Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
In general bed bugs are not dangerous, but they are annoying. Of course, if you have an allergic reaction to a bite then having several bites could warrant medical attention.
But, even if you’re not allergic to them, you’ll find that the bite is itchy and annoying. Unfortunately, you may not know there is an issue until you wake up in the morning covered in small red marks.
Of course, the best idea is to avoid bed bugs altogether. This is relatively simple at home providing they don’t arrive in your home. If they do then it’s advisable to get assistance from a professional pest control service.
But, if you’re going to a hotel where lots of people pass through, there is a good chance bedbugs could be present.
It only takes one to sneak into your suitcase and give you problems at home. That’s why you need to know how to check your room for bedbugs and insist on changing rooms if you find any.
Don’t Unpack
As soon as you enter your hotel room place your bags in a clean bathtub or on a rack that keeps them off the floor. This will ensure any bedbugs in the room can’t get into your suitcase, otherwise you will need to learn how to get bed bugs out of your clothes.
Get Your Tools
It’s a good idea to be prepared and have your bedbug hunting tools on hand, ideally in a pocket. The fewer times you open any bag the better.
You’ll need a flashlight, credit card, and perhaps a magnifying glass if your eyes aren’t as good as they once were.
Start With The bed
Bedbugs can actually live in any crevice in the room, that includes the curtains, sides of a chair, and, of course, the bed.
The bed is the key place to start, pull the top sheets down, but not onto the floor. Then turn your flashlight on and shine it on the corners of your bed. You may see the small bugs or dark spots that indicate they are present.
Bedbugs are only about 4mm long so not the easiest to see!
Access The Mattress
If you haven’t seen any then peel all the sheets back and look at the mattress. You’ll want to examine the seams and folds, again looking for any sign of bugs.
Dark spots can indicate blood where they’ve been squashed by someone moving overnight. You may also see their exoskeletons where they’ve discarded them.
Make sure you check all four corners of the mattress.
Other Furniture
Assuming you haven’t seen any sign of bedbugs you should continue with the flashlight to check any other soft furnishings in the room.
The edge of the credit card is the perfect way to scrape the crevices and creases, dislodging anything hiding there.
If you find any, contact reception and request a room change, but you’ll have to look for bed bugs again. If you find any more you’ll probably want to use a different hotel and advise the manager to get a good pest control firm in.
