Beware the hotel bed: Essential tips to avoid bedbug bites
Upon entering a hotel room, guests often instinctively place their luggage on the bed, not realising that this is a very bad idea. Specialists warn that before doing this, it should be checked to avoid potential problems.
Interest in hotel beds has increased, particularly concerning the bedbug problem in Europe. Experts provide tips on ensuring safety during travel.
Before placing your belongings on the bed, check for bedbugs
Placing a suitcase or bag on the bed before checking for bedbugs can allow them to easily get into your belongings.
- You’re putting your luggage and clothes right onto the place bedbugs are commonly found and giving them a free ticket home - says head of the company MattressNextDay, which specializes in mattresses. - [Keep] your suitcase as close to the room door as possible.
So, how do you check if there are bedbugs in the bed? You should remove the bedding to reveal the mattress. Adult bedbugs have flat bodies and a dark colour. They are about the size of apple seeds.
The best time to look for bedbugs is with the lights off
During the mattress inspection, look for red, rusty, or dark brown spots, eggs, and shells about 1 millimetre in diameter. Although they are hard to spot, they often appear in groups, making them easier to detect. Seeley advises checking underneath the mattress, drawers, and spaces between the headboard and the wall.
It is also worth checking areas near curtains, preferably with the lights off using a torch on your phone. Bedbugs are active at night, so they leave their hiding places searching for hosts.
