Don’t Let Bed Bugs Ruin Your Vacation

With the weather turning nice, bed bugs will start crawling back out of the woodwork. Not that they ever really left, as this past winter, bed bug activity was higher than usual. Still, as summer approaches and you plan your family vacations and exotic getaways, remember to proceed with caution and take preventative measures to reduce your risk of picking up these pests.

Imagine this: You’ve just landed in sunny South Beach, Miami, and you check into your hotel. You walk in, drop off your luggage, and begin your vacation. After a couple of hours of touring, dining, and taking in the local culture, you head back to your room to catch a few hours of sleep. Overnight, you feel itchy, but cannot decide whether it’s from the crummy hotel blanket or if you’re just experiencing discomfort from a strange bed. In the morning, you awake to spotty sheets and bites up and down your arms and legs. Bed bugs! Nothing ruins a family vacation like a case of these unexpected, unwelcome guests.

Do your research. Take precautions when checking into hotels and hostels. Before you book your stay, visit the Bed Bug Registry and make sure your hotel hasn’t gotten any negative feedback or reports of bed bugs before you reserve a room. A little research can go a long way in ensuring a bed bug-free stay. What if you check the registry and DON’T find your hotel on the list? Sadly even though they haven’t been reported, that doesn’t mean the hotel is clear. The only way to be certain is to check the room yourself.

Inspect your room. Instead of placing your luggage on the bed, place it in the bathroom or on a table far from draperies and beddings, and away from the walls if possible. Be weary of placing your garments in closets and dressers, as you might not be able to inspect these areas properly.

If you have a flashlight, check for the presence of blood spots, fecal matter, and bed bugs in the bed frame, bed and decorative pillows, sheets (slowly pull them away from the mattress as you check), mattress (do not take off any encasements otherwise, check the piping on both sides of the edges, box spring, bed skirts or dust ruffles, baseboards, nightstands, headboard, chairs/other upholstered furniture, and draperies. When you’re done checking all of these, you can relax, knowing that your room is bed bug-free.

Sometimes bed bugs can go undetected and unknowing tourists bring them home accidentally. A thorough room inspection will help quell the fear and help assure you’re not bringing back any unwanted souvenirs.

In the event you find proof of bed bugs, get documentation! Do not hesitate to take a few pictures of the bugs or their traces for proof. Grab your luggage, head to the front desk, and speak with a hotel manager and show off your pictures. When they transfer you to a new room, make sure it’s in a different vicinity from the previous room. If that ALSO turns out to be infested, demand a refund and head straight to the next hotel. Be sure to report the information you find to the hotel’s headquarters and leave word on Bed Bug Registry. Future bed bug-weary travelers will thank you for it.

For more information, tips, and tidbits on avoiding bed bugs, pick up a copy of The Bed Bug Survival Guide, written by Jeff Eisenberg, or visit www.pestawayinc.com.