A hospitality expert has gone viral for her stunt that sees travelers lifting their mattresses in search of bloodsucking 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 will make your hair stand on end.
From turning off all the lights and closing the blinds to checking every nook and fold of your mattress, the hospitality expert detailed what you need to do to catch those bloodsucking bugs before they catch you.
In a viral step-by-step video, Halee, who frequently posts her tips on Instagram and TikTok, explained how to check for bed bugs in your bedroom, which can be found in beds, sofas, walls, sheets and headboards, ‘before you even unpack
Sleep well and don’t let bed bugs bite you by following Halee’s advice
Bed bugs are small insects that survive on the blood of humans and animals and feed at night.
You should check for bed bugs ‘before you unpack’ and turn off all lights and use your phone’s flashlight when searching.
Lift mattress, mattress pad, check mattress corners, folds, couches, and headboards.
If you don’t see bed bugs, but you do see blood stains, this is an indication that bed bugs are nearby.
Duetting with a family of three who claimed they stayed in a room with bedbugs, Halee shared a video captioned: “This is how you should check your hotel room before you unpack.”
“The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure your room is dark: turn off the lights, close the blinds, and use the flashlight on your phone,” he explained.
‘And while everything is off, you’re going to come here under the covers… you’re going to check all the wrinkles here in bed.
‘They [bed bugs] they usually like to hang out in the corners and creases. Pay attention if there is also a mattress pad,’ she said at the beginning of her video.
He explained that the reason you should look for bed bugs in the dark is because they’re “nocturnal, so they’re more likely to be outside looking for their prey.”
Next, the hospitality expert explained that even if you don’t see the bugs, it doesn’t mean they aren’t there.
He added that you should look for “blood stains” for signs of bed bugs.
‘Even if you don’t see bugs, be sure to look for blemishes. [Even] bloodstains because that’s not a good sign either,’ Halee said.
Bloodstains are an indication that the litter is close, as bloodstains are filled with the blood-filled excrement of the bug.
Get some? This is what to do if you find bed bugs in your room
If you find bed bugs in your room, you need to take pictures of everything and document the ‘time you checked in, room number, everything’.
You should make a note of everything before you go to the front desk and ask for a new room on the other side of the hotel.
If you found bed bugs after being bitten, ‘the first thing you should do is bag all your things, put them in plastic bags’ to avoid taking anything with you and changing rooms.
Another indication that bed bugs are nearby is any sign of their exoskeleton shed after molting, which is usually found in areas like beds or sofas.
In a follow-up video, Halee said that if you find bed bugs in your hotel, you need to ‘document everything’.
He noted that guests must document the “time they checked in, room number, everything.”
He then explained that you need to ‘take pictures’ and make a note of everything before you head to the front desk and ask for a new room.
Halee explained that most hotels will refund you and give you a new room, but noted that you should always ask to move to the ‘other side of the hotel’ because bed bugs travel easily.
He added that if you find bedbugs after being bitten, ‘the first thing you should do is pack up all your things, put them in plastic bags.
“You can even go to the front desk and get the cleaning bags, because you don’t want to take any of that into your car or anywhere else, you’ll want to seal all of that up ASAP.”
‘Once you’ve done that, go to reception and take everything with you, they’ll probably refund your money and try to find you a new room.
“Keep in mind that just because they’re in one room, it doesn’t mean they’re in every room.”
Bed bugs are small insects that survive on the blood of humans and animals and feed at night.
They are commonly found in mattresses, headboards, and other furniture or fabrics.
Bed bugs come from other furniture or infested areas and can even snag on clothing, luggage, purses, and backpacks.
They are known for their reddish-brown color and flat shape, and according to the CDC, bed bugs tend to live ‘less than eight feet from sleeping people’ and, although many believe otherwise, the spaces where they are found bed bugs are not actually any dirtier than others.
One user said: ‘I travel for work and we had bed bugs once a long time ago. Now I obsessively check all hotels, no matter how luxurious they are.
Another user added: “I also work in hotels and always do this.”
One user commented: ‘I appreciate you!’
“As a housekeeper, that’s the first thing I do in every room before cleaning,” one user added.
