The top three places where pest professionals report finding bed bugs are single-family homes (91 percent), apartments/condominiums (89 percent), and hotels/motels (68 percent).
Hotels are particularly susceptible, due to the transient nature of their guests. One of the most recent studies, released in 2017 and conducted by Atlanta-based pest-management company Orkin, found that eight of ten U.S. hotels had dealt with bedbugs during the previous year.
Once inside a hotel or home, bed bugs spread rapidly from room to room - through pipes, in vacuum cleaners, on clothing and luggage. In a hotel, bed bugs can even spread to neighboring rooms, since guests may end up moving to another room and because they can crawl through the walls between rooms.
Bedbugs are a relatively common pest across Australia. Bedbugs can be difficult to remove because their eggs are difficult to see, have a significant incubation period and can quickly infest new sites. A combination of multiple non-chemical and chemical treatments is typically needed to control a bedbug infestation.
Wash Everything.
When you get home, put all of your luggage and other belongs outside immediately. Place anything washable in a garbage bag and transport directly to the washing machine. Wash everything on a high temperature or sanitary cycle for at least 30 minutes.
Bedbugs can be found worldwide, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and are not a reflection on the cleanliness of any accommodation (so, yes, even a five-star hotel can have bedbugs). They don't spread disease nor are they seen as dangerous, but allergic reactions to bites could require a doctor visit.
Not everyone who stays in a bed bug infested room will take bed bugs home. Nevertheless, it's a good idea to act as if you may have picked up a stray bed bug or two. The most likely place to pick up bed bugs in luggage is on, or next to, the bed.
Bed bugs live throughout the year, but there is a particular time during each year when bed bug infestations become more common. In normal years, bed bug “season” peaks in the months of August and September when most families have returned from their travels, and bugs have a chance to gain a foothold.
Bed bugs are not a sign of a dirty home or poor personal hygiene. Bed bugs are not known to spread disease, but can be an annoyance because their presence may cause itching and loss of sleep. If you think you may have bed bugs, it's very important to do a thorough inspection, and to begin treatment as soon as possible.
Inspect the Bed
Be sure to pay special attention to the corners and seams of the bedding as bed bugs prefer to hide in these spots. Keep an eye out for blood stains and small, black dots that look like mold or black pepper. If you spot anything that looks suspicious, be sure to alert the hotel staff immediately.
Unfortunately, the risk is not completely gone. For one thing, you (and the hotel staff) may have missed a subtle sign of infestation; and for another, bed bugs can travel through the walls from room to room. So, maintain a few protective measures throughout your stay.
Hiding in cracks and crevices, the bugs are good hitchhikers and could latch onto luggage and other belongings. “They're not discriminating travelers,” said Jim Fredericks, chief entomologist for the National Pest Management Association. “They don't discriminate between a first-class resort or a low-rate motel.
You may have them for a while, but may not notice them until weeks, or even months later. Bed bug eggs take anywhere from six to 12 days to hatch, and the adult life span can be anywhere from six months to a year. That's why it's important to know these early signs of an infestation.
Check for bed bugs (or their eggs, skin, or feces) under mattresses, in the seams of pillowcases, and on other upholstered surfaces. You may also notice blood stains on the bed, or a foul odor in the room.
What do these celebrities have in common aside from money, fame and paparazzi camped outside their homes and places of business? That would be bedbugs. The blood sucking nuisances have attacked them in hotels, houses, apartments -- even their limousines!
Bed bugs are nocturnal, which means they are active mainly at night. They normally bite people who are sleeping or sitting still for long periods of time. However, bed bugs will not bite every night. They only come out when they need to eat, and it could be several nights or several weeks before they need another meal.
They are visible to the naked eye. Adult bed bugs are usually brown in colour. When filled with blood, their colour ranges from red to dark brown. They are oval in shape and about the size of a flattened apple seed, 4 to 7 mm in length.
You may not notice bites right away, as it can take up to 2 weeks for marks to develop. Unlike flea bites, which are mainly around your ankles, you'll find bedbug bites on areas of skin that are exposed while you're sleeping, often your face, neck, or hands.
Steam or heat: Using a penetrating form of heat can be one of the most effective ways to kill bed bugs in a hotel room. Heaters reach up to temperatures of 121 degrees and above.
Use small plastic bags to pack clothing, shoes and other personal items. This will help prevent any bed bugs that climb into your suitcase from getting into your house with your clothing. Bed bugs can also hide in books, cloth toiletry kits and other non-metal personal items.
Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs tend to not live in hair. They prefer to live in dark, secluded spaces. This may be behind your bed, between furniture, walls, or within cracks on your floorboard. Bed bugs generally emerge from their hiding spots to feed throughout the night when hosts are dormant.