Bed Bugs in Hotels
Travelers have now become aware of the dangers of Bed bugs and with the number of reports about Bed bugs being discovered in hotels, this has become of immense concern. However, if you are an alert and cautious traveler, then you need not worry about catching a few Bed bugs while you stay at a hotel.
Avoiding Bed Bugs in Hotels
As there have been websites set up giving reviews about hotels, you will come across certain reviews or complaints about Bed bugs attacking sleeping guests in hotels, so you better research thoroughly before you decide about staying in at a certain hotel. Since the hotel website itself will definitely not give mention about Bed bugs complaints, it’s best to check other sites.
Nevertheless, it would still be best to take precaution when you stay in at any hotel by carefully inspecting the room, because any travelers staying at a hotel can unsuspectedly bring in Bed bugs that have hitched a ride on their clothing or their luggage even after you had done your research.
The first thing you must do when you get into your hotel room is do a careful inspection of the bed, its linens and mattress. Also make sure to inspect the headboard as well as other furniture that is located near the bed such as the dressers and night stands because Bed bugs prefer to hide and thrive in dark places. If you manage to come across any smears of blood or even specks of dark brown to black you may have come across the droppings of Bed bugs. Secondly, report what you saw to the front desk and do try to get hold of the manager. The hotel staff may not even be aware that there are Bed bugs so it would be best to notify them. Even if they offer you another room, it still would be best to switch hotels instead, as Bed bugs can transfer from one room to another, leaving you with no other option but to move out.
Prior to traveling and checking in at hotels, it would be better if you had already been able to get information about other hotels in the area that you could try. Once you get there, repeat your inspection. If this one also has signs of bed bugs then you still have few other hotels in your list that you could try. This is convenient preparation to help you avoid being in contact with any Bed bugs.
Precautions to Take While Traveling
Being prepared for bed bugs is always a good habit. Make sure to bring along a non toxic bug killer spray in small travel sizes so you can have ammunition against Bed bugs while traveling. Once you select the hotel you find safe to stay in, it is still important to take precautions, so never lay your suitcases on the floor, instead place them on top of a dresser or bureau and if there is a luggage rack, kept your suitcase there. Bear in mind not to leave any used clothing on the floor, this is because bed bugs have the tendency to find new hiding places. Put your purse in the closet of have it hung off a shower rod or closet.
Your clothing can also be hung in dry cleaning bags if the hotels supplies them or you can bring your own. These should be placed far away from the bed and even off the carpets. If dry cleaning bags are not available, your clothes can be hung in the shower, avoiding the floor. This is why bringing your own hangers and clear plastic bags are a convenience so you can hang your clothes in the shower. Other clothing can be placed inside the bath tub as the smooth walled crevice does not permit Bed bugs to be able to move openly and thrive in them .
At the end of the day while you are changing, you can place the used clothing in sealable plastic bags. You can trap any stray Bed bugs in this manner as they can effectively seal out Bed bugs and help you keep Bed buys away. Once you get home, you can have your clothes placed directly into the washer to be washed and then dried in hot settings. Or, after you keep your used clothing in sealable plastic bags, you can have then sent to the laundry available at the hotel or near the hotel for a wash and dry. This process will help you control any Bed bugs that may have managed to hitch a ride on your clothing and have them eradicated.
Before packing your suitcase to leave for home, make sure to spray a non toxic bug spray, inside and out . Such sprays are a convenience as they are made out of safe and natural content that does not contaminate your belongings with pesticides, such as Green Rest Easy Travel Spray that has a cinnamon scent, that does not pose any threat to children and animals.
If, despite many efforts, manage to get home from a trip and realize that there are Bed bugs in your suitcase, you must quickly have your clothes tossed in the dryer with hot settings to quickly kill any Bed bugs, while you can treat your suitcase by using the Pack Tite Portable Bed bug Killing Heater Unit, that will kill all Bed bugs from eggs to adult Bed bugs with the timer set at a heating time for 6 hours straight to create the sufficient steam needed to kill any bed bugs in your luggage. You can also have your luggage placed in a large plastic bag then popped into a deep freezer for better results.
Such steps have always been considered by travelers nowadays and they have preferred to deal with such concerns than suffer the wrath of Bed bugs. Prevention is always much more reasonable, convenient and affordable than having to deal with an infestation.
Bed Bug Registry
People have been traveling for many years now, both domestic and international and with the increase of travel, the number of Bed bug infested hotels have also increased. And this is all because of guests unknowingly transporting Bed bugs through their clothing and luggage.
This is why thoroughly inspecting a hotel room before settling in very important. You must carefully check if there are signs of Bed bugs such as shed skins and their small fecal droppings and stains on the mattress, linens and pillows. If these indications are many and very visible then the infestation may possibly be severe and sleeping in the room will only lead you into getting hundreds of Bed bugs. However, if these signs are not so visible, you need to double check the cracks of the headboard, seams of the mattress, baseboards and in the folds of the furniture.
Bed bugs feed on their sleeping human host at night for 5 to 15 minutes and when full, the crawl back into their hiding place to hide and even lay their eggs. Bed bugs have also been known to travel as much as 30 feet in a night indicating that a hotel room may have Bed bugs hiding all over the place.
What is a Bed Bug Registry?
The main purpose of the Bed bug Registry site is to collect all reports of attacks or sightings of Bed bugs in Hotels from travelers. Here you can check if a certain hotel has been listed with Bed bug sightings, if the problem was dealt with and when the last report was posted. This site helps travelers from getting into contact with Bed bug infested hotels, suffering from Bed bug bites and transporting Bed bugs back to their homes.
Pre- Cautions to Take When Staying at a Hotel
A hotel room that may be slightly infested by Bed bugs cannot be detected that easily and as a matter of fact, 1 Bed bug that manages to hide in your luggage is enough to cause a serious infestation in your home. So when you stay at a hotel, always keep your suitcase off the floor and try to use encasement bags to prevent Bed bugs from crawling in.
Another fact to remember is that, just because you have not experienced any Bed bug bites or any indications at the hotel doesn’t mean that they are 100% safe. Bed bugs can keep in hiding and manage to hide or attach themselves on any of your belongings to be able to hitch a ride home with you. This is why you must be very particular about your clothes and not leave them laying about on the carpet, chairs or other furniture and use a metal rack if possible.
You can keep your clothes safe by keeping them in sealable or zip lock plastic bags having separate ones for those you haven’t worn and for those that already been used.
Vigilance is always essential to prevent Bed bugs