Bed bugs are great hitchhikers. From airports to hotel rooms, vacation rentals, cruise ships, buses, and multi-family housing, they move the same way most of us do—inside luggage, on clothing, and tucked into seams of beds, mattress edges, and other furniture. It makes sense to travel smart so you don’t end up bringing bed bugs back home after a recent trip. (It’s such a common travel topic that even outlets like the New York Times discuss it.)
Below is the S.L.E.E.P. method—plus a few expert add-ons—to avoid bed bugs, spot physical evidence, and reduce the chance you’ll brought bed bugs home.
S — Survey
Before you flop on the bed, carefully inspect the hotel room or vacation rental with a strong flashlight. You’re looking for:
Reddish brown smears (blood stains) or pepper-like fecal spots on sheets, seams, and the headboard.
Shed skins, eggshells, or live bed bugs (about the size of an apple seed).
Musty odor near bed frames, box springs, upholstered headboards, upholstered chairs, and nightstands—common hiding places and hiding spots.
If you find physical evidence or live bed bugs, notify the front desk and request a new room far from the original (ideally on a different floor). Most hotels understand and will move you quickly.
L — Lift & Look
Pull back sheets and lift the mattress at the corners. Check:
Piping, tufts, and labels of the mattress, box springs, and bed frames.
Cracks and crevices of headboards, baseboards, picture frames, and luggage benches.
Other furniture—drawers, couch seams, and upholstered chairs.
A sticky lint roller can help pick up tiny evidence you can’t see with the naked eye.
E — Elevate
Keep luggage on a luggage rack away from the wall—don’t park suitcases on beds or carpet. Zip bags closed between uses. Store dirty clothes in sealable plastic bags to avoid bringing bed bugs back home.
E — Examine
Before you leave, examine your luggage, clothing, and shoes. Use that lint roller again. When you arrive home, unpack in a garage or laundry room, not on a bed or couch.
Wash clothing in hot water, then place it in a hot dryer on high heat (the “P” step below).
Wipe luggage seams with a damp cloth, then vacuum around zippers and folds; discard the vacuum bag (or empty the canister) outside.
P — Place (Heat Is Your Friend)
Immediately place everything washable into a hot dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes. Heat helps kill bed bugs and eggs faster than most DIY sprays. Do not apply pesticides directly to skin or clothing. Per Environmental Protection Agency guidance, never use outdoor pesticides indoors and only use products labeled for bed bug control on mattresses and furniture.
Why This Works (The Short Science Bit)
Bed bugs track body temperature and CO₂ to find a blood meal while you sleep. They hide in tight seams and cracks and crevices during the day. Because they’re hardy and bed bug infestation growth can be rapid, prevention and early detection makes sense.
Extra Protection Tips (At the Hotel & At Home)
Bring a compact strong flashlight to find bed bugs in dark seams.
Use portable bed-leg interceptor traps in longer vacation rental stays.
At home, add mattress encasements and bed-leg interceptor traps; they help control bed bugs and monitor a potential infestation after a recent trip.
Declutter so bugs have fewer hiding spots. Seal gaps: seal cracks around baseboards and bed frames.
If you run a cluttered home or manage multi family housing, build a routine: periodic inspections, integrated pest management (IPM), and immediate response to bites or physical evidence.
What If You Still Encounter Bed Bugs?
If you suspect you brought bed bugs home—you’re noticing bed bug bites, fecal spots, or blood stains on sheets—call a professional pest control company. DIY aerosols seldom eliminate bed bugs; improper use can scatter them.
A qualified pest management firm (like us) can recommend the right bed bug treatments—from targeted applications to whole-structure heat treatment—as part of an integrated pest management plan to control bed bugs and eliminate bed bugs safely.
Important: Never apply pesticides directly to mattresses unless the label says it’s permitted, and never to your skin—follow the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety rules.
Quick Travel Checklist (Copy/Paste)
☐ Inspect room: seams of mattress, box springs, bed frames, headboard, other furniture
☐ Look for reddish brown spots, fecal spots, shed skins, live bed bugs
☐ Keep luggage on luggage rack; store dirty clothes in plastic bags
☐ Use sticky lint roller on clothing before packing
☐ At home: hot water wash → hot dryer on high heat
☐ Wipe luggage with damp cloth, vacuum seams, discard vacuum bag outdoors
☐ Install interceptor traps and mattress encasements if you travel often
☐ If you spot an issue, alert front desk and request a new room
Contact Us – Bed Bug Exterminator Dallas
Dealing with bed bugs can be one of the most stressful experiences a home or business owner can face, but you don’t have to go through it alone. At Bed Bug Exterminator Dallas, we help residents and businesses across Dallas prevent bed bugs, respond quickly when you encounter bed bugs, and eliminate bed bugs with proven solutions.
We specialize in professional bed bug control for residential and commercial properties, including integrated pest management strategies and advanced bed bug treatments such as heat treatment. Whether it started in a hotel room, a vacation rental, or after a cruise, our trained technicians inspect hiding places (from beds and mattress seams to cracks and crevices), confirm physical evidence, and tailor a plan that fits your schedule and budget.
Choose transparency, safety, and results. From the first call to final follow-up, we’re by your side—so you can sleep tight again.
Call today: (214) 220-8835
Service Area: Dallas & surrounding communities
Services: Inspection, IPM, Heat & Targeted Treatments, Follow-up Monitoring (encasements, interceptor traps)