Ask a travel expert: How can I tell if my hotel room has bedbugs?

If you want to know if your hotel room has the critters, take a hard look at the sheets and the mattress.

Lists such as bedbugregistry.com and bedbugreports.com aim to reveal infested properties, but the risk is that the information can be unreliable and outdated. Bedbugs aren’t related to how clean a place is either: They are attracted to humans, not dirt.

“If you have a bedbug infestation, you may see reddish brown stains on your sheets where the bedbugs have been crushed,” explains Dr. Karl Kabasele, a public-health physician in Toronto.

You may also notice tiny black spots that could be bedbug droppings.

Don’t limit your search to the bed. The tiny creatures are about the height of a credit card so they can squeeze into electrical outlet covers, appliances, the cracks in floors and walls, behind peeling wallpaper or the corners of wooden furniture.

If you spot something, request to change rooms. Go for one on the other side of the hotel (not next door to your old one) or choose another property altogether.

Also, not to be too paranoid about it, but just because you don’t see them, doesn’t mean they aren’t there. “Your first indication that there is a bedbug infestation may unfortunately be bed bug bites," says Kabasele, adding that bites aren’t always immediately visible. They may not even show up on your skin until 14 days later.

The good news is that the bites themselves aren’t usually a concern. Most won’t require any medical attention, although in some people it may cause a rash or become infected.

“Bedbug bites are not known to transmit infectious diseases like hepatitis B or C or HIV,” Kabasele says, “but there may be a psychological impact as bedbug infestations may cause anxiety and insomnia.” The bigger issue is that like you, those bugs like to travel, and your clothes and belongings are their favourite mode of transportation.

“To avoid bringing bedbugs home when you’re travelling, start by leaving your own pillow at home – that’s an ideal vehicle for hitchhiking bedbugs,” Kabasele suggests.

He adds that bags should be stored on a well-inspected luggage stand and never on the floor or bed. Unpacking your clothes into the dresser drawers is also a no-no.

“After every trip, inspect your luggage and its contents before bringing it inside,” Kabasele says. If you’re still unsure, he suggests you wash your clothes in the hottest water possible and dry at the highest heat (at least 45 C).

“High heat for at least 30 minutes tends to kill bedbugs,” he says.

It’s a lot of work, but the last souvenir anyone wants to bring home from their vacation is a pest problem.

Need some travel advice or have a question about life on the road? Send your questions to personalconcierge@globeandmail.com.

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