Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite: Follow These 5 Travel Tips for a Safe Trip

Q: How can I quickly check a hotel room for bedbugs?

Use the S.L.E.E.P. method: Survey the room for dark spots and stains, Lift the mattress and furniture seams, Elevate luggage off the floor, Examine luggage and clothing before leaving, and Place dryer-safe clothes on high heat when you return home.

Q: What signs indicate a bedbug infestation?

Look for small rusty or ink-colored stains on sheets and mattress seams, tiny pale shed skins, millimeter-size eggs, or live reddish-brown bugs. New itchy red welts on your skin after sleeping also suggest bites.

Q: Where do bedbugs hide in hotel rooms?

Bedbugs often hide in mattress seams, box springs, headboards, behind loose wallpaper, in cracks of furniture, and in crevices near the bed. They prefer tight, dark hiding spots close to sleeping areas.

Q: How should I handle my luggage to avoid bringing bedbugs home?

Keep luggage elevated on racks or counters away from walls and floors. When packing to leave, inspect bags and clothing for dark spots or bugs. Upon returning, wash and dry dryer-safe clothes on the hottest setting for at least 15 minutes.

Q: Can I rely on moving rooms if I find bedbugs?

Moving rooms may help, but bedbugs can spread through adjoining rooms and common areas. Report the issue to management and request a different room not adjacent to the infested one, then inspect the new room before settling in.

Published by

Clara

Dec 30

Bedbugs.

They don’t typically transmit disease, yet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classify these little nuisances as a public health pest. And according to the EPA overview, infestations are increasing.

That mirrors findings from Orkin’s yearly summary on bed bug treatments across the nation. The report, which placed Baltimore, Maryland, at No. 1, points out that bedbugs can’t be completely avoided and that females may deposit up to five eggs per day. Yuck!

“They keep turning up in our homes and businesses regularly because they aren’t seasonal and only require blood to survive,” said Orkin entomologist Tim Husen in the study.

Fortunately, while traveling, there are reliable ways to spot these roughly 5-millimeter critters — and they won’t cost you anything.

Use the S.L.E.E.P. Technique to Inspect Hotels for Bedbugs

Luggage is brought into hotel room. — (*kickimages/Getty Images*)

We can’t promise you’ll get moved to a better room, a refund or a trophy, but here’s a tactic Orkin suggests for detecting bedbugs while you travel. Just consider what you won’t be able to do if your room is infested: sleep.

Technically the mnemonic is S.L.E.E.P., and here’s how to use it on your next trip.

Survey

Take a good look around the room you’ll be staying in. You may notice dark ink-colored spots from droppings on mattress seams, behind headboards or on furniture if there’s an infestation. You might also spot crushed red stains, 1-millimeter eggs or tiny pale skins from molting.

And of course there’s the possibility of spotting the live bugs themselves. If you wake up with an itchy red welt, that’s a telling sign you were a nocturnal meal.

Lift

Lift the mattress, box spring and other furnishings to search for those inky markings. If wallpaper is loose, peel it back to check for hiding pests as well.

Elevate

Keep your luggage elevated! Keep bags off the floor and away from walls to reduce the chance of picking up unwanted hitchhikers. Countertops and bathrooms are usually safer spots to set your belongings.

Examine

When you’re packing to leave, inspect your bags thoroughly for any ink-like spots that could indicate an infestation.

Place

(OK, this one stretches the acronym a bit.) Put all dryer-safe garments into the dryer on the hottest setting for 15 minutes as soon as you get home. That will send the little pests straight to insect heaven.

If S.L.E.E.P. is too much to recall, the EPA offers a printable card you can take along on trips to refresh your memory.

Now, sleep well, rest easy and don’t let the bedbugs bite!

Alex Mercer is a data journalist at Savinly. In third grade, he declared himself a junior entomologist, which basically means he’s someone who actually likes bugs.