Bet you thought we were done with bed bugs huh? No way! With so many people heading off on vacations, it’s amazingly easy for these resilient pests to hitch a ride on an unassuming traveler and become everyone’s problem. Read on to make sure your vacation is bed bug free!
WHERE DO I LOOK FOR BED BUGS?
Rose Pest Solutions and the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) have a super easy to understand infographic depicting exactly where those little pests are waiting to take a bite out of you or hitch a ride home!
Like it states above, bed bugs aren’t picky. You’ll find them anywhere from cozy lived-in hostels to ritzy all-inclusive resorts. All it takes is a few unnoticed stowaways and the space can be infested in no time. Bed bugs can, and do, happen to anyone!
HOW CAN I CHECK IF MY BOOKING HAS EVER HAD BED BUGS?
Thankfully, we have technology and good old word of mouth working for us when it comes to learning about bed bug infestations and enjoying pest free travel. Having bed bugs once doesn’t mean it will happen again, but it’s still good to know if it was ever an issue. If a booking has had multiple issues with bed bugs, let’s just say they’re not very close with their local pest experts! Here are some resources and tips to help you check the safety where you’re staying:
One of the most useful sites for bed bug infestation alerts for hotels, vacation rentals, residences and apartment buildings is The Bed Bug Registry. The Bed Bug Registry covers major cities in the US and Canada with reported sightings and comments from visitors and local residents. You can even look up larger city locations or neighborhoods to get a bigger picture of the place you’re visiting. They even have iPhone and Android apps for research on the go.
Another worthwhile website to check if you’re staying in a hotel is Trip Advisor. With an in-depth review system, any spots with more than a few bed bug problems will easily show up in a search. Be sure to read user reviews, and take note of any problems. Most importantly, if there were any problems, make sure that they were properly taken care of! Nothing is more frustrating for a traveler than finding out the hotel you planned to stay at didn’t get a proper bed bug inspection or extermination after a bed bug sighting. No one wants to have to change hotels at the last minute, so do your homework before you even take off!
Last but certainly not least, there’s good old fashioned human contact. If you can’t find anything online, there’s no harm whatsoever in calling the hotel, AirBnB, resort, rental property or VRBO ahead of time and asking them point blank if they’ve had any issues. Any business or host worth your time and money is going to provide an honest (and hopefully positive) answer that will allay your bed bug worries long before you arrive.
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BED BUGS?
We’ve written extensively about bed bugs over the years, so check out all the bed bug topics on the Rose Chicago Pest Control Blog. We’d suggest starting with Bed Bug Introduction and Awareness, Bed Bug Information and Inspection, and Bed Bug Control and Prevention.
