Bed Bugs in Hotels

" Bed bugs in hotels is becoming a problem across the world, as the parasites are usually carried by travelers from one location to another. In fact, 58,000,000 International Travelers visited the United States in 2008. No class of hotels are exempt from bed bugs as any traveler can inadvertently pick them up and carry them into a hotel. The best any traveler can do is to learn how to identify bed bugs when entering a hotel room. There are many things you can do when staying in a hotel to lower your odds of bringing them home with you. "

Bed bugs are a global problem with the National Pest Management Association indicating that we are on the verge of a pandemic. Even with the number of cases increasing, the odds of finding and bringing home bed bugs is relatively low. It pays to be cautious as bed bugs treatment can cost $1,000 or more for the typical home.

Follow the tips below to learn how to avoid bed bugs during your next stay.

1. Check Your Hotel on a Bed Bug Registry

There are several websites where you can see if a hotel has had any registered bed bug control issues. Being listed does not mean that a property currently has a problem. If the hotel or motel you are thinking of staying at has had a problem, call the location and ask if it's history of bed bugs treatment. For an added level of protection, request that your room is at least 2 floors away from the infested area.

Sites for researching bedbugs in hotels problems:

2. Prepare Your Luggage Before You Leave Home

Luggage can be treated with a bed bug luggage spray such as JTEaton before you leave home. The spray contains a pyrethroid that will kill/repel bed bugs that approach your luggage. Spray the luggage inside and out before packing. The luggage also works as a mattress spray.

Bedbug Video: How to Apply Luggage Spray:

For added protection, buy a bed bug proof luggage liner. As a low cost substitute, pack Ziploc Big Bags and place clothes inside and seal. This will keep bed bugs out of your clothes.

Another tip is to only pack clothes that are machine washable or dry clean only. This way, clothes can go right from the luggage to the washing machine or dryer before they are brought into your bedroom at home.

Hard sided luggage is preferable to fabric coverings as it provides fewer hiding places.

3. Inspect Your Hotel Room for Bed Bugs

Before bringing your luggage into a room, be sure to inspect it for bed bugs. Signs of bed bugs include:

Look for mattress markings or stains: Bed bugs leave behind outer skins, red spots and black/brown feces marks.

Picture Bed Bug Mattress Marks

Peel Back the Sheets When Looking for Bed Bugs in Hotels. A clean Mattress Like This One Means that you are in a Bed Bug Free Room
A raspberry like odor can indicate the presence of bed bugs. Note that this method should be used in conjunction with others.
Bed Bug Identification: You can see bed bugs with the naked eye. Be sure to look in tight hiding spaces such as the tufts and crevices of the mattress.

Picture Before and After Feeding at
Each Stage of the Bed Bug Life Cycle

4. Store Your Clothes in a Bed Bug Safe Manner

Be sure to keep luggage off the floor and at least 6 inches from walls. Preferably keep luggage on a luggage rack. A small carry on can even be stored inside a Ziploc Big Bag, providing complete bed bug protection. Keep luggage approximately 10 feet or more from the bed.

Protect Yourself From Bed Bugs in Hotels with Ziploc Big Bags

Avoid using the hotel room drawers without some type of bed bug proof casing. Options include packing your clothes inside a bed bug proof Ziploc Big Bag or buying a bed bug proof lining for your suitcase.

The room with the least likelihood of bed bugs is the shower. If you need to hang clothes consider using the luggage rack.

5. Inspect Your Luggage When You Return Home

Before bringing your luggage into your home, inspect the seams. Look for white pepper sized specks which could be bedbug eggs or for bed bugs hiding in seams.

Look for Signs of Bed Bugs In Luggage Zipper Seams

For frequent travelers or those that want 100% absolute protection from bed bugs in hotels, consider purchasing a portable heat chamber called a PackTite. Upon returning home, your entire piece of luggage can be placed inside the chamber and heated to temperatures required to kill all insects (about 120F). If you live in an apartment building, consider one that the entire building can use.

BedBugVideo: PackTite