How to Avoid Bedbug Problems When You Travel on Business for Work or Vacation
One of the easiest ways to come in to unwelcome contact with bedbugs is when you travel, at home or abroad.
bedbugs used to be associated with downmarket, seedy motels and cheap hotels but the massive increase in the number of bedbug infestations over the last few years means that any hotel, cruise ship or motel could have a problem with bedbugs.
It doesn’t matter to the bedbug whether you are staying in five-star luxury or a $20 a night motel, it’s just interested in sucking your blood.
Travel tips to avoid bedbugs
The problem doesn’t necessarily go away when you check out. One of the most common ways of spreading a bedbug infestation to your flat or apartment is by unknowingly carrying bedbugs, or their eggs, in your luggage or clothes.
Here we present some travel tips for avoiding bedbugs:
Avoid bedbugs in hotels and motels
Any hotel or motel of any class, in any city, could have a bedbug problem. Hotel staff report that bedbug infestations are now commonplace. Clearly, more expensive hotels with good reputations to maintain are likely to have a higher standard of room cleaning, and act promptly if they are told of a bedbug problem, but there is no guarantee of this.
Before you book into a hotel, for business or vacation, then thoroughly research the hotel on google or sites such as trip advisor. You will quickly be able to see if the hotel has a bedbug problem, now or in the past.
Bedbug Registry
The Bedbug Registry operates in the U.S. and the U.K., so check the site before you travel, or preferably before you book, to find out if your accommodation has been reported to the Bedbug Registry.
Spot the signs of hotel bedbugs
When you arrive at the hotel or motel then have a good look around the lobby, reception, lounge and public areas. If these are sparklingly clean, it’s a good indicator that cleanliness is high on the agenda throughout the premises, including your room.
When you check-in to your room, then be alert to a sweet, sickly smell – this is a classic sign of a severe bedbug infestation.
Check mattress for bedbugs
If you can bear to, and it is worth doing, turn back the sheets and carefully and thoroughly inspect the mattress, particularly around the seams. This is where bedbugs hide out. If you see evidence of bedbugs or bedbug litter (dead bedbugs, bedbug moults, bedbug nymphs, eggs, etc) then it’s clear there is a problem.
Less obvious signs of a current or previous bedbug infestation may be red, brown or rusty spots or streaks on the mattress (or even sheets) or small black dots (bedbug faeces).
Also check for the same signs around the bed frame, where the headboard meets the wall, around the skirting boards, and around any nearby furniture.
How to complain about bedbugs
If you see evidence of bedbugs then you should immediately contact hotel management to report the problem so that action can be taken and to ensure you are moved to another room. (It’s unlikely that all rooms will be infested with bedbugs, unless there is a very severe problem.)
Be aware that hotel rooms should not be occupied for 48 hours after proper bedbug treatment, so don’t accept the same room post-cleaning because it will not have been properly treated. Demand another room and, obviously, check that for signs of bedbug infestation. Many people in this situation may prefer to move on to another establishment anyway!
Hotel bedbug litigation
If management refuse to move you to another room, you may wish to go higher and contact the hotel owner or owning company. Contacting their public relations or public affairs department can often work wonders. In most cases, the hotel will be only too keen to resolve the problem and keep you happy as it is their reputation at stake.
If you suspect that you may have stayed in a hotel with a bedbug problem, but don’t spot the signs until afterwards when you have returned home and notice bites, you should report it to the hotel management and seek compensation, at least the return of the cost of your room. There has been successful litigation against hotels where guests have brought action as a result of bedbug infestation.
How to treat luggage for bedbugs
bedbugs can easily hitch a ride in your luggage so, if you have been travelling it’s worth carefully inspecting your cases and bags for the telltale signs of unwelcome bedbug visitors. Scrub them thoroughly with a stiff or wire brush and treat with insecticide. Sealing them in plastic boxes and leaving these in direct sunlight for a couple of days is a very effective way of killing bedbugs that may be inside. Read our Guide to getting rid of bedbugs from luggage for more detailed information.
Before going away, you may wish to invest in a bedbug guard, which is a kind of large specially treated cover you can place on the bed to prevent bedbugs. Bedbug detectors are also available.
