Bed bugs don’t have wings like others insect, they fully depend on mankind for their dispersal from one place to another.
They hitchhike longer distance as an uninvited guest in laundry bags, as some travelers don’t pay much attention to their luggage hygiene. For example, if a person has an infestation at home or place where he/she is currently staying than there is a greater chance for bed bugs dispersal to places where infestation doesn’t exist.
Traveling and exploring new places definitely fun and create long-lasting memories to your life, during these endeavors you have to stay some places to add more colors to your events.
Nobody wants to ruin these precious moments of their lives just due to this little creature.
As hotels are highly infested with bed bugs, the major concern should be in every traveler’s mind is not to invite these little demons accidentally in your home with or without your consent.
These insects long been associated with mankind, not due to their adorable attraction but due to fact that they suck human blood just like mosquitoes, hence causing skin allergy, rashes, itching, psychological stress and considered to be the vector of infectious diseases. They are cosmopolitan in nature even present in places where our imagination gives up.
They transmit distantly by personal belonging from one place to another, from this perspective it is quite clear that they are currently present everywhere in the world, especially hotels because these places provide an ideal ground for their breeding. Hotels nurture these bugs by providing them favorable places which have suitable temperature 25-32°C and humidity 40-75% and provide meals in the form of human blood. One big meal is enough for an adult bed bug to start a new generation. Bed bugs mostly can be found under bed sheets or inside pillow or mattress and can survive a year without food, because they can suck blood six-time their body weight.
According to Orkin 33% of people having bitter experience with bed bugs discourage other people entering in their homes, 97% pest professional has been contacted for bed bug solution in 2018”. According to Fox news’s article published on 6 July 2018 state that “82% of hotels in the US have treated for bed bugs in last year and 98% hotels have at least one ongoing bed bug prevention program”.
How to spot bed bug infestation in a hotel room?
A more appropriate way to find bed bug is a visual inspection of a place where you are staying. Their presence can easily be detected by following a simple method to check infestation signs which includes:
- A blackish-brown dark spot about the size of the dot on the surface of sheets, pillow or mattress which is actually their excrement.
- Creamy white small eggs or eggshells or skin which larvae cast during development.
- Red spot on bed sheets due to the crushing of adult bug.
- Presence of oval red adult itself.
- Itchy red bites on hands, around neck, face or legs
- Presence of feces, discarded skin and pheromones emit unpleasant smell which should be considered infestation sign.
After getting visual confirmation of infestation signs one must get curious to see their place of hiding. Having this basic inspection checklist in mind your mind, you are not going escape psychological stress as well as your precious time and money which is worth mentioning here. If you want to find out bugs place keep a look at these places:
- Around the bed.
- Near the piping, ceiling,
- In the creases of couches, chairs cushions, curtains, pillow, mattress and bed sheets.
If you want an in-depth inspection you should also look out these areas:
- In joints of drawers and closets.
- Under carpets and rugs.
- Behind wall hangings.
- Headboard, frames of beds and couches.
- Inside electrical appliances.
Traveler must check all above-mentioned place, if not then must go through some of them to avoid any mishaps or carrying away of these little monsters.
If you have bed bugs in your hotel room you can’t do too much about it except complaining to hotel management. But if you have an infestation in your room, you should educate yourself about bed bug biology and select different products you should apply. These little monsters are a tough pest to control therefore, if you find it in your hotel room then you must be taking immediate precautions to not carry them with you.
How bed bugs are transferred to hotels?
Adult bed bugs are easily detectable by their presence but a problem arises when their minute milky white eggs get entry into traveler`s personal belonging. “According to the National Pest Management Association’s finding in 2018 summer was the busiest season for pest professional combating bed bugs”. Fox News states that bed bugs infestation can be in any hotel whether cheaper one or multimillion dollar estate.
A question may arise that why hotels are being more infested than any other place on earth, the answer is as simple a the question. Hotels offer professional hospitality, they can’t quarantine all of their guest’s personal belonging as this may disgrace some people nor they can directly dictate someone about the hygienic condition. Taking advantage of these factors bed bugs make room for themselves and are on a continuous journey to explore every new place alongside traveler.
Many people think bed bugs are invited by filth and dirt, but the reality is totally different, as every living creature need food and shelter for survival so does bed bugs. Hotels having a boom in their population than any other place is due to affluent resources availability to bed bugs in the shape of food and shelter. Specifically, hotels provide them moist damp places with no or less light couple with nutritious food in the shape of human blood and plenty of space for their breeding, which is ideal for their development. In other words, hotels are the paradise for bed bugs without any second thought. This is evident from the population of bed bugs which is higher in hotels than any other place followed by hospital and homes.