How to Check for Bedbugs in Mexico City Hotels

Check for bedbugs in Mexico City hotels with this 2-minute inspection: leave luggage in bathroom (bedbugs rarely hide there), pull back sheets/blankets examining corners/edges for live bugs (apple seed-sized, flat, oval-shaped, reddish-brown), black specs (bedbug waste in seams/corners), small white eggs (rice grain-sized), rusty stains (dried blood); check mattress seams/corners with phone flashlight, lift mattress to inspect box spring/bed frame, check behind headboard and nearby furniture seams. Bedbugs don't discriminate, they appear in budget hostels and luxury five-star hotels (Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia, Hilton Portland) because they're hitchhikers traveling in luggage/clothing/furniture. In Mexico City, they're an equal-opportunity nuisance, but a quick check when arriving saves weeks of trouble and prevents bringing home unwanted souvenirs requiring hundreds or thousands of dollars in professional extermination.

Why You Should Always Check

Bedbugs are hitchhikers. They travel from place to place in luggage, clothing, and furniture. A hotel can be spotlessly clean and still have bedbugs because one guest brought them in. This is why even hotels with stellar reviews can have problems, and why you should never skip the inspection regardless of how nice your accommodation looks.

The consequences of bringing bedbugs home are serious. They're notoriously difficult to eliminate, often requiring professional extermination that can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. Prevention is infinitely easier than treatment.

How to Check Your Room

Before you unpack anything, do this inspection. It takes less than two minutes and could save you enormous hassle.

Step 1: Leave Your Luggage in the Bathroom

When you first enter the room, put your bags in the bathroom, ideally in the bathtub or shower. Bedbugs rarely hang out in bathrooms because there's nowhere for them to hide. This keeps your belongings safe while you inspect.

Step 2: Pull Back the Sheets

Start with the bed. Pull back the sheets and blankets, especially around the corners and edges near the headboard. You're looking for:

• Live bugs: Adult bedbugs are about the size of an apple seed, flat and oval-shaped, and reddish-brown in color. After feeding, they become swollen and more reddish.
• Black specs: These look like tiny ink droplets and are actually bedbug waste. They're often found in the seams and corners of mattresses.
• Small white things: These are eggs, about the size of a grain of rice.
• Rusty stains: Dried blood spots on sheets or mattresses.

Step 3: Check the Mattress Seams and Corners

Bedbugs love to hide in the natural crevices of mattresses. Run your fingers along the seams and look closely at the corners. Use your phone's flashlight for better visibility.

Step 4: Go All the Way to the Frame

If a room has been recently treated, bedbugs will hide deeper. Lift the mattress and check the box spring. Look at the bed frame, especially any cracks or joints in the wood. One traveler reported having to check all the way to the bottom of the box spring to find them.

Step 5: Check Behind the Headboard

Even wooden headboards can harbor bedbugs. If the headboard is mounted to the wall, look behind it if possible. Check any cracks or gaps where bugs could hide.

Step 6: Inspect Nearby Furniture

Bedbugs can also live in nightstands, dressers, and upholstered chairs. Check the seams of any fabric furniture and look for the telltale black spots or actual bugs.

What to Do If You Find Bedbugs

If you spot any signs of bedbugs:

1. Don't panic, but act fast. Grab your luggage from the bathroom and leave the room immediately.
2. Document everything. Take photos of what you found. This will be important for getting a refund.
3. Notify the front desk. Ask for a different room, preferably not adjacent to the infested one. Bedbugs can travel through walls.
4. Get written confirmation. If you're leaving the hotel entirely, get written confirmation of any refund promises. Verbal agreements are harder to enforce later.
5. Report it. In Mexico, hotels are required to fumigate regularly. You can file a health complaint at COFEPRIS (the Mexican health regulatory agency) if a hotel has a bedbug problem.

Protecting Yourself During Your Stay

Even if you don't find bedbugs during your initial check, take these precautions:

• Keep luggage elevated. Use luggage racks when available, or keep bags in the bathroom or on hard surfaces away from the bed.
• Don't put clothes in hotel drawers. Live out of your suitcase instead.
• Consider a luggage liner. Some travelers use large garbage bags or specialized bedbug-proof luggage liners.

What to Do When You Get Home

If you stayed somewhere with bedbugs, or even if you're just being cautious:

• Wash and dry everything on high heat. Heat kills bedbugs. Dry your clothes on the hottest setting for at least 30 minutes.
• Inspect your luggage. Check all the seams and pockets of your bags before bringing them inside.
• Consider leaving luggage outside. Some people leave their bags in the garage or on the porch for a few days, or seal them in plastic bags.

Related Mexico City Resources

• Mexico City Complete Guide
• Housing and Relocation in Mexico City
• Professional Services in Mexico City
• All ExpatsList Blog Posts