Are there Bed Bugs in Your Hotel Room?

Picture yourself staying in a hotel room during your vacation. You appreciate the view and feel relaxed since your anxieties appear to be far away. It's only a fleeting feeling, though - soon, you notice strange bites appearing on your skin that are red, itchy, and cause a burning sensation.

Bed bugs are an awful thing for travelers to experience. Unfortunately, they're fairly common and can be picked up from hotel rooms. These pesky critters leave red bumps and rashes on the skin that itch and burn.

Professional Pest Management stresses how important it is for homeowners to have professional bed bug control services. But when it comes to hotels, you don't have any control over this issue. Thankfully, there are still steps you can take in order to protect yourself against bed bugs.

Bed Bugs a Common Problem with Hotels

The 2015 Bugs Without Borders survey revealed that the amount of bed bug infestations had grown considerably over the past two decades. The survey found that almost all pest management professionals had treated homes and businesses for bed bugs, with 75 percent of exterminators having dealt with them in hotels and motels. The data also suggests that hotels were the third most common place for such infestations, regardless of how clean the room was. Experts explain that bed bugs tend to hide in tight spots, such as mattresses and crevices, which means even luxurious five-star hotel rooms can be affected by them.

Guests Seldom Recognize Bed Bugs

Another university research program revealed that of those surveyed, 50 percent of business owners and 54 percent of leisure travelers had experienced a bed bug infestation in a hotel during their lifetime.
Of those same respondents, over half (54 percent) stated that they had been put off from booking a hotel due to an online review mentioning the presence of bed bugs. Clearly, the presence of these pests is a major deterrent for many people when booking a hotel.
 
The findings of this research are a strong indication that hotel owners need to increase their efforts to ensure that their premises are free from bed bugs. This means that they must take the necessary steps to prevent an infestation, as well as act swiftly and professionally in the event that an infestation is detected.
 
This includes bringing in experienced pest control professionals to carry out a thorough inspection and treatment, as well as implementing simple measures to reduce the risk of an infestation, such as regular vacuuming and laundering of sheets and linens.
 
In addition, hotel owners should ensure that their staff are well-informed about bed bugs, how to identify them, and how to respond in the event that one is spotted.

What to do Upon Arriving and Leaving a Hotel

​If your vacation rental has bed bugs, there are a few steps you should take to protect yourself and your belongings.
 
Firstly, survey the area for signs of an infestation. Look out for small red or brown spots on bed sheets, which could be a result of blood, and black spots, which might indicate the presence of bed bug feces.
 
Secondly, elevate your belongings and store them away from the bed and the walls. This might mean placing them on a luggage rack, counter, in the bathroom, or even in the car.
 
Thirdly, examine your luggage before and after you leave to make sure there aren't any stowaway bugs.
Finally, after you get home, unpack all your clothes and wash and dry them on high heat. This will help to kill any remaining bugs.
 
It's important to take preventative steps if you think your vacation rental has bed bugs. Not only will this help keep the bugs from spreading, but it will also help to ensure that you don't take any creepy crawlies home with you.
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Professional Pest Management is a bed bug exterminator in Edmonton, with over two decades of experience in the industry. And have assisted both residential and commercial clients eliminate bed bugs quickly. 

Protect yourself and others from bed bug infestations by educating yourself about bed bugs.  Read on from these informative articles.