Hotels Face Growing Bed Bug Risks Amid Peak Travel Season
Carley Norton • July 18, 2025
Are bed bugs hitching a ride home in your luggage?
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.
Bed bugs can hide in pets like bogs and cats to get access to your home. Bed bugs will find a tight and dark hiding spot and can then hitch a ride to a new location. Once they arrive they will find a place to hide and hoists they can feed on. They can hide in furniture, clothes, and even pets. SOS Pest Control can eradicate these pests.
