How to Check Bed Bugs In Hotels
Nothing can be worse for any traveler than to stay in a hotel with bed bugs. Hotel guests should know the telltale signs of bed bugs in hotels so that they can be sure to enjoy a bed bug free stay!
Don’t Book For Bed Bugs
When you make your hotel arrangements, it’s unlikely that the hotel’s website will mention anything about bed bugs, and that’s understandable. No establishment, hotels included, will give that information out in the open because that will surely hurt their business.
However, you still need that information because you’re not paying to sleep in a hotel full of bed bugs.
The good news is that you can now check some websites that can tell you which hotels were reported for having the dreaded pests.
Check These Sites Before You Book
Three of the websites that provide information about bed bug-infested hotels are:
The Bedbug Registry: This website was created in 2006. It contains more than 20,000 reports in its database and covers 12,000 US and Canadian locations about hotels with bed bugs.
You can check for the most recent bed bug reports on The Bedbug Registry homepage or search based on the hotel name and address. The Bedbug Registry can send email alerts for bedbug reports at a specific distance from the address you enter on the page.
BedbugReports.com: This website was created in 2010 and has an extensive database of US hotels and a recent, smaller Canadian hotel database. Using this website is simple. You can do a search using the state and city, and you’ll receive a list of hotels that have been marked as bed bug-infested.
TripAdvisor: this travel website offers a search capability for hotels with bed bug reviews. Key in the words “bedbugs”, and “bed bugs.” You’ll get a list of hotels with reviews about bed bugs.
As there’s no way to verify the bedbug reports, it’s wise to check all three websites for comparison.
Ways to Check Bed Bugs in Hotels
Here’s the thing. You book your stay in a hotel that has no bed bug reports. But that doesn’t mean that you’re 100% sure that the hotel is bed bug-free. So what do you do? Do you call Housekeeping and ask them to flip the mattress so you can inspect for bed bugs?
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to check for bed bugs in hotels.
Here’s what travelers like you should do:
Check the mattress and bed frame. Bed bugs are so tiny that they can hide in the bed’s crevices, the frame, and the mattress. Inspect the headboard, behind and underneath. Use your phone’s flashlight to check all crevices, carvings, joints, and all the small cracks or openings on the bed frame. Closely examine the folds and seams in the corners of the mattress.
Inspect the bedding, including the pillowcases, the fitted sheet, duvet covers, and focus your search on the seams. Look for dark blood spots on the floor near the bed’s corners.
Check the sofas and chairs as well. Bed bugs are likely to hide in areas where there’s a high level of human contact, such as chairs, sofa, and throw pillows. To check for bed bugs, remove the cushions from the seats, inspect the joints, and chair’s crevices or the couch.
Check the curtains and drapes. Bed bugs can easily hide and lay eggs in the curtains’ fibers and drapes.
Bed Bug Signs
After checking all the possible hiding places of bed bugs in the hotel room, ensure that you know what you’re looking for. The bed bug signs are live bed bugs, dark or black stains, blood smears, and a musty smell.
Bring Home the Luggage, Not the Bed Bugs
Travelers don’t always have the time to check their luggage for bed bugs before leaving the hotel. By simply putting your open suitcase on the luggage rack or the closet, bed bugs can crawl in and hide without you knowing it. As soon as they find their hiding places in your luggage, you’re bringing them to your home to multiply and spread.
To prevent this from happening, ensure that you don’t leave your suitcase open while in the hotel room. Unless you’re sure that there are no bed bugs, don’t take your stuff out of the luggage when you get home.
If you’re unsure whether you have hitchhikers in your suitcase, take all the stuff out of the suitcase and put it directly inside the hot dryer. Turn on the machine and let it run for up to half-an-hour. Washing will not kill bed bugs, but the heat in the dryer will.
Have You Brought Home Bed Bugs?
If you think you have bed bugs or are interested in a home heat sanitation treatment, contact Bed Bug Barbeque, LLC in Lakewood, Ohio! We use heat treatment to eradicate bed bugs and we offer entire home sanitation heat treatments. This safe, effective treatment is completed in less than 12 hours, and Bed Bug Barbeque, LLC offers a 60-day warranty for you to verify for yourself that your bed bugs are fully eradicated. Contact Bed Bug Barbeque, LLC today for a FREE quote at (216) 221-1227 or through our website, and check out our other bed bug informational resources on identification, prevention, and eradication.
