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Spots on the mattress like these stains are a telltale sign of bed bugs

The date for your dream vacation is finally here. You’ve researched, you’ve planned, you’ve scrimped and saved up for this fantasy holiday. Congratulations! But you need to be aware of the serious issue of bed bugs in hotels. Because the truth is you could get way more than you bargained for as bed bugs are often found in hotels where they easily travel from one room to another, creep into suitcases and can hitch a ride back to your home where they will quickly invade. Bed bugs feed off of human blood, breed fast, are hard to kill and infestations in your home can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Scared yet? Don’t worry – just know what to look out for.

The good news is that there are steps you can take to limit your chance of bringing an infestation home. This starts before your the voyage begins. The first line of defence involves your internet connection. You want to stay at highly regarded hotels (though even these can have problems) so be certain to look into online testimonials on 3rd party websites to see if other customers have identified bed bugs as an issue at this establishment. Clients will often write about their stays and publish picture evidence of bed bugs if discovered. Once you’re comfortable with the accommodations you’ve booked be sure to give the room a thorough once over when you first arrive. Do not unpack your suitcases before this. Bed bugs are mostly nocturnal (they’ve actually just adapted themselves to humans’ sleeping patterns rather than being designed as nocturnal), so if you’re checking in during the day don’t limit your search to the bed alone. You want to look through the bed, it’s sheets, tags, seams and search all furniture, light fixtures, etc within a five foot radius of the bed.

Here are a few notes of what to do and keep watch for:
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Bed bugs had been largely exterminated in the first world since the 50s, as a result of usage of bug killers like DDT, but recently made a massive return. Quick access to global travel and bigger density living in urban centres have helped this bed bug resurrection. Most recently, it’s towns and cities which have seen a growth of the parasitic creatures which have a definite inclination for the blood of humans. That which was once confined to “undesirable” communities is now ripping through your municipality’s richest areas. Bed bugs usually are difficult to eradicate after they’ve spread and the insects travel and multiply with worrying ease.

Grown-up bed bugs, are light brown to reddish brown and have the measurements of an apple seed. Babies, known as nymphs are lighter pigmented and see-through; they end up darker once they grow and go through the molting process. The term bed bugs pertains to any pest within the Cimex species. The blood of humans will be the food of choice for these types of pesky insects that generally take up residence in your beds, bedding, pillows and clothing (but can certainly also live throughout your furniture, be carried in newspapers and books, luggage, and hitch rides in cars or trucks). Bed bugs are mainly active during the night time and thus are hard to find during the day. Bed bugs are quite strong insects capable of living in a wide range of temperatures from 14-90 degrees F (though they do not thrive or live for prolonged periods at either end of this range).

Diagnosing an attack is tricky. Given that bed bugs are tiny and active largely at night they might be very difficult to notice. Bite scars on your person is the greatest signal, but also watch out for molted bug casings, small blood smeared sections on your sheets and their waste materials that appear as small dark brown dots on your bed linen and mattress. Even if you see one on its own, very likely you’ll find them in groups, once their nest is uncovered. As soon as a colony has been established, bed bugs reproduce really fast, with females laying 500 eggs over her short lifetime. Bed bug discovery dogs are good at smelling out infestations, with over 97% success rate. These dogs smell the bed bugs’ recognizable scent that is similar to the smell of ripe raspberries. Exterminators are also experienced detectors, knowing where and how to find bed bug infestations within a home, office, or large building.