Australian traveller reveals bed bug nightmare

When it comes to unwanted hotel guests, these little terrors would have to be the worst of the lot.

Bed bugs have paid a surprise visit to more than a third of Aussie travellers and some of the lousiest hotel rooms are on our very own shores, according to a survey by pest exterminator Rentokil.

One holiday-maker, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he was staying in a budget hotel at St Kilda when he became a bed bug's dinner. He said the resulting welts were the itchiest - and most unpleasant - ordeal of his life.

"About five days after returning to Sydney, I broke out into what I originally thought was a rash. I have never felt so itchy in my entire life," the man said.

After a few sleepless nights, he realised it wasn't a rash at all - he'd actually snuggled up to a colony of bed bugs.

"It took more than a week for the bites to finally heal. Because the bites were all over my arms, people would constantly stare at the bites and ask questions or give me strange looks."

Despite their name, bed bugs aren't only found between the sheets. They live in curtains and crevices all over the room but are attracted to the warmth of a snoozing body.

The survey found bed bugs are the second biggest concern of Aussie travellers, behind food poisoning but ahead of lost luggage.

Thirty-four per cent of respondents say they've encountered bed bugs on their travels, mostly in Asia (49 per cent) and Europe (43 per cent), but also in Australia (11 per cent).

And it's not only the fleabag budget digs that carry the irritating critters.

"Bed bugs are not a sign of economic or hygienic factors - they can occur at anytime, anywhere and to anyone, from five star hotel to backpacker hostels," Simon Lean, technical manager at Rentokil, said.

If a hotel room is infested with bed bugs they can be spotted before it's too late, so know thine enemy.

Before booking a room

• Read reviews carefully.

• Get in touch with the hotel directly and ask about their bed bug action plan. Good hotels should have one.

• If travelling to North America, check out the handy Bed Bug Registry at bedbugregistry.com.

How to check your room

• Leave your luggage in the bathroom while you scour the room. Bed bugs don't like tiles and there are fewer crevices in the bathroom.

• Adult bed bugs are oval, flat and reddish brown, but they're about half the size of your pinky fingernail.

• They hide in the cracks and crevices of mattresses, bedroom furniture, electrical appliances, carpets and curtains.

• As well as live or dead bugs, keep an eye out for their skins, eggs, droppings or blood droplets on the sheets.

• A sickly sweet smell in the room could be a sign of an infestation.

• If travelling with children, get them involved. Teach them what to look for and make a game of it.

What to do if you spot an infestation

• Hotel staff should be more than accommodating if there's a bed bug scare.

• Request a new room at least two floors away, and repeat the check (there's a chance the whole building is infested).

When you get home

• Bed bug bites sometimes don't show up for five days, so remain vigilant.

• Make a habit of vacuuming and inspecting suitcases before storing them.

• Wash your clothes with warm water. Bed bugs can't survive in temperatures above 50C.

Source: News.com.au, 4 September 2014