2. Inspect the Room - Before you even bring your personal belongings into the room, inspect it for any signs of bed bugs. Using a flashlight, begin by inspecting the bed and its surroundings. Check the sheets, mattress, box spring and headboard. Don’t forget to also check walls and any furniture close to the bed. You’ll be looking for black spots (fecal matter), live bed bugs and their eggs, skins and blood spots. If you suspect that you may have found any remnants of bed bugs, contact the front desk and request to be moved to another room. “I always lift the headboard off the wall and shine a flashlight behind it looking for black spots in or around the cracks or screw holes,” says Greenberg.

3. Zip Up Your Luggage and Belongings - Just because you don’t see bed bugs, doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Bed bugs stay very well hidden by nature so don’t let your guard down even if the room looks spotless. All items need to be protected in plastic bags at all times when not in use. USBedBugs.com recommends bringing a BugZip® luggage encasement for every suitcase to keep bed bugs from crawling into your bags and coming home with you. Don’t leave shoes, computers or souvenirs out in the open as bed bugs love to crawl into tiny cracks and crevices.

4. Never Bring Luggage Inside the Home - Even though you may have bagged your suitcases while in the hotel room, there is still a small chance bed bugs could have crawled in while on the airplane or taxi. Find a place in the garage or as far away from the bedroom as possible to keep your suitcases. Many people bring their suitcase right into their bedroom to unpack which just gives the bed bugs a free ride to their next meal…you.

5. Wash & Dry Everything - Upon arriving home, empty your suitcases in your garage. Any clothing should go right into the washing machine. Put any non-washable items into the dryer for 10 to 15 minutes. If you need to bring clothes inside in advance of washing, use dissolvable laundry bags to prevent contaminating your laundry room with bed bugs.