It can be pretty easy to acquire a pest problem in your home. Leaving food out on the counter can draw in ants or fruit flies. Having a wood pile near your home can attract roaches and spiders. Even leaving dark corners unchecked can bring in pests. You might think this problem would be less prevalent in a hotel, where they employ people to keep the rooms clean on a daily basis.

Not so much.

Unfortunately, pest problems are very common in hotels. While some pests such as mice, roaches and ants might be more rare in this environment, it’s common for hotels to deal with a more harmful pest: bed bugs.

Cleanliness Has Nothing to Do With It

The problem with bed bugs is the fact they’re so different from their pest counterparts. The reason bed bugs are such a bothersome issue is because they don’t have the same motivation. All pests are looking for food and shelter, but bed bugs don’t feed on the same foods we do, they actually feed on us. Therefore, removing food particles won’t do anything to stop them.

Bed bugs are attracted to highly populated areas such as hotels and dorms because of the amount of people coming in and out all the time. If they’re feeding on one person, and that person leaves, it’s quite easy for then to find another food source. In fact their next “food source” is likely to check into the same room within 24 hours, so they don’t even have to go hunting for it!

Very Talented Hiders

Another quality that makes bed bugs hard to deal with is their ability to hide. Bed bugs do prefer to hide in sheets and blankets, but they can also be found on virtually any soft material. Bed bugs have been known to hide not only in mattresses, but also under box springs and even behind headboards. Even though their name implies that they are found mostly around your bed, they can also be found in furniture like couches, chairs or ottomans.

In addition, if a hotel is carpeted throughout (as most are), then bed bugs also have the perfect method of travel. They use the carpet to travel throughout the entire hotel and make it even more difficult for the owners to pin the problem down.

Protecting Yourself

Unfortunately, paying more for your room won’t always help in avoiding bed bugs. They can and have been found in some of the most expensive hotels in the country.

Your best bet is to inspect your room right when you arrive. Leave your luggage in the bathroom (where there is hard tile) or on a luggage rack, then inspect the bedding, mattress, box spring and headboard for signs of bedbugs. Another good idea is to check the Bed Bug Registry before booking your stay. Read reviews online, since a lot of people will warn others the second they see any signs of bed bugs in hotels. You can even ask the hotel employee what measures they go through to prevent bed bugs.  You can never be too careful when it comes to dealing with these pests, so be cautious and do your research!