How To Avoid Hotel Bedbugs
They are one of the greatest fears a traveler can have - bedbugs! Not only do you not want to be bitten by them, you also don't want to bring them home with you. You have to be vigilant to ensure that this pest won't make your trip a living nightmare. Use the tips below to ensure you avoid hotel bedbugs entirely.
Once you enter your hotel room, put your luggage in the bathtub. Bedbugs have no interest in the bathroom, so they won't be found in there. That means your luggage will be safe from infestation until you investigate the rest of the room. Of course, be sure that neither the faucet nor shower head are leaking before you put your bags inside!
Next, make a B-line for the bed. That is where bedbugs like to live, and where you will find evidence of their existence. Pull the blanket back and look for moving objects. You should also look for any blood stains or what looks like ground pepper on the sheets. Check the corners of the bedding for apple-seed sized bugs. Those are bedbugs! If anything makes you believe there are bugs, contact the front desk immediately.
Now you need to move past the bed as it may have just been cleaned. Start looking behind the art on the wall, in the drawers of the bedside table, under the bed, and even under the phone. If there are bedbugs, they should be found within fifteen feet of the bed itself. Also check the sofa and chairs, another place bedbugs like to live. Don't forget to check the closet before you put your clothes inside!
Keep your bags up off the floor so they don't become infested. While you may not find any bedbugs in your room, you never know what might be hiding next door. If the bugs come in, they can easily climb into your luggage if it is on the floor. Instead, put it on top of a desk or dresser, up and out of the way. If you have a luggage rack, make use of it! Keep your clothing off the floor, as well.
If you want added protection, encase your luggage in a zippered plastic bag. You can purchase these for sealing up blankets for storage purposes, but they work just as well for this use. If you can't find such an item, a garbage bag tightly sealed will do the trick, as well. As bedbugs can also infest your luggage while you travel, be it in a taxi or on a train, this will protect your bags at all times.
Bedbugs are the creepy crawlies which can keep you up at night. They terrorize you not only by biting you all over, but just by the paralyzing fear of not knowing where they lurk. These simple tips will help you keep bedbugs out of your life as you travel, allowing you to enjoy your trip in full instead of being paranoid about what lurks beneath the sheets.
