If you are like the countless people planning to travel this year, you are probably feeling excited and motivated to take your trip. You might get so caught up in the fun that you forget to protect yourself from common threats, such as bed bugs.
Going into a hotel that has bed bugs is a good way to invite the pests into your home when you return, and you won’t always notice the threat. Learning the top signs that a hotel has bed bugs will reduce your odds of facing an infestation, putting your worries to rest.
Red Marks on Other Guests
To avoid disturbing their host, bed bugs release a mild painkiller while they are feeding, and you won’t feel a thing when they bite. The painkiller, though, will cause red marks to appear on the skin after a few hours, so looking at other hotel guests can help you determine whether or not bed bugs are present. If you notice more than one person with welts on the legs or arms, you might want to grab your belongings and choose a different hotel.
Stains and Fecal Matter on the Mattress
You can spot bed bugs crawling on the mattress in hotels that are badly infested, but bed bugs are a little harder to spot in the early stages. The parasites avoid bright and loud places, and they usually remain in their hiding spot during the day. But after they feed, they often leave small drops of blood behind that stain the mattress. If your mattress or sheet has small red dots, bed bugs could be near. Also, be on the lookout for fecal matter if you don’t want these pests to get into your clothes and follow you home.
Discarded Shells
In addition to red stains, discarded shells are another warning sign of bed bugs that you can’t afford to ignore if you don’t want to be the next target. Bed bugs will shed several times as they grow into adults, and you can find their shells on the mattress and in other parts of your hotel room. When you want to get a clear picture of the possible threat, you can also look for shells on the floor and under your bed.
Presto Pest Control
Learning to detect the signs of a bed bug infestation before traveling is a great way to minimize your odds of facing an infestation when you get home. Sadly, you won’t always spot bed bugs before they invite themselves inside, and containing the problem in the first stages is vital. If you are in need of hotel pest control, the team at Presto Pest Control is ready to defeat your bed bugs and give you peace of mind. Give us a call today!