Bed Bugs

For Travellers

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How do travel accommodations become infested with bed bugs?

Guests may bring bed bugs into the hotel, lodging, or other accommodation on their belongings. There is little that the management can do to prevent this. A well-run facility will have a bed bug protocol in place so that cleaning staff are on alert for signs of bed bugs.

How can I protect myself from bed bugs while travelling?

Know what bed bugs look like and where to look for them.
Inspect your room for signs of bed bugs before you start to unpack.
Don’t put clothing or suitcases on the bed.

What should happen if I find bed bugs in my room?

The hotel should offer you a new room. They may want to inspect your belongings to make sure bed bugs are not being spread to the new room.
The guest's clothing and any other items that may have been infested should be treated to kill any bed bugs. Placing clean clothing in a hot dryer for 30 minutes will kill all stages of bed bugs. The hotel should offer to do this or make some other arrangement for you.
The hotel should have a procedure in place to keep the room out of service until it is bed bug free.

What else can I do to protect myself?

In any hotel or lodging, even one that is clean and well-run, it's possible for a few bed bugs to be in a room. You may not notice them, but 1 or 2 of them may travel with you to your house.

There are things you can do before you leave and when you get home to protect your home:

Don’t pack anything that you can’t put in a hot dryer.
When you're travelling, don't put bags and suitcases on the bed. Use the luggage rack as long as it looks clean or an uncarpeted floor to put your luggage on. Sometimes the bathroom floor works or the top of a dresser.
When you get home, don’t take your suitcase to your bedroom to unpack. Wash and dry everything you had with you. It is the heat of the hot dryer that kills all stages of bed bugs. Items that can’t go in the dryer should be inspected carefully.
If you can’t do these things right away, you need to isolate your suitcase from your house to stop any bed bugs that are hiding in your suitcase from finding a new place to hide. You can do this by storing items in a sealed plastic bag as soon as you get home.
If you live in an apartment, you might find the bathtub the best place to unpack. One of the reasons for this is that bed bugs are easy to see on light surfaces and they don’t like climbing on smooth surfaces. If you have to keep your suitcase in your bedroom closet keep it sealed in a large plastic bag.

If you do bring 1 or 2 bed bugs into your home, it will probably be a month or more before you notice them. Watch for signs of bed bugs when doing regular cleaning. It’s a good idea to inspect your bed for bed bugs every time you change your sheets just as part of your normal routine. If we all did this bed bugs would have a harder time getting established anywhere.

Remember

While bed bugs are unpleasant, they are not known to carry disease, so they won’t make you sick.
If you have an allergic reaction to a possible bed bug bite, treat the symptoms and get medical advice if you think you need it.
Take precautions when you get home just in case.

Current as of: July 6, 2022

Author: Environmental Public Health, Alberta Health Services

This material is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional. This material is intended for general information only and is provided on an "as is", "where is" basis. Although reasonable efforts were made to confirm the accuracy of the information, Alberta Health Services does not make any representation or warranty, express, implied or statutory, as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, applicability or fitness for a particular purpose of such information. Alberta Health Services expressly disclaims all liability for the use of these materials, and for any claims, actions, demands or suits arising from such use.