Can you get bed bugs from sleeping in a hotel?

Some people think that bed bugs are no more common in hotel rooms or vacation rentals than anywhere else. According to recent NPMA data, however, 80% of pest control companies surveyed reported that they had treated hotels and/or motels for bed bugs infestations within the past year.



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Bedbugs are found in hotels but the vast majority of them are in apartments Some travelers take precautions to avoid bed bugs, but hotel-goers aren't the most at risk.

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Just because you think (or are even positive) the hotel had bed bugs does not necessarily mean that you brought them home with you. Granted, bed bugs are notoriously difficult to eradicate on your own, so it's a good idea to act as if you may have picked up a hitchhiking bed bug or two.

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“It may surprise you that bed bugs are a common problem in hotels,” says Jordan Foster, Pest Management Expert at Fantastic Pest Control. “Infestations of bed bugs have nothing to do with sanitation or cleanliness. Bed bugs are not uncommon in hotels or motels of any star rating, from one-star to five-star.”

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Hotels regularly inspect for bed bugs, looking for signs such as live bugs, spots on sheets, and eggs or eggshells. Hotels also bug proof their beds using mattress or box spring encasements and bed bug interceptors (a kind of trap that wraps around the bed frame's legs). Hotels must isolate any affected rooms.

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Not everyone who stays in a bed bug infested room will take bed bugs home. Nevertheless, it's a good idea to act as if you may have picked up a stray bed bug or two. The most likely place to pick up bed bugs in luggage is on, or next to, the bed.

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Bed bugs are not uncommon in hotels or motels of any star rating, from one-star to five-star.” And it doesn't matter where you travel, either. In our article, Where The Bedbugs Bite: Mapping Reports of Bedbugs In The U.S., you can see that reports of bed bugs span the entire United States.

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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.

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In most cases, guests carry bed bugs into hotels unknowingly, in infested luggage, clothing, blankets, and pillows. Hotels with high occupancy turnover are especially vulnerable to infestation. There is little that can be done to prevent guests from bringing in bed bugs. No hotel is immune to a bed bug infestation.

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Bed bugs can move as fast as 5 feet per minute but can move from room to room within an hour or two. Within an hour bed bugs can move as much as 100 feet! Bed bugs can spread even quicker if they hitch a ride onto clothes or luggage.

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