How to check for bed bugs in hotels

Q. How can I check for bed bugs when I am staying in hotels?

A. To avoid the tiny bloodsuckers—which hide in hotel mattresses, box springs, and upholstered furniture—put your luggage in the bathroom and inspect bedding and furniture before you unpack.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency points out it can be helpful to use a flashlight to spot signs of bed bugs, but adults, nymphs, and eggs are all visible to the naked eye.

Learn about safer head lice treatment, and how to protect yourself from mosquitoes and ticks.

If you see evidence of the bugs—including reddish, rust-colored stains on sheets or mattresses (from the bugs being crushed), shed skins, or dried blood—ask for a new room that is not next to the infested one. If all is clear, play it safe and keep your suitcase on a luggage rack and your belongings off the bed and upholstered furniture.

Back home, kill any unwanted hitchhikers by tumbling your travel clothes in a hot dryer for 30 minutes (simply washing the clothes usually won't kill bed bugs). Store emptied luggage in the garage, the basement, or a hot attic (temperatures above 120° F kill bedbugs).

This article appeared in the June 2015 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.

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