Hotels, Motels are Havens for Bed Bugs
Hotel Patrons Often Spread Cimex Lectularis Infestations
Mar 6, 2009
Cities throughout Canada and The United States have had reported cases of bed bugs rise to epidemic proportions. Due to heavy foot traffic in hotels, motels, and hostels, these places have become havens for bed bugs, as travelers serve as vehicles for these pests to spread.
Cimex Lectularius, the common bed bug, is oval shaped, light brown to reddish in color, and 5-7 mm long. They are nocturnal, can see in infrared, and are attracted to the carbon dioxide people expel by breathing deeply when they sleep.
It is not your breath that they are after though, but your blood. Much like mosquitos, these bugs have anticoagulants and anesthetics in their saliva, so most people don’t feel that they are being bitten.
Bed bug bites can be horrific. Though some people are not adversely affected by the bites, most people claim that they are extremely itchy and annoying, especially if they have been bitten dozens of times throughout the night. The only good news about bed bug bites is that there are no harmful side affects or diseases known to be spread by them.
It would be bad enough to suffer through the bites that bed bugs leave when you wake up in the morning in your hotel room, but even worse if they spread to your home by hitching a ride on your clothing or in your luggage. A quick inspection of the bedding before you slip under the sheets can help insure that this does not happen.
First, look into the cracks and seams of the mattress, as this is a favorite spot for bed bugs to hide. They sleep during the day, so are easy to spot at this time.
If there are no bugs to be found, you should look for small rusty spots staining the mattress, as these stains could be the blood excrement of bed bugs. There may also be discarded exoskeleton shells near these stains, as bed bugs grow up to 5 times after a feeding, and shed often.
Blood excrement and exoskeleton shells are an indication of a bed bug brooding site, and if one brooding site exists, there are often more in the room.
Next, look behind the head board of the bed and any nightstands that are in the area. Bed bugs have an affinity for wood, and are often found hiding in these areas. It is important to check these areas because the mattresses may have been cleaned, but the room could still be infested. Any bed bugs still alive after the bedding and mattress is treated will most likely be in these areas. They can not jump or fly, but can easily walk the distance from a night stand to your bed when you are asleep.
If you do find any bed bugs or brooding sites in your room, alert the staff immediately. Take your luggage with you also, because you don't want any of them hitching a ride and infesting your home. Hotels, motels, and hostels usually take bed bug infestations quite seriously and should be happy to move you to another room.
Taking these precautions whenever you sleep outside of your home will help stop the spread of bed bug infestations, and help eradicate these pests once and for all. So, goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite. Literally.
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