Outside the home, bed bugs are most often associated with places where travelers stay. Hotels, youth hostels, summer camps, and dormitories are bed bug havens. But those are not the only places they can be found. Because they are so mobile, with the ability to hitch rides on suitcases and clothing, they’ve even turned up on cruise ships, movie theaters and airplanes.
In fact, many people report that their first encounter with bed bugs happens at a hotel, or at home, shortly after a trip. Bed bugs love hotels...plenty of fresh victims, plenty of places to hide. And the problem keeps getting worse, because many hotels don’t want to deal with them, and in some cases, won’t even admit there’s a problem. Managers think the bad publicity will hurt their image, and the cost of dealing with the problem will put a dent in their profits. But as bed bug lawsuits become more common, hotels will HAVE to start responding more forcefully. I don’t like frivolous lawsuits any more than the next guy…BUT if the lawyers can get hotels to start taking this problem seriously, then everyone benefits. At any rate, some of the most expensive hotels in the country have bed bugs. Luxury and price is no guarantee that your room will be bed bug fee. (At a recent Entomological Association of America conference in Fort Lauderdale, a speaker asked the attendees if they had discovered any bed bugs in their rooms – three said they had.) So you absolutely must check the room BEFORE you unpack. Doesn’t matter if it’s a high-class joint that costs $500 per night, or a “fleabag” motel along the Interstate. Anyplace could have bed bugs these days.
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