New York City, one of the most visited cities in the world, caters to all types of travelers. From shaggy haired back packers to shiny headed millionaires. However, the latest outbreak of “bed bugs” have only but added anxiety to anybody enroute to NYC. Hair or no hair, here are a few tips you need to know when visiting New York this summer.
According to an article posted on msnbc.com, “Bed bugs can get in your hair but the good news is that they really don’t want to be there”. Sigh. Wait. What about those shiny headed travelers or the long haired hipster, do bed bugs know the difference?
Hair or no hair, bed bugs have your address. Bed bugs have a different approach to fine dining than fleas and lice, “unlike fleas and lice that have bodies or claws that are specifically designed for navigating through hair, the common bed bug does not have these modifications” (msnbc.com). Okay, this is getting gross. Bed bugs love skin and they will plant themselves into a shiny head before thick tresses. It is this feeding position (please tell me you’re not reading this over dinner) that the bed bugs can strategically dig their mouth parts into the scalp and go to town (no wonder they thrive in NYC). Bald or hairy, shiny or fro, bed bugs should not hinder your summer travel plans. If you have already booked your hotel room and are arriving this week to New York, here are some quick travel tips that I found online at New York State Integrated Pest Management Program to help find these little critters before they “get under your skin”:’
Actually, the first step in any packing situation is to pack clothing in air tight ziplock bags. I actually learned this from my mother-in-law and she knows how to avoid bugs better than anybody I’ve ever met before (thank you!). Once you step into your hotel room, put on your inspector hat and start inspecting. Don’t even put your suitcase on or near the bed. If your room is infested, bed bugs will take the next leg of your trip with you by catching a ride on your suitcase. Now, it’s time to get right into the areas around the bed. Start with the headboard. Lift it, pull it, and look everywhere around it because this is a bed bug bungalow colony. Look for black spots (poop) and light flakes (dead skin). Didn’t I tell you not to eat while reading this post?! Next, check the sheets (even if your jet lag is luring you in them) and pillows for red spots (blood spots). Pull back the sheets and get in there. Check all of the piping of the mattress and box spring. Also, check the night table next to the bed because this is also a popular place for bed bugs to hang out until a warm blooded human sleeps next to it. If all is clear, now you can get some good sleep. When you wake up, you do need to be aware of your surroundings. If you notice any blood spots on the sheets, it is a sign that bed bugs are alive and well and living in that bed. Contact the hotel management STAT and get out of that room ASAP. The hotel will find you another room, just make sure that it is nowhere near the room you just left. Once again, go over the same steps in your new room. If the room is still not bed bug free, report this not only to the hotel manager, but post it on a travel site as well. You will find that this is something a hotel can’t avoid and that they will have to fix the situation immediately.
Has the recent outbreak of bed bugs scared your summer guests away? Now that you know where bed bugs hide, will you check out your hotel room before settling in for the night?
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Ugh! So hoping there are no bed bugs at the Hilton NY. I do already have my stuff packed in Ziplocs and plan to carefully inspect for bugs, but I keep reading about the number of outbreaks in NYC and am so freaking out!