What do hotels do to prevent bed bugs

How to talk about bedbugs with a well-traveled house guest. Nation's bedbug capital is no longer Chicago, Orkin says. Skip to content. And worse, they could be coming home with you. Inspect your hotel room. Look closely at wooden headboards. Know what bedbugs look like.

Keep your suitcase off the floor. Unpack immediately. Keep calm and declutter. Latest Health. Most Read. Just as they thrive in small, roadside motels, bed bugs can also show up in five-star hotels and resorts, and even in the cleanest of rooms.

Here are some tips for checking out your hotel room for signs of these notorious pests. Hotels have a responsibility to provide safe, comfortable spaces, and protect their guests from specific dangers, like bed bug infestations. So, if guests report bed bugs, hotels should take swift action to take care of the problem by moving people to other rooms and calling in professional help. This figure includes extermination costs, replacement costs and lost business.

If any guests choose to sue the hotel for damages, the total costs can skyrocket even higher. Bring your lodging with you. Don't feel compelled to avoid hotels forever, though. Wherever you are, there's a chance you could pick up and bring home bedbugs while you're out and about, Henriksen adds.

But if you've planned a camping trip, your chances of encountering bedbugs will likely be lower. When you return home from vacation, wash all your clothing—even the items you didn't wear—in hot water. Bedbugs can't survive in temperatures above degrees Fahrenheit, says Henriksen, so this will assure they don't take up residence in your drawers and closets. Sending delicates to the dry cleaner will work, too. Inspect and vacuum out your suitcases before storing them away, as well—and if you've invested in a plastic luggage case, keep it sealed up until you need it next.

Bite marks are one sign that you may have brought bedbugs home with you, says Henriksen. If you experience these symptoms, you'll need a professional home evaluation before you can seek treatment. If you suspect that you've brought home bedbugs from a recent vacation, call a pest-management service to conduct an inspection. A professional will look around your bed for signs of the insects, and may use a bedbug-sniffing dog if he can't identify the source. Once an infestation is confirmed, he may use heat, freezing, vacuuming, or steaming methods to clear your home.

Bedbugs have been found in all 50 states, in many locations—rural, urban, and suburban. Save Pin More. Start Slideshow. Credit: Getty Images. Replay gallery. Pinterest Facebook. Up Next Cancel. By Amanda MacMillan.