There’s nothing quite like arriving at your hotel, dumping your suitcase (and yourself) on the bed, and immediately feeling like you’re on vacation. Don’t you agree that it’s completely natural and acceptable? As it turns out, though, there’s something seriously off about that equation, at least according to the experts. In particular, the point where you throw your bag on the bed.
To your surprise, the bed isn’t the most convenient place to store your bags during a hotel visit. Also, on the ground. Or even crammed into a closet on a suitcase rack. The savviest travelers, however, know to keep their bags in the hotel’s bathroom, or even better, in the bathtub.
In case you’re scratching your head at the prospect of bed bugs lurking in your hotel room, you’re not alone. That’s because, as the NPMA’s 2018 Bugs Without Borders report found, the vast majority of bed bug infestations happen in people’s homes. However, the study also uncovered this bit of trivia: Sixty-eight percent of people who were treated for bed bugs reported having been in a hotel or motel at the time they were bitten. The explanation for this is obvious: bedbugs enjoy road trips. (As much as you, if not more so.)
Bed bugs may spread to just about any indoor environment where people congregate, according to Campbell. And, yeah, they’ll fit well in your trusty suitcase for the trip back home.
She explains that people should check their belongings as soon as they enter any new place, including home share rentals, because “bed bugs are extremely skilled hitchhikers due to their capacity to thrive in transient environments,” such as personal luggage or below the seats of cars, buses, and trains. No matter where you sleep, bed bugs are a major problem that you shouldn’t bring back.
The most important thing to remember? It’s always preferable to play it cautious, even if you’re staying at a luxury resort. You may put your mind at ease and avoid a lot of unnecessary tension if you do a bed insect check first thing in the morning.
