How to Detect if Bed Bugs Are in a Hotel Bed
Staying in a nice hotel isn’t a guarantee for a bed bug-free experience.
Staying in a nice hotel isn’t a guarantee for a bed bug-free experience. These insects tend to find a way to lurk around, and no hotel room is always 100% safe from them. Fortunately, travelers can take these steps to protect themselves from bites:
Preparation
Getting a flashlight is crucial before beginning the inspection. The flashlight on a smartphone works just fine for this purpose.
Also, travelers should have their credit card or another thin and hard item to look around the zippers and seams.
Once entering the room, it’s best to place the luggage straight onto the luggage rack. In the absence of a rack, keep the luggage in the bathtub.
Inspection
After getting the right equipment and storing the baggage, travelers can proceed to the actual inspection.
What to look for:
Blood stains
Dark spots on mattresses and sheets
Fecal spots
Eggshells
Shed skins
Musty odor
Where to look:
Bed corners
Every bed bug inspection should start at the bed corners. Then, inspect all four sides using the flashlight to check the creases, seams, and folds. Bed bugs can squeeze into tiny crevices, so it’s important to look everywhere.
Don’t forget to lift the mattress to look underneath as well. Bed bugs love to hide in dark places and tend to gather around the bed’s underside. In addition, they can lay eggs around the bed corner creases, so it’s crucial to inspect these areas.
Bed sheets
It’s best to strip the bed to the mattress. Then, inspect the sheets by laying them out flat and using the flashlight. It’s essential to check the edges, folds, seams, and corners. Also, don’t forget to inspect both sides of the sheets.
Folds and seams
The next step is using the credit card to peel the seam around the whole bed. It’s best to do this step with the flashlight, so it’s clear what is underneath. Again, look for bugs, stains, and eggs, and don’t forget to check the zippers.
Headboard
Sometimes, bed bugs can make it to the headboards. The grooves against the wall and behind the bed are the most common places where they may migrate, looking for food. This is also an opportunity to examine the nightstands as well.
Other places
After inspecting the bed, it may also be worthwhile to check the sofas, throw pillows, closets, floorboards, and carpet.
Ensure a bed bug-free experience
Identifying whether a hotel room has bed bugs can save travelers discomfort and eventually some allergy time. The flashlight and credit card are the two essential tools for checking whether the pests live in a hotel bed. Check all four sides thoroughly, and don’t forget the area near the bed – the little bugs could be anywhere.
If bed bugs are found, it’s essential to let the hotel staff know so they can contact pest management services to exterminate the infestation immediately.
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