One Surefire Way to Spot Bedbugs in Your Hotel Room

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It doesn’t matter if you’re staying in a low-budget hostel or the fanciest hotel in the world. Bedbugs are everywhere. If you want to avoid getting bitten, here’s what you need to do.

When you arrive in your room, immediately drop your belongings in a safe place like the bathroom. You want to stash your luggage somewhere it’s hard for bedbugs to hide, and the bathroom is a good choice, because bedbugs don’t tend to hang out on tile surfaces (and would be easy to spot if they were). Avoid using the luggage rack, where the bugs can stay after coming in on another traveler’s bag.

Next, inspect the bed. Start by removing all the bedding at the top of the bed until you get to the bare mattress. (You don’t need to unmake the whole bed, just the top.) Use the flashlight app on your smartphone to get a better view as you check the surface, sides, and seams of the mattress at the top of the bed, where you’re most likely to find bedbugs. Be sure to check the box spring and headboard as well.

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Now, here’s the surefire way to spot them: You’re not only looking for the bugs themselves but for signs that they’ve been there. Small, dark blood from their excrement is a dead giveaway and will look like black spots. Check all the furniture in the room and behind any framed art on the walls (because bugs can lurk there, too).

If you find evidence of bedbugs, gather your belongings from the bathroom and ask the hotel staff for a new room. Make sure to request one that does not share a wall with the infested room. (Bedbugs can travel between rooms fairly easily.) Ideally, you’d be able to move a few floors away from the original room.

Ensure you do not bring the bedbugs home with you by immediately washing all your clothing in hot water and then running them through the dryer on a hot cycle. Thoroughly vacuum out your suitcase and visually inspect it for signs of infestation.

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