They creep, they crawl, and they just might be in your hotel room.
And worse, they could be coming home with you.
Vacations are supposed to be a time to rewind and relax, the last thing you want to concern yourself with is bed bugs. Hiding in cracks and crevices, the bugs are good hitchhikers and can easily latch onto luggage and other belongings. Unfortunately, experts say one the most common places to pick up these insects is from hotel rooms. According to recent NPMA data, 80% of pest control companies surveyed reported that they had treated hotels and/or motels for bed bugs infestations within the past year. Compare this with 18% for public transportation, 38% for office buildings, and 17% for movie theaters.
So, how can you help protect yourself from bed bugs?
Know what bed bugs look like. Bed bugs have small, flat, oval-shaped bodies. They are wingless. Adults do have the vestiges of wings called wing pads, but they do not fully develop into functional wings. Adults are brown in color, although their bodies redden after feeding. Full-grown bed bugs move relatively slowly and measure between 4 to 5 mm. Homeowners sometimes have the misconception that bed bugs are too small to see with the naked eye. The nymphs may be small and difficult to see, but the adults are detectable with the naked eye and may be found in the cracks and crevices they use to hide.
Put your luggage in a smart spot. Avoid putting your luggage down on any fabric surface (including carpet). If there’s a desk or dresser in your room, this is a good hard surface to place your suitcase down on.
Inspect your hotel room. Upon arrival of your motel or hotel room, pull back the corners of the bedding and check the mattress and box spring for bed bugs or signs of bed bugs. Bed bugs will molt and shed their skin before each new life stage. Often, you can find these pieces of shed skin—they’re apple-seed-size or smaller, tan to off-white in color, and resemble the insects, but hollow—lying around areas of infestation such as in creases in the mattress. Bed bugs also leave fecal deposits after they consume their blood meal. You can spot these small dots, which appear like black marker, touching fabric, such as a mattress cover. Make sure to pay special attention to seams, where bed bugs like to hide.
Check your skin each morning during your vacation. Be mindful of any unexplained bites or welts that seem to appear overnight. Even with a watchful eye, bed bugs can be sneaky. If you do notice anything on your skin, reinspect your hotel room. If you find evidence of a bed bug infestation, notify the staff of your motel/hotel immediately.
