Travel Light And Dont Let The Bed Bugs Bite

Bed bugs have a nasty reputation as dirty little creature. Well, the fact of the matter is that you are not going to find them just in dirty disgusting hovels. You will also find them in some nice upscale hotels too. Bed bugs like fresh meat, meaning warm live bodies to nibble on. Blood is their favorite meal and they can get it quite easily by living in mattresses and feeding on humans at night. While these little critters do carry some pathogens, none are harmful unless we scratch the bed bug bites and they become infected.

So how do you avoid a bed bug problem when traveling? Luckily there are some tell tale signs of a bed bug problem. It is important to remember to do a few things before you go exploring around your hotel room looking for them. First of all, do not set your luggage or clothing on the hotel bed when you first arrive. If there is a luggage stand or dresser, set everything down on there.

Next, inspect the mattress inside your hotel room. Bed bugs look distinctive and leave some recognizable trails which can signal you to their presence. They are flat, brown and small. As adults they are the size of a small bb pellet. When adult bed bugs have had their fill of blood, they changes colors to a reddish rust color. As nymphs (new bed bugs), they retain a pale cream color until they eat and gain a reddish hue. These youngsters often blend in with the mattress colors.

Bed bugs like to live anywhere where they can get their bloody meal. It just so happens that they enjoy beds because they have a "captive" meal. They enjoy the cracks and crevices and seams of a mattress as much as living in carpets and furniture. Even if you cannot see the bugs during your inspection of the mattress, you should still be able to see the streaks they leave behind. These streaks are black or red in color (hmmm, the color of old blood?) and can be found on the sheets and even the mattress too. Some people claim that bed bugs also put off a particular smell. However, the place would have to be literally crawling with these bed bugs in order for that to happen.

The reason why even the most upscale hotel could have bed bugs is that they like to hitch rides on unsuspecting humans and their things. So if you spent the day outside exploring, these guys could have hitched a ride on your clothing, shoes or backpacks. Then, when you go check into your hotel for the night, these little critters hop off during the night and start making themselves at home. Before you know it, the bed bugs have set up housekeeping and they have a new dinner guest each night in unsuspecting people just looking for a spot to lay their weary head.

For the most part, bed bugs have never been much of a problem in hotel and motel establishments these days. However, it does still happen occasionally. The best thing for you to do is ask for another room or look for another place to stay if you happen to find them. Hopefully, the hotel will take you seriously and make sure that the room is properly treated to eradicate those nibbling critters.

If you suspect that some bed bugs hitched a ride home with you, you will have to totally wash everything in the hottest water you can and vacuum out your suitcase, backpack and other containers. Dry clean what you cannot wash. While not serious, these critters are a pain in the rear so do what you can to ensure that you avoid them.

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