Question by Nisi:
How worried should I be about bed bugs in a hotel?
Next week we are going to be staying at extended stay hotel in Mpls because we will be on vacation for more than a week. My question is with all the things I have heard about bed bugs being a growing problem, how worried should I actually be? Never thought about it before I saw it on the news and I know how hard it was to get rid of fleas when I didn’t realize my cat that I had brought them home. How can you tell if a hotel has them?
Best answer:
Answer by lolit
Select a hotel with good reputations .
Add your own answer below.
More posts like this one in Bedbug Questions.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
The same kind of thing worries me. So far I have not run into any.
Reading hotel reviews at
http://www.tripadvisor.com may help. The absence of a reviewer writing about bedbugs does not prove a hotel is safe, but if a reviewer has reported bedbugs I would avoid that hotel. I usually examine the bed before accepting the room. It is advisable to look at the sheets and mattress pad for evidence of blood spots from previously bitten guests. Looking at seams along the mattress for actual bedbugs is recommended.
There are probably more thorough tests that I don’t know. I treat my travel clothing and bags with permethrin spray. This is originally intended to repel mosquitoes.
Sawyer offers it in pump bottles. Repel offers it in aerosol cans as Permanone. Wal-Mart used to carry Permanone, but I haven’t seen it there lately. Permethrin is toxic to cats and to fish. REI carries it. It can be ordered from Amazon. I don’t know how effective it is, as my absence of bed bugs could just be the luck of not getting exposed. It is possible that because permethrin is used a lot bedbugs may be evolving resistance.
I usually bring a magnifier with me to examine any suspicious specks.