FIRST, put your luggage in the bathroom, says Brooke Borel, author of Infested: How the Bed Bug Infiltrated Our Bedrooms and Took Over the World. “The shower and tiles don’t offer great hiding places for bedbugs.”

THEN inspect the room before unpacking, says entomologist Jim Fredericks. This includes looking in bedsheets, under lamps, in dressers and on chairs or sofas.

LOOK FOR reddish-brown bugs about the size of a lentil, as well as “pepper-like [fecal] spots,” Fredericks says.

IF YOU FIND BUGS, move to a different room.

ONCE HOME, launder your clothes right away. Dry on high heat for 30 to 45 minutes. Inspect your luggage and store it away from the bedroom. —Veronica Stoddart