Nighty-Night! Sleep Tight! Don't Let the BED BUGS Bite!

FACT SHEET

STEPS TO ENSURE A BED BUG FREE STAY AT YOUR HOTEL:

All travellers to areas within and outside of Ontario are potentially exposed to bed bugs. Carrying bed bugs back home with you after travelling

could lead to a bed bug infestation in even the cleanest home. Make sure you take the proper steps to avoid bed bug hitchhikers while travelling.

1. Try to avoid booking a hotel without first inquiring if it has a bed bug problem.  If nothing else, check out tripadvisor.ca to review other guests' reports on bed bugs.

2. Pack clothes into oversized sealable plastic bags and leave them inside luggage during

the trip, or hanging in the closet – never on the bed or floor.

3. Leave luggage outside or in the bathroom and perform a mini-inspection around the bed:

peel back the bed sheets and check the mattress, running your fingers along the upper and

lower seams. Make sure to check the mattress tag, as bed bugs often hide there. Check for

blood stains and bed bug droppings as well, since they’re often the easiest to spot.

4. Check the bedside table. Look for signs of bed bugs in the drawers and along the wall

on the side of the bed that is less likely to be disturbed by cleaning staff and guests.

5. If bed bugs are detected, request another room. Be sure to inform hotel management.

Just moving to a different room may not be the total answer. You should repeat the

inspection of any new or different room you are offered.

6. When you pack to leave, inspect your luggage carefully first, and inspect every item as you

pack to help detect any bugs or their signs.

7. If you find bed bugs, have bites, or know that you’ve spent time in a room harbouring the

bugs, vacuum your suitcases, backpack, or camera bag. Wash everything washable in the

hottest water possible and dry on the highest setting possible for 30 minutes.

8. After your trip, unpack luggage outdoors, re-inspect clothing and then put everything

into the dryer on the highest setting possible for at least 30 minutes or the freezer for two

weeks (for delicates). Vacuum luggage thoroughly. And buy the hard, smooth kind without

inviting pockets, since bedbugs struggle over smooth surfaces and polished metal.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT bedbugs

info.ca