NIAGARA – Niagara Region Public Health is reminding everyone travelling in February and March to take precautions against bed bugs.
The presence of bed bugs does not indicate lack of cleanliness; bed bugs may be found in
five-star hotels, resorts, cruise ships, buses and trains.
Recommendations for travellers:
- Try to avoid booking a hotel with a bed bug problem.
- Use luggage with hard, smooth plastic without inviting pockets, since bedbugs struggle over smooth surfaces and polished metal.
- 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.
- Leave luggage outside the room and perform an inspection around the bed: peel back the bed sheets and check the mattress for blood stains and bed bug droppings. Run your fingers along the upper and lower seams of the mattress and make sure to check the headboard.
- 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.
- If bed bugs are detected, be sure to inform hotel management and request another room. 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.
- When you pack to leave, inspect your luggage carefully and inspect every item as you pack to help detect any bugs or signs.
- 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 steam clean (for delicates). Vacuum luggage thoroughly.
- If you find bed bugs or their droppings, have bites, or know that you have spent time in a room with bed bugs, vacuum your suitcases and dispose of the vacuum bag. Washable items should be laundered in the hottest water possible and dried on the highest setting possible for 30 minutes.
(Submitted by Niagara Region)
