When planning for a vacation, it’s only normal for you to prepare every itinerary, such as renting a car.
As a traveler, you have made all of these extra efforts in order to ensure that your trip would be hassle-free and be as enjoyable as possible.
Unbeknownst to most travelers, even hotel rooms are not safe from pesky bugs. In fact, a few of them need the help of pest control companies and their team of pest control operators.
Among the thousands of pest there is, travelers who often book hotel rooms must be wary of possible bed bugs creeping around the areas of the hotel room.
Despite the horrifying fact that you might be attacked by sneaky little bloodsuckers at your hotel room, there’s no need to panic because you can take matters into your own hands. Here are a couple of things you should take note of to ensure you and your belongings are safe from bugs:
Where Should You Place Your Belongings?
The bathroom, specifically the bathtub, is the space that has the least possibility of bed bug infestations since it is one of the areas to be thoroughly and regularly cleaned.
After arriving at your hotel room, immediately place your luggage in the bathtub to prevent possible infestation while you still search the area.
In addition, doing so will ensure that those pesky bed bugs won’t be coming home with you and save you the trouble of having to do some pest control procedures in your own home.
What Signs Should You Look Out For?
If you’re lucky, you’d immediately be able to actually spot a bed bug out in the open. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, looking for bed bugs would require a rigid search.
Before anything else, it is essential that you know what you are looking for as well as the various indicators of their presence.
Here’s a tip: Bring a flashlight (the flashlight on your phone can be used too), and use it to shed some light to the dark crevices, where bed bugs might reside in. Other signs you need to be aware of are the following:
Blood Spots – These types of markings are inevitable if there are bedbugs present in the room since they puncture the skin to obtain precious human blood.
Often found in between the mattresses and sofa, these markings are significantly smaller in size.
Skin Shedding – Also called “Casts Skins;” these may be found in multiple amounts since bedbugs shed their skin 5 to 6 times.
This is an indicator that can be quite a giveaway since bedbugs shed their skin in various places.
Black Smudges – These tiny black smudges appear to be skid marks that are done by insects and could be the natural excretions of bed bugs.
Bed Bug Eggs – Aside for skin shedding and possible excretions, the last thing you should look out for are the eggs or eggshells, which have a distinct pale yellow hue and is commonly about 1mm in length.
What Areas You Should Check?
Bed bugs are not limited to just the bed area and can also wreak havoc on other spaces in the hotel room.
Basically, these pests can survive in areas with temperatures as low as 7°C but die the instance the temperature heats up to 45°C.
To further elaborate, here are some specific areas around the hotel room that you should check:
Bed Area – Since the bed tends to contain the most quantity of bedbugs, it is highly possible that other nearby items are also infested with them.
Don’t just inspect the mattress, but also the other parts of the bed like the box spring, bed frame, and even the headboard. Pay attention to cracks in these areas since bed bugs could fit into a tiny crack and could begin breeding.
Sitting Area – Nowadays, most hotel rooms have a “mini living room” where you could lounge around.
Unbeknownst to most hotel guests, bed bugs can breed inside the seams of the couch and the cushions.
Another element in a sitting area that should be checked for possible infestation is curtain folds that are often left unbothered by the previous hotel guests.
Make sure to also check the drawer joints as you inspect the storage bins since these provide the ideal temperature for breeding.
Behind Wallpapers and Wall Ornaments – To be specific, loose wallpapers are also good breeding spots for bed bugs because these are also often left undisturbed.
It is also a good idea to check the back of wall ornaments like picture frames or hanged paintings since bed bugs can easily grow in these areas.
Luggage Rack – Not many people check the luggage rack. But this should not be the case because these racks also have cracks and crevices, where bedbugs carried by previous travelers could reside in.
What to Do If Presence of Bed Bugs Is Confirmed?
In case you do find a bedbug—whether dead or alive—the best move to initially do is to trap it, then take a picture.
Immediately, call in for the manager or a representative of the hotel so that they can see it personally.
Also, the hotel staff can transfer you to a more suitable accommodation once you informed them.
Key Takeaway
Inspecting for possible bedbug infestation may be a bit difficult, but keep in mind that these extra steps will protect you from insect bites.
At the same time, your home will also be protected from bedbugs imported from your hotel room.
Finally, if you do find bedbugs in your hotel room, approach and explain the situation to the hotel management calmly.
With a calm approach, the hotel staff will for sure happily accommodate you.