A hospitality expert has gone viral for her hack that sees travelers raising their mattresses in search of blood-sucking bed bugs.
Hotel and travel expert Halee, who has worked in the industry for 15 years and lives in the US, has shared her tips for checking your rooms for unwanted guests that make your skin crawl.
From turning off all the lights and closing the blinds to checking every corner and crease of your mattress, the hotel expert explained what you need to do to catch those blood-sucking bugs before they get to you.
In a viral step-by-step video, Halee, who frequently posts her tips on Instagram and TikTok, explained how to check your room for bed bugs – which can be found on beds, sofas, walls, sheets and headboards – “in front of you.” . even unpack.’
US hotel and travel expert Halee has gone viral for her hack that has travelers raising their mattresses to look for blood-sucking bed bugs
The hospitality expert has worked in the hospitality industry for 15 years and shared that guests should always check for bed bugs “before unpacking”.
From turning off all the lights to checking every corner of your mattress, the hospitality expert explained what you need to do to catch bed bugs (stock image)
Get a good night’s sleep and don’t let the bed bugs bite by following Halee’s tips
- Bed bugs are small insects that live on the blood of humans and animals and feed at night.
- You should check for bed bugs “before you unpack”, turn off all lights and use your phone’s flashlight when checking.
- Lift your mattress, mattress pad, check the mattress corners, folds, sofas and headboards.
- If you don’t see any bed bugs, but you do see blood stains, this is an indication that bed bugs are nearby.
A family of three who claimed to have stayed in a room infested with bed bugs shared Halee with a video captioned, “Here’s how to check your hotel room before you even unpack.”
“The first thing to do is make sure your room is dark: turn off the lights, close all the blinds, and use the flashlight on your phone,” she explained.
“And while everything is off, get under the covers here… You’re going to check out all the creases here on the bed.
‘She [bed bugs] usually like to hang around in the corners and the folds. See if there’s a mattress pad too,” she said at the beginning of her video.
She explained that the reason you should check for bed bugs in the dark is because they are “nocturnal, so they’re more likely to be out looking for their bed.”
Next, the hospitality expert explained that even if you don’t see the bugs themselves, it doesn’t mean they’re not there.
She added that you should look for “blood stains” for signs of bed bugs.
“Even if you don’t see any bugs, be sure to check for spots. [Even] Bloodstains because that’s not a good sign either,” Halee said.
Bloodstains are an indication that the bed is nearby, as the bloodstains are filled with the bug’s blood-filled excrement.
She added that if you find any signs of insects, check for bloodstains and take photos, and request a new room on the “other side” of the hotel
She explained that the reason you should check for bed bugs in the dark is because they are “nocturnal, so they tend to be out and looking for their prayers.”
According to the CDC, bed bugs tend to live “within 8 feet of people’s sleep,” and while many believe the opposite, the rooms where bed bugs are found aren’t actually dirtier than others
To get something? Here’s what to do if you find bed bugs in your room
- If you find bed bugs in your room, you should take photos and document everything, when you checked in, room number, everything.
- You should make a note of everything before going to reception and requesting a new room on the other side of the hotel.
- If you found bed bugs after being bitten, the “first thing you need to do is pack up all your belongings, put them in plastic bags” to avoid lugging anything around, and change rooms.
Another clue that bed bugs are around is signs of their shed exoskeletons after molting, which are usually found in areas like beds or sofas.
In a follow-up video, Halee said if you find bed bugs in your hotel, you should “document everything.”
She noted that guests should document “the time they checked in, room number, everything.”
She then explained that you should “take pictures” and write everything down before going to reception and requesting a new room.
Halee explained that most hotels would refund you and give you a new room, but she noted that since bed bugs travel easily, you should always ask to move to the “other side of the hotel.”
She added that if you find bed bugs after being bitten, “the first thing you have to do is pack up all your stuff and put it in plastic bags.
“You can even go to reception and get the household bags, because you don’t want to take any of that with you in your car or anywhere else, you’re going to want to seal it all up as soon as possible.
“Once you’ve done that, go to reception and take everything with you, they’ll probably give you your money back and try to find you a new room.
“Remember, just because they’re in one room doesn’t mean they’re in all rooms.”
Bed bugs are small insects that live on the blood of humans and animals and feed at night.
They are commonly found on mattresses, headboards, and other furniture or fabrics.
Bed bugs come from other infested furniture or areas and can even stop a ride-along or clothing, luggage, purses and backpacks.
Known for their reddish-brown color and flat shape, bed bugs tend to live “within eight feet of the roost,” according to the CDC, and while many believe the opposite, the places bed bugs are found aren’t actually dirtier than others.
Users were shocked by the travel expert’s video, and many even said they’ve been following these tricks for years
Users were shocked by the travel expert’s video, and many even said they’ve been following these tricks for years.
One user said: “I travel for work and we got bed bugs once a long time ago. Now I obsessively review every hotel, no matter how fancy it is.”
Another user added, “I work in hotels too and always do.”
One user commented: ‘Thanks!’
“As a housekeeper, this is the first thing I do in every room before I clean,” added one user.
