Relaxing at a hotel, either while on business or vacation can be one of the great pleasures in life. That relaxation can be broken upon waking up one morning to find itchy bite marks on the body. While bed bugs are normally associated with cluttered or dirty living areas, they are not discriminatory and can be found just about anywhere. As traveling long distances has become easier, the spread of the pests has become more of a problem. With a few simple counter measures, that peace of mind can still be had upon arrival and throughout the entire trip.
When staying at a hotel, perform these simple steps:
*Before picking a place to stay, look for online reviews that might indicate any previous problems. If customers have experienced an infestation in the past, they likely will not be shy about letting it be known.
*Take a survey of the room and look for signs of an infestation. This includes small, rust-colored spots on bedding, on mattresses and around the bed. A sweet, moldy odor can also signal a problem with bed bugs.
*Lift the bed and look for potential hiding spots for the pests. Be sure to look under the mattress, bed frame, headboard and furniture, especially those that are upholstered. While the bugs normally come out at night to feed, they can be found within a five feet radius of the bed during the day.
*Keep luggage off the floor while performing the search. If there is a problem, the bugs could get into the baggage before being noticed and then be taken to the next location. Find a luggage rack or table away from the walls and place the bags there. It’s important to keep belongings away from the walls because the bugs could be hiding behind framed artwork or pictures.
*If any evidence of bed bugs is found, immediately leave the room with bags in tow and inform the front desk. Ask for another room, or a refund, and then find another place to stay.
*When preparing to leave, carefully inspect the clothing as it is repacked. Once back home, never put the luggage on the bed and store it as far away from the bedroom as possible.
*Throw clothes in the dryer and turn it on the highest setting possible for at least 15 minutes in order to kill any bugs that may have somehow found their way back.
*If traveling by plane or bus to the hotel, luggage in a common compartment could be susceptible to an infestation from someone else’s bags. Bed bugs will migrate from one bag to another. To prevent this, use large plastic bags to wrap around baggage.
Staying in a hotel is meant to be a relaxing experience. It will be, as long as the proper precautions are taken to make sure that peace of mind is not interrupted.
Author Karen Barnes writes for Bed Bugs.org, a website that has loads of information about controlling bed bugs and the precautions you can take to avoid being bitten.
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Sat, Jan 21, 2012
Destinations, Travel Bloggers