Check the Bed for Bed Bugs Before Unpacking

The Problem

You unpack, sleep, and unknowingly bring bed bugs home in your luggage.

The Hack

Before unpacking: pull back the sheets and check the mattress seams, headboard crevices, and behind the headboard. Look for: tiny brown spots, shed skins, or live bugs (small, flat, reddish-brown).

Why It Works

Bed bugs are found in hotels of ALL price levels — 5-star hotels included. A 2-minute check prevents an infestation that costs $500-2,000 to treat at home and causes weeks of misery.

Pro Tips

• Check: mattress seams, headboard, nightstand crevices
• Signs: tiny brown/red spots, shed skins, musty sweet smell
• If found: request a new room (not adjacent — bugs travel through walls)
• Keep luggage on the bathroom tile floor (not carpet) until cleared