I often run across stories about people that found out they were bitten by bed bugs after staying in a hotel. The interesting thing is that many people don’t even think bed bugs are real.
From a recent New York Times article on bed bugs:
A young woman reported on the Web site that she was confounded by her bed bug bites in a Texas hotel. “I Googled all kinds of rashes and couldn’t be sure what was wrong with me,” until she stumbled across bed bug information, she wrote. “I didn’t even know they were real. I mean, I had heard, ‘Good night, don’t let the bed bugs bite,’ but didn’t know they actually existed.”
This is part of the problem—awareness of bed bugs in the first place. Greater awareness would allow people to better protect themselves.
If you are planning to travel do your homework on bed bug protection ahead of time and reduce the chances of walking straight into a bed bug infestation and bringing them back to your home.
The New York Times article shows that hotels are actively working to engage the bed bug problem:
The New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association, for example, whose members include 1,000 hotels and other lodgings properties, scheduled a Web seminar on bed bugs for late this month. Its president, Dan Murphy, called it a “proactive” initiative for members who “want to learn more about how to spot, treat and cope with” bed bugs.
And:
…the hotel … sent him and other employees to state-sponsored training for certification in coping with and preventing bed bugs. The hotel also installed bug-proof mattress covers on all beds.
It’s good to see hotels making the effort. Even so, learning to protect yourself while you travel is a necessity for the smart traveler.