Summer is so close we can taste it! We don’t doubt that you and your family have planned plenty of summer fun, including outdoor activities, barbecues, weekend trips and maybe even a weeklong getaway. No matter what you’ve got planned for this summer, we’re sure that at least one adventure will involve one or two nights sleeping in a hotel room.
But beware… A 2015 Bugs Without Borders survey conducted by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) revealed that 75 percent of pest professionals reported treating bedbug infestations in hotels and motels, the third most popular place reported behind apartments and condos at 95 percent, and single-family homes at 93 percent.
But don’t panic! We want you to have a happy, healthy, bug-free vacation, which is why we’ve compiled a list of the top tips to avoid being bitten by bedbugs, or worse, taking them home.
Make a Beeline for the Bathroom: Upon arrival, stash your belongings in the bathroom so you’re able to perform a hands-free bedbug inspection of the room. Vice President of the NPMA, Missy Henriksen, stated that “bedbugs are least likely to be found in the bathroom.” She explained that the tile floors are not the ideal choice for bedbugs, and the bathroom often lacks hiding places for them to crawl into.
Perform a Thorough Inspection: Once you’ve dropped your luggage safely in the bathroom, proceed with a thorough bedbug inspection, beginning with the bed. You should pull back all of the linens and inspect every edge of the mattress. Adult bedbugs resemble an apple seed in size and shape, so be sure to keep an eye out for them, as well as any blood stains or small black dots. Once you’ve cleared the bed, move onto the rest of the room. Dr. Christine Johnson, a behavioral ecologist in the American Museum of Natural History’s Division of Invertebrate Zoology in New York City, suggests looking behind picture frames, moving alarm clocks and checking inside books and couch cushions, as bedbugs are typically found within 15 feet of a bed.
Keep Luggage Elevated: Bedbugs can move from room to room, so although your room may have passed its initial inspection, you still have the potential to bring home nasty stowaways. Keeping your luggage on top of a dresser or luggage rack, as opposed to on the floor or a spare bed, will give you the best protection against hitch-hiking pests.
Speak up and Get Out: If you do find bedbugs or suspect that there may be an infestation, notify the hotel concierge immediately and request to move at least two floors away. This will hopefully reduce the risk of encountering another infested room.
For more helpful hotel bedbug prevention tips click here.
Despite your best efforts, sometimes bedbugs will still make it back to your home. If you live in Massachusetts or New Hampshire and feel that you may be at risk of a bedbug infestation, or have seen evidence that you’ve already got a pest problem, give Pest Control Unlimited a call at 888-649-9919. We take pest emergencies very seriously, providing same day service when treatment simply cannot wait.
