I travel every week for work, so bed bugs are a concern of mine.

Im in a strange bed 3 nights a week (sometimes 3 different beds, since I am doing multiple stays) so I am looking for tips on how to prevent them from tagging along with me back home.

I know the usual, check the bed spread for brown (blood) stains, etc.
But with the constant changing of sheets, plus with the bed bugs potentially hiding in walls/behind picture frames/etc...its not foolproof.

Here's some ideas I've had.
1. Instead of putting bags and clothes on the bed (I usually put my stuff on the spare double bed) hang tshirts, jeans, etc in the closet.
2. Put other items on the table.
3. Put my bag on the "bag caddy" (that metal folding thing that you open). I heard that bed bugs have trouble crawling on metal, so the metal legs might keep them off.
4. if there is no "bag caddy" then I put my bag close to the door. I assume the bed bugs hang around the bed, since thats where the people are.

I even thought about putting my bag in the bathtub at night, since bed bugs mainly come out in the pre dawn hours.

So basically the only thing on the bed is me (bedside table - cellphone) so even if I get bitten, thats only for 1 night, when I leave, I wont be bringing them along.

Any other ideas/thoughts?

Thanks

I would not put any clothes on any bed in a hotel. My wife and I just spent 3 weeks traveling through Germany and Italy - all the places we stayed were very nice hotels, and B&B's, all of then looked "spotless". One night my wife was bitten by bed bugs, strangely enough I did not recieve any, or at least did not have a reaction to any bites. We had twin beds that were pushed together to make a "king" as they do alot in Europe. Anyway, just one night, and she was covered on her arm, back and hands with bites. Some of them actually became infected and we had to visit a doctor to get an antibiotic cream. Needless to say, for the rest of the trip we were both paranoid. We did not report the incident, because to be quite truthful with all the train trips and hotels we stayed in we were positively certain where these were "picked up". When we returned home we vacuumed all our suitcases, washed clothes in hot water and did not put our suitcases under our bed where we usually stored them.

Ok, so nothing on the bed.

Anything else?

I read that you should look at the mattress and particularly in the seams because the bugs hide in there. I try to do this when I can remember.

Arggh... Why did I read this thread? I'm currently laying on a hotel bed about to go to bed...

Now I'm gonna feel like I'm not sleeping alone tonight

I've seen recommended elsewhere something that I follow -- I place my luggage in plastic bags (sealed) [the leaf-lawn trash bags are big enough for my biggest luggage] while in hotel room. I also place my dirty clothes in sealed plastic bags and when home, wash in hot water and dry on high heat.

I'd rather the cost of plastic bags than having to deal with an infestation at home. New York magazine had a very frightening article about how tough it is to deal with them a while back.

So do you use a new bag everyday, or reuse them?
I assume you throw the bags out in the hotel room when you leave.

New bags every trip (if I stay multi-days in the same hotel room then same trash bag -- I open it, get out what I want, and then close it again, if I switch to a different hotel, then a new trash bag) and yes, I throw out the trash bags when i leave the hotel room. I sometimes wonder what housekeeping thinks when seeing my trash bagged luggage and the trash bags in the trash when I leave, but I'd rather a few housekeepers than bring bugs home with me. I also don't believe that I'm the only person who travels with trash bags so they've probably seen it all before. There was an infestation at a FOX studio last year(?) that got some press -- I remember that one of the employees would change her clothes before getting home....I would too!

I heard this too, but they can hide anywhere...in the power sockets, behind picture frames, etc...

I heard there are some sprays you can use on the bed.

I have been travelling with 2 bed sheets and for the pillow as well. I put these over the hotel made up bed. I take the blanket they give you on the plane. ( I only travel international but not that often). I sometimes take a second blanket as recently I have had an extra seat next to me.
I sleep with heavy athletic socks on my feet.

I may depending on the hotel next time, bring an air matress and sleep on the floor. This may not work for you as you travel.

Whats the purpose of the extra bed sheets?

To be honest, I have no problem getting bit for one night.
My concern is bringing them home...then you get bit forever

I eat only chocolate bars and cover myself in tissues to protect against germs. In all seriousness, if the thought of bed bugs makes you so paranoid that you are bringing extra sheets with you, then it is time for you to change jobs, so you don't have to travel. There are freshly laundered sheets on your bed anyways, if they are going to get through 2 sheets, then they will get through 3.

Any decent chain hotel will have policies for housekeeping to check for bed bugs. I stay in 2-3 hotels most weeks. I have not run into them.

I'd give the same advice to someone with extreme paranoia of flying. Time to not travel if the thought of bed bugs makes you that crazy.

You all know that people have farted, pee'd, had sex, drooled, etc, on those beds, walked on the floor in germ laden shoes and feet and used the shower in the room. Everything in your home bathroom is covered in fecal bacteria. Everything.

You're better off insisting that people shut the top of the toilet when they flush than worry about bed bugs.

It sure seems like there are a lot more frequent travellers afraid of bed bugs than there are bed bugs. If it were a HUGE problem, at least half of the flyertalk community would have tales of woe.

That said, it does seem to happen, so I assume reasonable precautions are appropriate. I don't put clothes or suitcases on beds, and I try to keep the suitcases zipped up and on a table at night.

My kids did get lice a couple years ago, and it was a pain in the neck to get rid of them (vegetable oil in their hair under a shower cap for several nights!). So I'd rather not deal with bed bugs. But unless you want to just stay home, I don't think there's much more to be done than just take reasonable precautions.

I only travel once a year. Used to be more often with my last job. I've stayed at one star hotels so that may be why. The Cornerhouse and the Brouwer.

I think that the measures I use help. I don't mind taking these precautions. It doesn't hurt.

...or you could just ante up and stay in hotels that don't make you want to sleep in your clothes.