Bed bugs are small. Sometimes they can be as small as 4mm in size, and they tend to spend most of the day sleeping in the hidden corners of whichever furniture they can find. And, as the name suggests, the furniture they prefer to dwell in is likely to be your mattress and the springs within it. As you sleep at night they’ll come crawling out of their hiding places to enjoy their nightly meal.

Since hotels have a considerable foot flow and any number of guests all staying at one time, there’s a good chance that bed bugs will inadvertently find their way into hotel beds. Yes, even the luxury ones. Whether you’re traveling for leisure or for business, it won’t do any harm to have a look around your hotel room for signs of infestation. In this article, we’re going to talk about what you should be looking for, and the most common places to check.

Why You Should Have a Deep Look

Bed bugs are master hitchhikers. Since they don’t have wings they can’t fly, and unlike fleas, they aren’t able to jump great distances. They are, however, incredibly skilled when it comes to crawling. They’ll make their way into your luggage, your clothing and even into your wallets. Many bed bug carriers don’t realize they’re helping the pests to spread since they’ll be largely out of sight.

It’s important that whenever you travel to a new location you take a moment to check for signs of bed bug infestation. And when you do inspect your new bed, do it thoroughly. There’s something of a bed bug epidemic around the world, with numbers soaring just about everywhere. Take a moment to check for these pests and you’ll stop them from spreading even further.

The Most Common Places to Check

First of all, when you enter a hotel room don’t put your luggage on the floor. Store it on a luggage rack or even in the bathtub if you have to. That way bed bugs won’t be able to get to your things. Next, ready yourself with a flashlight and credit card, and pull back the covers and blankets on the bed. Have a look in the corners for a small collection of the bugs, or for small dark red marks. 

After that, make sure to check the mattress. Check along the folds and seams of the mattress using your credit card. There’s a good chance a colony could be in the corners too, so make sure to use your flashlight effectively and check thoroughly. Do this for every corner of the bed.

Next, you’ll want to check the other upholstered furniture like chairs, seats, and sofas. Anywhere with concealed and hidden corners is a possible home for bed bugs. Check the curtains and have a final look behind the headboard of the bed too.

Unfortunately, your checks don’t stop when you leave the hotel room. Make sure to check all of your luggage and clothing when you return home. If you have missed them, they’ll have already crawled into your things in the hope of spreading again.

Contact Truly Nolen

If, after coming home from your trip, you find bed bugs in your home, call Truly Nolen as soon as you can. Sometimes it’s just bad luck when they come home with you. Bed bugs will take any opportunity they can to multiply their numbers in new locations.

The sooner you deal with the infestation, the easier it is to remove. We’re the experts when it comes to pest control, and we guarantee to stop the insects from spreading any further.