Bed Bugs and your Hotel Stay

Having bed bugs is everyone´s worse nightmare. When it actually happens to you the paranoia lasts for a lifetime. Unfortunately, it can arrive in your home from someone or something. It is wise to check when buying second-hand furniture, beds or couches for signs of bed bugs. They can easily spread as they are your ideal hitchhikers.

They feed on blood about every five to 10 days. However, they are troopers as they can survive a couple of months to a whole year without eating.

At home, make sure you regularly vacuum to get rid of any bed bugs around your home. If you have to use a public laundry mat, be advised that you can get bed bugs from other people´s clothes. It would be recommended to bring your clothes in a plastic bag and take them out with a new one for prevention.

Heat kills all. Putting your pillows in the dryer will kill everything and if need be, taking damp furniture outside to dry properly is ideal. They like to stay around the stiching of any mattress and small places. It doesn´t hurt to always do a quick check when you vacuum your furniture.

The Travel Bug

Unfortunately, even in the 5 star resorts we can get the travel bug. However, the most high reputable hotels always make sure by their law book that this does not happen at all! This is the worse comment to post on Trip Advisor that can leave them bankrupt. Here are some tips you can consider when you´re not sleeping on your own bed.

The Paranoid Wife!

Reading online about some of the terrifying experiences of having bed bugs attack your body will definitely make you think they are everywhere. So just to keep your wife calm and for you to enjoy your vacation, first put your entire luggage in the bathroom. Your resilient bugger will not be in there. They don´t like tile floors and there are no good hiding spots in the bathroom.

Then, check the area. Pull back the linens and inspect all the way around and below the mattress and behind the head board. Take notice of any blood stains or tiny black dots that could look like ground pepper or mold. They are about the shape and size of an apple seed and they can be hiding in the corners and the seams of the bedding.

To even keep your wife happy, broaden your search around the bed. Look under the telephone, the alarm clock, picture frames and books. According to some studies, your buggers can be found within a few feet away from the bed or even further of about 15 feet. Any cushion for furniture is a safe haven for your bed bugs. So inspect these areas before you start to open your suitcase and expose your clothes to possible bed bugs.

 

If that wasn´t good enough, this should shut her up.

Even though, everything seems to be fine, you´re in an awesome hotel but your wife still keeps thinking she got bitten, there are further steps to keep her sane. Don´t leave your luggage on the ground. Most likely the floor would be carpet for more comfort but not laying it on the ground can prevent them from entering your luggage and bringing them home with you. During your stay in a hotel, keep all bags on the table or desktop, on top of the dresser or on a luggage rack in the room.

You can even go further and buy a plastic wrap for your suitcase. It is like a huge zip-lock bag for your luggage. This can protect your belongings not only in your hotel room but especially when you are travelling in airplanes, trains and taxis.

It´s not just Paranoia

Too bad, it happened to you. You noticed you’re back full of bite marks and its true, it´s not mosquito bites, the bed bugs did bite at night! It is best to get the proper treatment for your bites. If this happened at home, this is your worst nightmare! The best solution is to call Pest Control to eliminate and make a thorough evaluation of your home to make sure you are clear from any more of these most unwanted critters.

If you did your inspection at a hotel and you did find visitors on your bed, do not hesitate to make the call. No hotel wants to be known as having bed bugs. They will immediately find a solution. It would be best to ask to stay in another level if possible. Unfortunately, even if we do receive good treatment after the fact, the nice thing to do is not write it up publicly, but we all know we will never go back nor recommend it to our friends!

If you want to read up more about these buggers check out the page about them!