When you travel for work or play, you don’t plan on bringing home hitchhikers. Your stay at a hotel shouldn’t include tiny roommates that silently infest your luggage. Our wonderful city is a favorite tourist destination, so we know quite a bit about the hospitality industry and the touring habits of bed bugs here in Tampa, FL.
All About Bed Bugs
If you think the tiny bed bug only lives in hotels, you underestimate its nomadic abilities. The traveling pest shows up in theater seats and garage sale boxes. Still, it’s a problem at hospitality properties because so many guests come and go. A hotel room is the perfect staging ground for a hitchhiking bug.
It only takes a few bed bugs to establish a thriving population in even the best-kept hotel. Our warm Florida climate helps too, as it accelerates their life cycle. The basic bed bug fits this profile:
- Quarter-inch long body
- Flat oval shape
- Reddish-brown color
- Six legs and long antennae
- Quarter-inch long body
- Flat oval shape
- Reddish-brown color
- Six legs and long antennae
A Hotel Room Check
Our hospitality industry deserves its great reputation. Visitors who come to play in Busch Gardens and fish off Redington Pier don’t find six-legged intruders in their hotel rooms very often. Professional extermination services keep most properties bug-free, but you can always perform a room check just to be sure.
- Inspect your bed’s mattress, box springs and frame.
- Look closely at headboards and footboards.
- Use a flashlight to check furniture and drapes.
- Look for small black or dark red streaks on fabric surfaces.
- Inspect your bed’s mattress, box springs and frame.
- Look closely at headboards and footboards.
- Use a flashlight to check furniture and drapes.
- Look for small black or dark red streaks on fabric surfaces.
If your inspection reveals any signs of a bed bug problem, call management right away. You’ll get a fresh room, and they’ll get a heads-up on a potential infestation.
Just in Case
Bed bugs are very small and easy to miss, so take a few precautions during your hotel stay. Keep suitcases off the floor on luggage racks, and put purses and bags on top of dressers. When you’re ready to check out, wipe your shoes with a damp cloth and hot water just before you leave. Be careful if taking paper items with you – your collection of brochures might be hiding hitchhikers.
McCall Service Can Help
If you come back from a trip with uninvited guests, we can help. We take care of bed bug infestations in Tampa, FL homes and businesses, and we bring more than 80 years of experience to every job. You can always count on McCall Service for industry certified IPM extermination strategies and eco-friendly pest control.
