Bed Bugs & Hotels

When you travel, do you use public transportation or stay in hotels? If you answered “yes” to either, there’s a good chance you could encounter bed bugs. You could also bring them home with you. Though bed bugs are a year-round problem and aren’t influenced by weather, reports of bed bugs tend to increase during the summer months. That’s because more people are traveling and staying in hotels.

This increase of travel and hotel usage adds to the risk of exposure to bed bugs. Hotels have become a prime target for these pesky pests. A perfectly clean hotel can become infested almost overnight. One female can lay 200-250 eggs during her reproducing time. The eggs will hatch in about a week and the newly hatched nymphs immediately begin searching for a blood meal. In a very short period of time these bed bugs can spread from room to room.

Realizing the likelihood of bed bugs being in your hotel or motel room is the first step. Secondly, knowing how to look for them is vitally important. There are a few simple things to do before considering unpacking your suitcase.

• The hotel mattress is the best place to begin your search. Simply pull back the sheet and mattress covers and inspect along the beading of the mattress and box spring.

• Inspect the suitcase rack to see if a bug has come in on the previous client’s suitcase.

• Look closely in the cracks or gaps between the headboard and wall and between the pictures and wall.

• Look inside the nightstand drawers.

• Don’t forget to inspect any chairs or other furniture.

You can now relax for the evening if your inspection reveals no sign of bed bug infestation. Nevertheless, bed bugs are often hard to detect as they are nocturnal and hide during the daytime or when the lights are on and may still hitch a ride home with you. Place your soiled clothes in a plastic bag and laundry all clothing as soon as arriving home. Vacuum your suitcase both inside and outside to remove any chance of a hitchhiking bed bug being attached. Don’t forget your shoes! Wipe them down with a cloth and hot water.

Bed bugs are very difficult to eradicate once a full-blown infestation has taken place. Hotels often rely on professional heat treatments to quickly remove all stages of bed bugs. This thermal remediation treatment is very safe, highly effective and efficient method of control of bed bugs. This thermal remediation is also used in many other applications, including your single-family home.

For more information on bed bug heat treatments available in Alexandria, Fairfax and throughout Northern Virginia, please contact American Pest.