Bedbugs can be a recurring nightmare when found in hotels if you’re unlucky enough to discover them before it’s too late.
And with the increase in global travel following the pandemic, these blood-sucking creatures have more and more opportunity to discreetly hop from one resident to another.
Now an expert has revealed the tell-tale signs of bedbugs in your hotel room, and how to avoid bringing an infestation home with you.
One TikToker shared a helpful video explaining exactly how to check before turning off the lights for that well-deserved holiday rest.
Expert Cassie, who uses @cassiethebugdoc on TikTok, posted a clip showing how to check your hotel room for bed bugs
She said the first thing she does as soon as she checks into her room is to leave her luggage in the bathroom and then check the bed she sleeps in
Cassie, who uses @cassiethebugdoc on TikTok, posted a clip where she walks you through how to check your room for bed bugs step-by-step.
She captioned the video, “Inspecting your hotel room for bed bugs is an important part of travelling.”
Cassie, an entomologist, says, “I thought I’d take the opportunity to show you how to inspect your hotel rooms for bed bugs to make sure you’re not bringing any home with you.”
She said the first thing she does once she checks into her room is to leave her luggage in the bathroom, advising that it’s best to leave it on hardwood or tile surfaces. This is because it prevents the bedbugs from crawling into your suitcase from the start.
She continues, “So to find bed bugs, it’s important to know about the biology of bed bugs.
“First, they are mostly nocturnal, meaning they will only attempt to feed on humans at night.”
And because people spend most of their night sleeping in bed, she said, it’s important to start your inspection there.
She said, ‘The first thing I do is take the covers off the bed and make sure they’re all clean.
“But then you grab your bottom sheet and lift that too.”
Cassie demonstrates this by telling travelers that it’s important that you don’t see stains or stains — especially brown spots — on the sheets.
Cassie’s followers on TikTok praised her for sharing the insightful and helpful tips
She said it’s best to leave the hardwood or tile surfaces of your suitcase as it prevents the bedbugs from crawling into your suitcase from the start. The bed bug expert said if your hotel room or accommodation has couches or chairs, it’s important to check those as well
The bed bug expert said if your hotel room or accommodation has drawers, it’s important you look at those too before putting your stuff in them
These brown spots are the most important to watch out for, as the expert explained, they’re called fecal stains, which are left behind after bed bugs “digest blood.” The creatures leave “brown stool stains that look like blood.”
She said that in some cases you can even check the mattress itself, but sometimes hotels have a casing around them that prevents the bedbugs from getting in in the first place.
The bedbug expert said that if your hotel room or accommodation has drawers, it’s important that you look at those too before putting your things in them.
Again, she advised her followers on TikTok to check for blood stains or bed bugs.
She continues, “If you have chairs in your hotel room, it’s a good idea to lift the bottom cushion.
“And do the same inspection on that pillow as you did on your mattress.”
And Cassie gave another tip for travelers after they’ve unpacked all their stuff from their luggage.
She said, “Even if you unpack your luggage, go ahead and put it on a surface so it’s not on the floor for bugs to pick up, not just bed bugs, before you leave.”
And Cassie’s followers on TikTok praised her for sharing the insightful and helpful tips.
One person wrote: “Very informative, thanks.”
The same user also added, “What in the world with that sealed mattress encasement. Is that usual?’ as Cassie replied, “I see them locked in hotel rooms more often.” I assume it’s because people don’t open them and risk exposing the mattress to bed bugs.”
Another TikTok user said, “Great tips!!!”