Bed Bugs Can Hide In Hotel Furniture
Matt Unrein • August 21, 2024
Bed Bugs Can Hide in Hotel Furniture
You may have read articles about how you should not unpack your suitcase while on vacation, and there is a reason for this practice. Bed bugs love hotels and motels since there are a lot of people traveling in and out of one location. Bed bugs can hide anywhere, and the cleanliness of the hotel is not a factor that bed bugs care about. Bed bugs only care about warm bodies and the blood inside them.
The reason you should avoid unpacking your suitcase is dressers and drawers. Most hotels and motels use furniture made from wood and these are great places for bed bugs to hide. Wooden furniture has a lot of dark places for bed bugs to hide during the day and then come out at night to eat.
According to Dr, Jason Singh at Travel Leisure.com "Alright, so how many of you completely unpack your clothes from your suitcase into a hotel dresser," Singh began in his Instagram clip. "I want to know because hotel dressers, especially those that are made of wood or have joints or crevices, are a risk for bed bug infestation. So, it's not just beds that have bed bugs; hotel dressers can have them, too, and they're not readily cleaned either."
When you arrive at a hotel/motel you might want to do some due diligence and inspect the furniture for bed bugs. Take a flashlight and check the following areas for bed bugs:
- Joints and cracks in desks
- Folds on the front and back of chairs
- Couches
- Pillows
- Cushions
- Behind picture frames
- Electrical outlets
- Behind baseboards
If you really need to get your clothes out of the suitcase, then it's recommended to hang your clothes in the closet. It is the better option than taking the risk with the drawers and dressers.
If you get the feeling that bed bugs may have hitchhiked their way into your house from your vacation then please give us a call at 816-237-5342. Please our FAQ page for what the signs are for bed bugs and what to do if you find any.
The original article link is here:
Even the cleanest hotels are vulnerable to bed bugs—especially during the summer rush of travelers crisscrossing the country. With suitcases coming and going, and guests checking in and out in rapid cycles, these pests are finding new homes in hotels both budget and luxury. According to a recent USA Today article titled “Any hotel can have bed bugs. How travelers can avoid bringing them home,” experts emphasize that bed bugs aren’t tied to cleanliness but to human activity. “Bed bugs aren’t a reflection of cleanliness—they’re a reality of travel,” the article states. Bed bugs travel by hitching rides on luggage, clothing, or personal items. Once inside a hotel room, they can hide in mattress seams, behind headboards, or in upholstered furniture—waiting for their next host. This makes high-traffic hotels especially susceptible. The surge in summer travel has brought renewed attention to the risk of infestations. With the influx of summer travelers in full swing, bed bugs are hitching rides on luggage, clothing, and personal items, moving from guest to guest and room to room. For hotel operators, this means proactive action is more important than ever. Hotels should implement early detection protocols, such as routine inspections and discreet monitoring tools. Rapid-response treatment options that don’t disrupt guests are critical. SOS Pest Control's approach includes same-day heat treatments that are non-toxic and discreet, conducted with unmarked vehicles to avoid alarming guests. Because your guests should leave with memories, not bed bugs. According to the USA Today report, travelers can protect themselves by: Placing suitcases on luggage racks instead of beds or carpets Inspecting the bed, headboard, and surrounding furniture for small reddish-brown bugs or black dots (droppings) Washing and drying clothes on high heat after travel Even if hotels take all the right steps, prevention is a shared responsibility between guests and management. “Wherever there are people, there’s potential for bed bugs,” said Dr. Brittany Campbell, entomologist with the National Pest Management Association, in the USA Today article. SOS Pest Control warns that bed bugs can follow guests home and remain hidden for long periods. We recommend travelers inspect luggage before reentering their homes and seek professional help at the first sign of an infestation. If you’re a hotel manager in the Kansas City area, you can contact SOS Pest Control at www.soskc.com or call 816-237-5342. Article link: USA TODAY
New lawsuits against two Las Vegas Hotels and Casino about guests getting bitten by bed bugs have been made known to the public.
