The common opinion is that people are strong species and they exist to rule the world. We are smart, inventive and we always find a way to solve everything. The assumption that we are superior is understandable. But it's not entirely truth. People can are strong, but they are also weak at the same time. There are many creatures in this world, which can hurt us, and for some we are even their favourite food.
I'm talking about the bed bugs, of course. The bed bug is a very common household pest, which feeds entirely on human blood. This means that we are their favourite snack and there is nothing we can do to stop them, if they want to come after us. The only thing we can do is to try to protect us and our homes as much as possible.
But the biggest risk occurs when we decide to travel. It's hard to predict, if the hotel room we book will be bed bug free. These creatures are really small and they can hide very easily, so knowing for sure if they nest there is almost impossible. The only measure we can take to protect ourselves is to try to avoid the bed bugs when travelling. Here's how we can do that.
Check the bed
The first thing you should check when you arrive in the hotel room, is the bed. The bed bugs usually like to hide inside the mattress or in the sheets. This is why you should pull back the bedspread and the sheets, and check for small black dots. Usually when bed bugs infest a bed, you should be able to also see little blood stains, but I doubt you'll see that in the hotel room. You can also expose the mattress and see if they are not hiding in it. They usually like to nest around the edging and around handles and buttons.
Inspect the towels for bed bugs
Usually they wash the towels quite often in the hotels, but you can never be sure. If the room has stayed unoccupied for a long time, it's absolutely possible that bed bugs have decided to infest the towels, looking for something to eat. So, it would be best to check them thoroughly, because otherwise when you use them the bed bugs will crawl all over your body for no time. After that they will get on your clothes and dealing with them will be extremely difficult.
Check any chairs and upholstered furniture
Many people think that bed bugs live only in people's beds, so they can have an easy access to food. But these people are quite wrong. Bed bugs can live in various places, as long as they stay hidden from sight. They can practically occupy any small and dark corner of the property and attack people without them even knowing it. If you want to avoid bed bugs when travelling, be careful where you sit during your travel and your stay in a public accommodation.
Check any desks and wooden furniture as well
People don't usually sit on the desk or in it, but they still sometimes stay close to them, so it's possible for bed bugs to decide that it's a good place to hide. Just be careful when you sit near desks or tables, and if you feel anything small jumping on you, stay as far away as possible from the furniture there. Bed bugs often hide in the drawers, so you can't notice them right away, unless you open them. You should let the manager know and demand dealing with this problem right away. They are mandated to hire a pest control specialist to treat the affected areas and make sure the problem doesn’t re-appear.
Bed bugs can even hide in pictures
Yes, sometimes bed bugs can even hide behind pictures and other decorations near the walls. This is why you should check everything around the walls when you arrive in the hotel. This is the only way to avoid bed bugs successfully when travelling.