Insidious bed bugs: an important thing to do as soon as you enter your hotel room
When you first enter a hotel room after a long day of traveling, it's tempting to throw your suitcase down and hit the bed. But experts say that this is one of the most common mistakes travelers make, which can lead to difficulties and unpleasant feelings.
Travelers staying at any hotel - whether it's a budget or luxury - should avoid getting into or on the bed before doing a quick bed bug check. To do this, you need to crawl under the mattress and comb everything around for thirty seconds," writes the Mirror website.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), bed bugs crave "heat, blood, and carbon dioxide," and enjoy feasting on the blood of sleeping people. The National Health Service (NHS) says that bed bug bites can cause itching, but they usually don't cause any other health problems.
Bed bugs can hide anywhere, including on bed frames, mattresses, clothing, furniture, behind paintings and under peeling wallpaper. They often leave traces of their presence in the form of blood stains (often found on mattresses), small brown spots on bedding or furniture (bed bug excrement), and bites on your skin.
In October last year, a bed bug epidemic led to the streets of Paris being littered with piles of abandoned mattresses amid fears that the UK could be next in line for infestation.
All vacationers are being warned to be on the lookout as bed bugs don't discriminate and can be found in good or bad hotels around the world.
Bologna adds: "They like the upholstery - just look at the sheets. Just turn back one of the corners of the bed, look at the seams of the mattress... just check. Check everything that is upholstered. Look at the headboard. Look at the chairs. If you don't see anything, you're probably fine."
"People who are very careful, like my friends who had bed bugs, put their suitcase in the bathroom... not on the upholstery," says Bologna. - "Most hotel rooms are carpeted, so just don't put your suitcase on the carpeting.
If you find bed bugs in your hotel or accommodation, you should report it immediately to the management, otherwise you may increase the risk of bringing the insects home.
Bologna also cautioned travelers to distance themselves appropriately from the problem. She added: "If you decide you don't want to leave the hotel but want to change rooms, don't move to the next room because the same problem is likely to occur there," she warned.
According to the NHS, bed bug bites usually go away on their own after about a week. You can apply something cool to them, such as a clean, damp cloth, to relieve itching and reduce swelling. If you have been bitten, it is also recommended to keep the affected area clean and avoid scratching the bites as this can lead to infection.
