Here’s how to check your hotel room for bedbugs – and what to do if you spot one
Bedbugs are wingless, small, dark yellow, red or brown insects with oval, flat bodies that feed on animal and human blood. They typically bite the head, arms and legs – areas on show while you are sleeping – in a zig-zag pattern of raised red bites that are known to be itchy but are unlikely to cause other health problems.
For those travelling this autumn, there’s a chance hitchhiking bedbugs may have made themselves at home on clothing and luggage ready for a rent-free life in mattresses and skirting boards. This is a concern for travellers, particularly those visiting major European cities where bedbug infestations are on the rise.
A bedbug monitoring company has reported a 20 per cent annual increase in cases of bedbugs in London and other major European cities. Valpas, which produces bedbug traps and monitors, found that the blood-sucking pests were present in one in every 42 hotel rooms observed.
While there has been a huge rise in global bedbug numbers in the last decade, frequent travel and insecticide resistance are predicted to be escalating the problem now. Dr Cassie Krejci, vice president of transformation at pest management company Forshaw, warned that visitors should worry about bringing bed bugs home from any trip, particularly those in cities where infestations are reported.
To detect bedbugs, Krejci recommends checking your hotel room by rolling your suitcase into the bathroom or another tiled area prior to starting an inspection. You should also flip and inspect cushions and throw pillows upon arrival. Most hotels will have protocols in place to mitigate the spread of bedbugs, including relocating you and guests in adjoining rooms and contacting a professional pest control company for inspection and treatment of the infested areas.