These hotels on Las Vegas Strip had bed bug complaints recently. What travelers should know
A loss at the casino is not the only thing that can jump up and bite you when you stay in Las Vegas.
Bed bugs, the insect pests that can cause itchy bites from feeding on blood, were reported at seven hotels on the Las Vegas strip in the last 18 months, according to officials from the Southern Nevada Health District.
The bed bug complaints were revealed following a public records request from KLAS-TV, which first reported on the affected hotels. State health officials in Nevada stated that hotels have protocols for responding to bed bug complaints and that people who find bed bugs in a hotel should contact the front desk immediately.
If you're planning a trip to Sin City, here's everything you need to know about where bed bugs were found in Vegas, what travelers can do to prevent carrying them home, and what to do if you find them in your room.
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Which Las Vegas hotels had bed bug complaints?
The Southern Nevada Health District reported seven hotels in 2022 and the first six months of 2023 had bed bug complaints.
Six hotels had one complaint each: Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, Palazzo, Tropicana, MGM Grand and Sahara.
The seventh hotel, Circus Circus, had reports of bed bugs in two rooms.
"When receiving the complaints, the properties all responded by having the rooms inspected and treated appropriately before the rooms were returned to service," health district spokeswoman Jennifer Sizemore told The Arizona Republic.
Are bed bugs a problem in Las Vegas?
Bed bugs are a concern across the U.S. and they're more likely to occur in places that see a high volume of tourists, including Las Vegas.
Increased tourism, lack of knowledge about preventing bed bugs, the bugs' greater resistance to pesticides, and ineffective pest control practices are all factors that help explain why bed bug sightings are increasing nationwide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
What should you do if your hotel room has bed bugs?
If you go to a hotel and you notice bed bugs or signs of bed bugs like feces, dead skin or streaks of blood on the bedding, notify the front desk as soon as possible.
Sizemore, of the Southern Nevada Health District, said most hotels have "very good protocols in place" for responding to bed bug complaints.
What can you do to prevent being bitten or taking home bed bugs?
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends travelers follow these precautions to ensure their room has no bed bugs:
Inspect the bed and bedroom for the presence of bed bugs, which can be done with no extra tools, but a flashlight is suggested.
Check the mattress for bed bugs and signs of bed bugs. Adult bed bugs measure about 5 millimeters long and have flat, oval-shaped bodies. Physical signs of infestation may include rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses, dark spots about the size of a dot, tiny eggs and eggshells measuring about 1 millimeter and pale yellow skins that bed bug nymphs shed.
Check the headboard for cracks or crevices.
Use luggage racks to store luggage when packing or unpacking instead of placing them on the bed or floor.
Travelers can prevent bringing bed bugs home with them by washing and drying clothes immediately after returning, carefully inspecting luggage and storing luggage away from the bedroom.
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Reach the reporter at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bed bugs in Las Vegas hotels? Where they were found, what to look for
