Bedbugs: An Unwanted Trip Souvenir

February 3, 2020

Hotels and other lodging can be bed bug hotspots. This is as true for 5-star accommodations as it is for a budget inn. When travellers don’t know what to look for, they can unknowingly bring these “unwanted souvenirs” home with them.

During Reading Week, we’d like to remind students to be on the lookout for bed bugs while they travel.

Be Bed Bug Aware

Don’t let bed bugs deter you from travelling! Once you know what to look for, these pests are easy to spot.

• Adult bed bugs are the size of an apple seed.

• Droppings look like black ink spots.

• Eggs look similar to a grain of white rice.

• You may also see flakes of shed skin.

Inspecting Your Hotel Room

You should inspect your room immediately after checking in:

1. Place your luggage somewhere other than the bed or a chair, like in the bathroom.

2. Pull back the sheets and blankets. Inspect the seams, corners, and crevices of the mattress and box spring.

3. Similarly inspect the headboard, nightstand, chairs, and any pictures hanging above the bed.

4. If you find evidence of bedbugs, let the front desk know right away. Ask for a room change.

Inspecting your hotel room will only take a few minutes. Do this right away, so that you can have peace of mind and enjoy the rest of your vacation.

Precautionary Steps to Take at Home

When you get back home, wash your clothing right away. Drying your clothes for at least 30 minutes ensures that any hitchhiking bed bugs are killed. Inspect your luggage before storing it, paying close attention to zippers, corners, and seams.

It’s a good idea to regularly inspect your own bed. If you travel a lot, you may want to invest in a bed bug mattress cover.

Bed Bug Exterminators in Toronto

If you do see a bed bug at your home, don’t panic! Contact us right away. We’re available 7 days a week. Advantage Pest Control’s trained specialists will assess the situation and come up with a treatment plan.

– Paolo Bossio