“Hello, can you answer questions about bed bugs?”
“My boyfriend and I are staying at the XXX hotel in LasVegas. We checked the bed thoroughly and didn’t see anything in the bed before we went to sleep. We just woke up with fifty or so red itchy bite marks all over our upper torso, arms and cheeks. Do you think it could be bed bugs?” She went on to say: “We left everything, including our luggage behind, we bought new clothing from the boutique downstairs. Do you think they are in my hair, will we take them in our car?”
The perception of bed bugs can mess with people’s minds.
In most of the larger hotels, a couple of bites would indicate the possibility that the last guest and possibly housekeeping or a maintenance person may have brought in a couple of bed bugs. It may also indicate a strong probability that they are bites from bed bugs, but you must find the culprit in order to know for sure.
Maybe you went to an outside bar-b-q that night and were bitten by mosquitoes. On the other hand, you may have been bitten at the hotel you stayed in the night before and you are just starting to react from the bites. What if you have fleas at home and are not aware? The possibilities are endless.
The most important facts lie in what you do in order not to take bed bugs back to your home with you. There is no need to discard everything you own while you travel: they are all treatable. Bed bugs, unless there is a serious “infestation”, normally stay within the confines of the bed. That’s why you should never place your personal items on the bed or easy chair.
But why “wait” until after the fact to be prepared for an occasional bed bug issue? The fact is, bed bugs are becoming a part of life and unless you want to stay in your home and never leave ever again, you are going to have to understand what to do to be prepared not to bring them home with you. More importantly, not to allow them to build up into an “infestation” that may cost you thousands of dollars.
Hotel owners and managers don’t put bed bugs in their rooms, it is the guests that are bringing them in, yet it is their responsibility to make sure their rooms are clear of any bed bugs. So, we always tell people, if you can, find the bug evidence before you leave the room.
Because rashes, bites, and itching from bed bugs can be confused with something else, many infestations go unnoticed until it becomes uncontrollable. Smart managers, use scent detection dog teams to perform regular inspections that catch any early hitchhikers to insure infestations don’t build. We suggest asking before you book your room if they have regular inspections for bed bugs and if not, how can they assure the room you are staying in is clear of bed bugs?
So what can you do to guarantee you don’t bring home bed bugs from a trip?
Chances of picking up bed bug hitchhikers are great for anyone who travels or stays overnight in places other than your home. Bed bugs are a people problem that can be found on buses, trams, subways, airplanes, trains, taxis, limousines, rental cars or any people mover. They transfer easily and unsuspectingly. If during a trip you frequent theaters, restaurants or other social places where there are crowds of people, the chance of bed bugs is always there.
All over the Internet, you can read stories of the percentage of people that are not affected by the bite of a bed bug. Sometimes, a family member may not realize they have bed bugs. They may invite you to stay in their infected guest room, which is no different than staying in a hotel that may have bed bugs.
Don’t wait until the morning after because there is no morning after pill. The only way to avoid having bed bugs is to “change YOUR behavior”.
“Think like a Bed Bug” before you pack so that you are prepared to ward off and protect your property from the possibility of bed bugs.
MassBedBugBusters provides these services to hotels and other businesses to make sure bed bugs don’t build up into infestation levels while offering travel books to teach you how to pack to avoid bed bugs, early detection posters and other educational materials to help people understand the nature of the bed bug and can keep from bringing them home with you.
If you suspect you brought bed bugs home from a trip or from a visitor, you can always call on MassBedBugBusters to give you peace of mind. It’s easier than you think to avoid having bed bugs!
MassBedBugBusters specializes in bed bug detection and public awareness to keep you free from bed bugs. Call us at : 508-713-8267
