A New York woman is suing the InterContinental Hotel Group after her stay in the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Laurinburgh, N.C. where she suffered bed bugs bites.

According to the suit, Yvonne Rollins awoke to her cell phone ringing on Oct. 19, turned on a light and saw "something run across her pillow." That's when she noticed welts on her left wrist, arm, and hand, as well as a "huge hickey" on her forehead. When she pulled back the seam of the pillow case, "hundreds of bedbugs scurried out," the suit says.

Bed bugs are popular in hotels since there is a constant flow of new guests and belongings. With spring vacations on the horizon, what can you do to protect you and your family from bed bugs?

What does a bed bug look like?

• Adult bed bugs are reddish-brown in color.
• Adult bed bugs are flat, oval-shaped and about 1/4 inch in length.
• Bed bug eggs are approximately 1mm in size and whitish in color, making it difficult to see.
• Once bed bug eggs hatch into bed bug nymphs, nymphs are light in color and resemble adults.

What are signs of bed bugs ?

• Live insects. Adults are about the size of an apple seed, brown/dark red in color. Eggs and nymphs (baby bed bugs) are translucent and the size of a grain of rice.
• Exoskeletons. Light brown/tan Exoskeletons are left behind as bed bugs grow into adults.
• Blood Spots. Small blood spots the size of pepper and dark red/black in color are usually found on the mattress or sheets after a bed bug feeds.
• Bites. Bed bug bites affect everyone differently, but usually in a row.

Where should you look in hotels for bed bugs?

• Remember bed bugs are secretive and like to hide in cracks and crevices.
• Seams of mattresses or box spring.
• Behind the headboard (it lifts straight up, really!).
• Behind hanging wall art or wallpaper.
• It is always a good idea to pack a small flashlight!
• Our other post includes more bed bug travel tips.

How do you avoid bringing bed bugs home?

• Launder your clothing and belongings immediately. Place your luggage right in the laundry room and wash all clothing, dirty or clean and dry on the hottest setting for a minimum of an hour. Laundering will kill all life cycles of bed bugs found on clothing.
• Inspect and monitor your luggage. Inspect around steams of the luggage for signs of bed bugs and vacuum thoroughly (be sure to empty the vacuum bag).
• Monitor your sleeping areas (mattress, box-spring, headboard, and nightstand) for signs of bed bugs.

During the course of your vacation, if you come across bed bugs or signs of bed bugs, contact the facility immediately. Be sure to follow our tips to avoid bed bugs at home and consider having Promise, our bed bug scent detection canine to search your home for confidence there are no bugs. We at Thomas Pest Services are licensed and trained in bed bug removal. Thomas Pest Services gets rid of bed bugs in Albany, Troy, Latham, Clifton Park, Glens Falls, Lake George and surrounding areas. For questions, contact us by phone 1-877-518-2847, info@518gotpests.com, twitter or facebook.