Is It Possible to Get Bed Bugs from Staying in a Hotel Room?
Bed bugs creep and crawl, making it likely that you will find them in your hotel room. Worse off, they can even come home with you. An infestation can happen anytime, but by being extra wary when travelling especially during bed bug peak season, you will be less likely to bring them home. If you think you’ve got bed bugs from staying at a hotel, it is helpful that you know how to prevent bringing them inside your house and letting them start an infestation.
Knowing what to do if you ever get bed bugs after your hotel stay will allow you to act appropriately and get compensated for the trouble because of this issue. This will also alert the hotel staff to make the necessary actions to get rid of the pests before they affect other guests.
The Chances of Getting Bed Bugs from a Hotel
With the countless number of people who come and go to hotels, there is a high chance that one can bring bed bugs to any of the rooms. This can start an infestation in one room and eventually affect every guest that will stay in the room.
If you suspect that you can get bed bugs from your hotel room, there are certain things that you can do to prevent them from latching onto any of your belongings and coming home with you. One of which is confirming the presence of bed bugs in your room. Follow these steps:
1. Protect your luggage by putting it inside the bathroom.
It is highly recommended that you put your luggage inside the bathtub, but if it isn’t available, keeping them inside the bathroom will help to prevent any bed bugs from latching on your belongings.
2. Do a basic inspection
A basic inspection includes checking all common areas where bed bugs could be hiding. Gently lift beddings and inspect the corners for bed bugs. Check the luggage racks and all nearby cracks and crevices.
3. Do a more thorough inspection
If you’ve read a few reviews talking about bed bugs in the hotel where you are staying, you can always do a more thorough research. Check all the seams, edges, and small areas of the box springs and mattresses. Continue inspecting the rest of the bed and wall attachments.
Next, inspect all the decorations and common items found in the hotel room. It may be difficult to spot bed bugs in your hotel room, but knowing where to check is one way to protect yourself from bringing them with you as you return home. If you find bed bugs, alert the front desk right away and get a new room or transfer to a new hotel. Again, inspect your new accommodation for signs of bed bugs.
4. Take photos as proof
If you find bed bugs, take photos as proof that the pests are really inside the room. You want to get evidence that these critters are staying inside the hotel room and infesting it. Also, take pictures of your bites if you have any as this will further support your claims that there are bed bugs inside the hotel room. If you can trap live bed bugs, this is even better proof that you can show the staff! Aside from getting proper compensation from all the troubles brought by these pests, this proof can also be used to let the management act upon the issue immediately.
Precautionary Measures to Prevent Bringing Home Bed Bugs from Your Hotel Room
If you don’t find any bed bugs, then you can look forward to a great vacation. If you do find any, however, take the following precautionary measures to prevent bringing home these critters:
- Put all of your used items in a dissolvable laundry bag. Seal it and launder under high heat to kill all bed bugs that have potentially latched onto your clothes.
- Vacuum your bags inside and out and put them inside a plastic bag that you can seal tightly. Instead of bringing it inside your home, you can store it inside the plastic bag or put it inside a box until your next use.
- For your shoes, dampen a cloth with hot water and use it to wipe your shoes clean. This will reduce the risk of bringing any bed bugs inside your home through your shoes.
Being knowledgeable of the things you should do during a vacation can help to prevent bed bugs from the hotel room coming home with you and infesting your home.
