Everything about hotel bed bugs

Finding these creepy crawlies can turn any stay unpleasant. By knowing how to identify, deal with and, ideally, avoid hotel bed bugs, you can keep your vacation from becoming a disaster.

Whether you’re on vacation or business, the plague of bed bugs spans across the world—regardless of hotel ratings. Reviews only reveal so much. As such, there are a few things you can do to identify, deal with and avoid hotel bed bugs.

First, keep in mind that rooms infested by bed bugs can be tainted even in their furthest corners. The safest place for your belongings is in the restroom of your room. While you check for bugs, place your belongings on the counter in the restroom. Bed bugs don’t find those areas hospitable and avoid nesting there.

Remember, even if you haven’t spotted any bed bugs, you should never leave your clothes or luggage on the ground. Find a table, drawers, or stand for your luggage and operate from there.

The first thing you’ll want to do after storing your luggage in the restroom is to remove comforters, pillows and sheets from the bed. Following that:

• Inspect the mattress for black dots that are roughly the size of an apple seed.
• Stay alert for any stains that look vaguely like blood or mould, as these are common signs of bed bug infestation.
• Check the corners of the mattress in the seams, where it’s easy for them to burrow.
• Be sure to inspect the pillows and headboard as well.

Next you’ll want to check other parts of the room. Why? Bed bugs in hotel rooms are great at finding places to hide, so checking everything really can’t hurt. Some people have even reported finding bed bugs underneath their phones.

Anything decorative in the hotel room may be a bed bug hideout, so make sure your search is thorough. If your hotel room has a couch, it’s just as crucial to check the cushions as the bed.

Bear in mind that bed bugs travel. That's why it’s important to store your belongings above ground. Keeping a tidy room is a great way to prevent bed bugs from giving you problems if they’ve migrated from surrounding rooms. One of the first things a travelling bed bug is bound to find are your discarded clothes on the ground.

Dealing with bed bugs in hotel rooms are a serious threat to your health. Finding just one is enough to warrant a phone call to the front desk of the hotel you’re staying in. If you spot a bed bug, insist on moving at least two floors away from the room. If you're still unsure, demand to be moved to a new hotel altogether.