red is blood, while black is bug waste. Try lifting up the mattress to check the box spring underneath. Next, go to the headboard and see if you can pull it back from the wall. You may need a direct light source, so try to bring a tiny flashlight with you. One final place to check is behind the nightstand and in the chest of drawers.
Many bedbug experts will tell you to never put your clothes in the chest of drawers at a hotel, but if there is no sign of infestation, you aren’t taking that big of a risk. Many wonder what the proper etiquette is if you should happen to find bed bugs in your room. Many people demand to be moved to a different hotel since staying in the same one, even if it is in a different floor or with a room upgrade, is simply disgusting. Hopefully, you’ll never have to have that conversation with a hotel clerk.