How do you check a hotel room for bed bugs?

Place luggage in the bathroom while inspecting. Pull back sheets and examine mattress seams for small dark fecal spots, rust-colored blood smears, pale shed skins, or live bugs. Check the box spring top, bed frame joints, and headboard seams. Inspect the nightstand interior. If you find any evidence, request a different room on a different floor or building wing — not an adjacent room.

Can you get bed bugs from a hotel?

Yes. Hotels are one of the most common sources of bed bug introductions because they host thousands of guests from different locations. Bed bug risk exists at every price point — luxury hotels in NYC and budget motels alike have documented incidents. The risk is related to guest turnover volume, not accommodation quality. Inspection before settling in, combined with luggage precautions during your stay, substantially reduces your exposure.

What should NYC travelers do to avoid bringing bed bugs home?

Inspect the sleeping area before unpacking (mattress seams, box spring, headboard, nightstand). Use luggage racks rather than placing bags on beds or carpet. Store worn clothing in sealed bags inside luggage. On return, unpack directly into the washing machine and wash on hot. Dry on high heat for a full cycle. Inspect luggage exterior and interior before storing. Keep luggage stored in sealed bags away from the bedroom between trips.

Do bed bugs travel in luggage?

Yes. Bed bugs hitchhike in the seams, pockets, and frame joints of luggage. They can survive in luggage for several months without a blood meal, so an infestation introduced via luggage can establish in your home before the bugs actively seek you out. This is why washing all travel clothing on return and inspecting luggage before storing it are important steps even when you did not notice any evidence of bed bugs during your stay.

What kills bed bugs in luggage?

Heat is the most reliable method for killing bed bugs in luggage contents. Washing clothing in hot water (130°F or above) and drying on high heat for a full cycle kills all bed bug life stages including eggs. For luggage itself (which cannot be washed), a professional portable heat treatment chamber can be used, or the luggage can be inspected thoroughly and stored in a sealed plastic bag. Placing luggage in a hot car in summer for several hours can also provide lethal temperatures.

If I bring bed bugs home to my NYC apartment, what do I do?

Notify your landlord in writing immediately — NYC Housing Maintenance Code requires landlords to treat bed bug infestations and provides a legal framework that starts with written notification. Contact a licensed pest management professional for inspection and treatment planning. Do not move furniture or belongings between rooms, as this spreads the infestation. Avoid discarding furniture prematurely — it is rarely necessary and discarded infested items on NYC streets spread bugs to other buildings.

Does Control Exterminating treat bed bugs introduced from travel in NYC apartments?

Yes. Control Exterminating treats travel-introduced bed bug infestations throughout New York City. Early-stage infestations caught promptly after a trip are significantly easier and less expensive to treat than established building-wide infestations. Our technicians provide thorough inspections and both chemical and heat treatment options. Call (212) 696-4164 as soon as you suspect an introduction.

How to Avoid Bringing Bed Bugs Home from Travel

Travelers can unknowingly transport bed bugs from hotels and transportation. Learn practical strategies to inspect accommodations and protect your luggage so you don't bring pests home.

New Yorkers are frequent travelers, and the bed bug risk that comes with hotel stays, overnight trains, and short-term rentals is a real and well-documented concern. Bed bugs hitchhike in luggage, clothing, and personal items — they do not fly, jump, or crawl far on their own, but they are expert stowaways. The good news is that practical precautions, applied consistently, substantially reduce the risk of bringing bed bugs home from any trip. These steps work whether you're staying in a budget hostel in Prague or a five-star hotel in Miami Beach.

Before You Leave: What to Know

Bed bug risk is present in accommodation of every price range. Five-star hotels in Midtown Manhattan have documented bed bug incidents; so do budget motels on Long Island. High guest turnover is the primary risk factor, not accommodation quality. Bed bugs also travel via public transportation — Amtrak trains, overnight buses, and even planes have documented bed bug sightings, though aircraft risk is generally lower than ground transportation.

NYC residents returning from travel are the primary introduction vector for bed bugs into the city's apartment buildings. When a traveler brings bed bugs home, the insects can spread to adjacent units within weeks in a multi-unit building, creating liability and health code issues for landlords and misery for neighbors. Taking precautions protects not just your own home but your building community.

Inspecting Your Hotel Room

Before putting any luggage on a hotel bed or floor, take 5 minutes to inspect the sleeping area:

Place your luggage in the bathroom (tile floor, far from potential harborage) while you inspect the bed
Pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams, particularly at the corners and along the top edge. Look for small dark brown fecal spots (pepper-sized), rust-colored blood smears, pale shed skins, or live bugs
Lift the mattress slightly and inspect the box spring top surface and the bed frame joints
Check the headboard — upholstered headboards in hotel rooms are a documented bed bug harborage point. Inspect the fabric seams and any gaps between the headboard and the wall
Check the nightstand drawer interior and the inside surfaces of the nightstand

If you find any evidence — even a single fecal spot — request a different room, preferably on a different floor or in a different building wing. Do not accept the room directly above, below, or adjacent to a potentially infested room.

Luggage and Clothing Precautions During Travel

Even with a clean room inspection, ongoing precautions reduce risk throughout the stay:

Use luggage racks (metal frames, not fabric) rather than placing luggage on upholstered surfaces, carpet, or the bed
Keep luggage zipped when not actively using it
Store worn clothing in a sealed plastic bag inside your luggage rather than on the floor or furniture
Use hard-sided luggage when possible — bed bugs find fewer harborage points in hard shells than in fabric luggage with external pockets and seams

When You Return to Your NYC Apartment

The return home is the highest-risk moment for introducing bed bugs to your NYC apartment:

Do not bring luggage into the bedroom. Inspect it in a hard-floored area (bathroom, kitchen) first
Unpack directly into the washing machine and laundry bag if possible
Wash all travel clothing in hot water (130°F or above kills all bed bug life stages) and dry on high heat for a full cycle
Inspect the exterior and interior of your luggage, including all pockets, seams, and frame joints, before storing it
Store luggage in sealed plastic bags in a closet away from the bedroom when not in use

What to Do If You Suspect You Brought Bed Bugs Home

If you find evidence of bed bugs in your NYC apartment after travel, act immediately. Notify your landlord in writing — NYC law requires landlords to address bed bug infestations in rental properties, and early notification establishes the legal and treatment timeline. Contact a licensed pest management professional for confirmation and treatment planning. Do not move furniture or belongings between rooms, which spreads the infestation. The earlier an introduction is caught, the simpler and less expensive the treatment.

Why Choose Control Exterminating?

Control Exterminating has served New York City since 1973 — over 53 years of experience treating every pest NYC throws at us. Our licensed technicians know how pests move through NYC's dense housing stock, aging infrastructure, and commercial corridors. Whether it's German cockroaches spreading between apartment units, Norway rats exploiting the sewer system, or bed bugs hitchhiking through a mid-rise building, we've seen it all and eliminated it all. Call us at (212) 696-4164 or book online for fast, discreet service across all 5 boroughs, Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester.