Is That a Bed Bug in Your Hotel Room?

You would be hard pressed to find someone willing to stay in a hotel that has even a single review that mentions the presence of bed bugs. However, according to a recent survey conducted by American Entomologist, less than a third of traveler’s would be able to identify a bed bug population if it were present. To ensure these blood-sucking pests don’t hitchhike to your home, here are some ways you can spot a pesky bed bug and its hiding friends.

Know Potential Bed Bug Hiding Spots

Before bringing your belongings into a hotel room, it is important to check the room for tale-tell signs of a bed bug presence. In many cases, the first place to start your search will be the bed itself, carefully pulling back the sheets to check the mattress piping and headboard for live pests or other signs of their presence. Though the name “bed bug” has stuck, these pests can also be found behind pictures, in dressers or nightstands and even on luggage racks.

Identify Signs of Bed Bug Infestation

Searching the room for bed bugs may not always be as easy as finding a live specimen and, often, a little detective work must be performed. While searching potential bed bug hotspots, travelers should be on the lookout for small, black spots or blood spots on the mattress, sheets or close areas. As a bed bug feeds, it will secrete digested blood that looks similar to a peppercorn.

Know What A Bed Bug Looks Like In All Stages

Bed bugs can easily be misidentified if a pest is found and panic sets in. For this reason, knowing what a bed bug looks like at all stages can help make the process a little easier. These distinct characteristics should be observed when a suspected bed bug is found:

• Egg Stage – Bed bug eggs are incredibly small and will likely be undetectable by the human eye. With a visual assistance, bed bug eggs are round and a near opal color. Though only the size of a pinhead, bed bug eggs will have an eye spot after 5 days.
• Juvenile Stage – Also called nymphs, juvenile bed bugs can be hard to detect if they haven’t recently fed. In general, juvenile bed bugs will take on a translucent or white color. Nymphs are smaller than adult bed bugs and will gain more color through molting.
• Adult Stage – Adult bed bugs are roughly the size of an apple seed and will take on a reddish-brown color. After feeding, adult bed bugs will balloon and become more elongated. If they have not recently fed, adult bed bugs can be found with flat, oval-shaped bodies.

Arrow Exterminators, Inc. for Bed Bug Control

Arrow Exterminators is the only company in Oklahoma using state of the art Thermal Remediation® technology which is proven to eradicate bed bugs. If you are ready to take control of your home back from these blood-sucking pests, call the bed bug eradication experts at Arrow Exterminators at 1 (800) 390-8626. You can always rely on our expert team to answer any questions about bed bugs, Thermal Remediation® and all your other pest control needs. We have a customer service oriented team ready and waiting to assist you any way they can.