If you're going away on a warm winter vacation this year, don't forget to check your hotel room for bed bugs. Hotels can harbor bed bugs in the sheets and in other parts of the room as well. Bed bug pest control can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and bed bugs can come home with you in your luggage and on your clothes. The best way to avoid bringing a bed bug home with you from winter vacation is to inspect the room for bed bugs before the fun begins. 

Look in the Bed

Pull back the covers and sheets and look on the mattress and headboard. You'll be looking for small bugs the size of apple seeds and dark red or black spots the size of a dot of pepper. You may also see a white powder in the vicinity around the bed, which is an indication of pest control measures against bed bugs. 

Inspect the Area Around the Bed

Although the most likely place to see bed bugs is in the bed, the area around the bed can be infested as well. Check the area around the bed, including the nightstand, chairs and couches, rugs, framed pictures and books. Look for the same evidence of bed bugs that you searched for when you inspected the bed. If your room has a spare bed, spare pillows or spare blankets in the closet, inspect those items as well.

Be Smart With Your Luggage

While your inspection is taking place, put your luggage in the bathroom where it's unlikely to be exposed to bed bugs. This way, if you do find a bed bug infestation in your room, you can pick up your luggage with some confidence that your belongings have not been exposed. Put any clothing that may have been exposed to bed bugs in the dryer. This will kill bed bugs as well as their eggs. 

Even if you find no indications of a bed bug infestation when you conduct your search, it's important to note that bed bugs from other rooms can visit your room at any time. Keep your luggage on a table for the duration of your stay.

If you find indications that your hotel room has a bed bug infestation, request a new room on a separate floor. Your hotel should definitely comply with your wishes, because no hotel wants a guest complaining about bed bugs to be overheard by other guests. If you ever find bed bugs in your own home, contact a pest control company like Midwest Exterminating.