I’m a pest expert… telltale signs your hotel room could be infested with bed bugs
PARIS is suffering an infestation of bed bugs which are resistant to many chemical sprays.
It is feared they could be brought to London by Eurostar passengers using the international station.
Eurostar says it will disinfect trains if there is the “slightest doubt” of infestation.
Air France says planes will be grounded and cleaned if bugs are found, while London Underground is being monitored.
And a pest expert has now revealed the telltale signs your hotel room could be infested with bed bugs.
1. RUST-COLOURED DOTS ON THE MATTRESS
Martin Seeley, CEO at MattressNextDay, advised people to look for rust-coloured dots on the mattress.
“Unfortunately, this is as gruesome as it sounds,” Martin told MailOnline.
“When the bugs get squashed, they release a lot of blood, especially around the seams of mattresses – which is where they tend to hide.”
These spots can start to look a rusty colour the longer they have been there.
2. DARK SPOTS ON WALLS
Although this is slightly less common, bed bugs can also leave stains on walls too.
Martin explained that “if you do notice any dark spots, this could be bedbug excrement”.
3. A MUSTY ODOUR
“You may have been to a hotel that smells a little strange before but the odour excreted by bedbugs is certainly distinguishable,” Martin said.
“If the bedroom area has a strong, musty and unpleasant odour. This could possibly come from a bedbug’s scent glands and is strongest when there are large amounts of bugs present.”
4. EGGS
Much like many other creatures, bed bugs shed their skin and lay eggs.
They are often found amongst fabric, so make sure to check mattresses, headboards, sofas and any other upholstery.
Eggs can be a little harder to spot, but can also be found in furniture.
From far away, they could look like a bunches of small white spots.
5. WORN OR AGED UPHOLSTERY
Old fabrics that may not have been cleaned thoroughly and could be second hand can often home families of bed bugs.
What do bedbugs look like?
According to the NHS, bedbugs can be dark yellow, red or brown.
The critters are oval shaped and are around the size of an apple seed.
As an insect they have six legs and two antenna.
You can identify adult bedbugs by their size as they are around 5mm long and there will be spots from their waste like little ink splats.
The adult pesky pests do have the vestiges of wings called wing pads, but they do not fully develop into functional wings, therefore they cannot fly.
Bedbugs can look somewhat different depending on
their feeding status.
After they have fed, bedbugs bodies will swell and turn a reddish colour from their latest meal.