Spending just 30 seconds checking for bed bugs immediately upon entering a hotel room can save you a lot of trouble later on. Before ordering room service, turning on your favorite TV channel, or falling asleep, remember that the very first thing you need to do is check for bed bugs.
Bed bugs are parasitic insects that feed on human blood. The creatures often hide on the bed and items close to the bed, where they can easily access humans during sleep. The bites from these pests commonly cause redness and itching. Bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed, large enough to be seen with the naked eye, and they hide in the crevices of furniture, floors, or walls, according to guidelines from the New York City Department of Health (USA).
Bed bugs cling onto guests’ suitcases or clothing and then reproduce in the room, attracted by human body heat, blood, and breath ($CO_2$). This can happen anywhere, whether in a budget hotel or a five-star establishment. Paris once made headlines because of an infestation of bed bugs in numerous hotels, and the “City of Light” is not the only place facing this problem. A 2017 study found that 8 out of 10 hotels have had to deal with bed bugs.
“They really like upholstery, mattresses, couches, and bedspreads. Just gently pull back a corner of the sheets, check the seams, the headboard, and the upholstery on chairs. If you don’t see anything, you’re 99% fine,” said Caroline Bologna, a senior editor at HuffPost. It’s quick and simple, but it could save you a month of itching and the expense of extermination afterwards.
Most hotel rooms are carpeted. Therefore, place your suitcase or bag in areas without carpet, such as in the bathroom. You can also use the luggage rack in the room, which is often made of bed-bug-resistant material. It’s advisable to bring zip-lock bags to store dirty laundry to prevent the spread of bed bugs. Another applicable method is to wrap your belongings in plastic bags, as bed bugs cannot cling to plastic. If you discover bed bugs in your room, report it to the hotel management and request a different room if possible.
(According to HuffPost)
