How to Avoid Hotel Bedbugs

Bedbugs are no longer just part of a whimsical lullaby; they are starting to become a traveler's nightmare. Bedbugs have re-established themselves in hotel rooms across the nation and abroad. Try not to be fooled into thinking that five-star hotels are above this problem--bed bugs aren't discriminating and will nest in a $400-a-night suite just as happily as a $40 highway stopover.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Small flashlight Protective gloves
Small flashlight
Protective gloves

Step 1

Inspect your room immediately upon checking in. Using a small travel flashlight and protective gloves, peek behind the headboard of the bed and look for live bugs. Bedbugs are small, reddish-brown, flat and oval-shaped and prefer to hide in nooks or along the lips of the woodwork. They are very good at hiding, so be thorough.

Step 2

Check the mattress for evidence of bedbugs. Lift the linens to inspect the mattress. Bedbugs like to get into the edges of the mattress where the piping is. Lift up the mattress and check in between the box spring. If you see multiple black spots in one place, this can be evidence of bedbugs. They will leave behind waste products or blood spots.

Step 3

Take a look in the nightstand, underneath the clock and lamp. Anywhere near the bed should be inspected thoroughly; you should even flip through the phone books or bible in the drawer.

Step 4

Call hotel management immediately upon finding evidence of bedbugs and ask to be moved to another room, on another floor if possible. Do not take a room immediately next door. Do not let management convince you that the room is clean if you have found otherwise, or that destroying one bug will take care of the problem. Evidence of one bedbug means there could be dozens more that you will never see.

Step 5

Leave your suitcase or backpack unpacked and don't place it on the bed until the room is inspected for evidence of bugs. Even if your room is found to be clean, always launder your clothes immediately upon returning home. Dirty laundry should be placed in an airtight, Ziploc bag until ready to be cleaned.

Article Written By Nikki Jardin

Nikki Jardin began freelance writing in 2009 and focuses on food and travel articles. She has been a professional cook and caterer for more than 20 years. She holds a degree in environmental science from Humboldt State University.

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