How to Search a Hotel Room for Bed Bugs

Bed bugs have been making a comeback in recent years. The rise in international travel and the use of less toxic pesticides has resulted in an influx of these reddish-brown pests. It is very easy for travelers to unknowingly carry them home in suitcases after staying in hotels. Find out how to spot bloodsucking bed bugs in your hotel room to prevent them from coming back home with you.

Signs of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs have flat, oval bodies and are reddish-brown according do the National Pest Management Association. Adult bed bugs are around the size of apple seeds. There are a few telltale signs that bedbugs are staying in your hotel room. They leave tiny blood spots or fecal stains after eating. Another indication is light brown shells from bed bug skin shedding.

Check the Mattress

The first place to check in your hotel room is the mattress. Pull back all of the bedding near the headboard and look for blood spots. They will be rust colored or actual bedbugs may be on the mattress and in the seams of the mattress. Lift the mattress up to check underneath it for these signs as well.

Bed Bugs behind the Headboard

If the hotel room has a headboard, check behind it and around the legs near the carpet or floor. If there is space between the headboard and wall, check behind it. Inspect the area around the bed to be certain that the hotel room is bed bug free.

Inspect Furniture

Open dresser drawers and examine the fabric on upholstered chairs. Bed bugs can be hiding in the seams and crevices of chairs. Check rollaway beds and cribs since they could have been in an infested room.

Bed Bugs Hide in Dark Corners

Bed bugs do not like light and they usually hide in dark places. According to the National Pest Management Association, bed Bugs like to hide in small cracks and can be found behind wallpaper. Beg bugs are also known to survive on backpacks and under upholstered seats in cars.

Report Bed Bug Findings

If you do find bedbugs in your hotel room, it is important to report them to management and ask to be given another room that is not adjacent to, above of, or directly below the infested room. If management will not honor your request, then stay at another hotel. Be sure to call to a pest control professional if you spot bed bugs in your home after staying at an infested hotel.

Sources

National Pest Management Association
Cornell University: Printable Bed Bug Inspection Travel Card
http://bedbugregistry.com