To worry about this critter that came home with us from a hotel?

[Amberlynnswashcloth]

We just got back from a couple of nights in a hotel (UK). I did check the bed crevices when we arrived and it all looked lovely with no signs of bugs, shells or poo. We've got no bites that I'm aware of. However, this fell out a load of laundry that I was hanging-up when we got back. The pile was made up of clothes and pyjamas that were worn at the hotel and came straight from the suitcase to the washing machine. My initial thought was that its a bed bug and I've spent the morning driving myself insane with worry. I've already thrown-out the suitcase and bags and put the shoes and books in the freezer! I even threw out the door mat that the bags were sitting on when we came home. I'm exhausted and have lost all perspective. Can anyone identify this bug? Could it be a bed bug or something else? Not the best picture. Its already been through the wash at 60 degrees so the bug is very much dead in this image. Its brown and has a flat body that I think is twisted the wrong way due to the washing machine. 5p for scale. Any advice much appreciated - I'm quite an anxious person when it comes to contamination etc and this is my worst nightmare.

That looks like a spider to me. Far too big and wrong shape and colour to be a bed bug. I’d retrieve your luggage from the bin.

Looks like a little dead curled up spider ?

Bedbugs (from memory, touch wood it stays that way) are much smaller.

The pic looks more like a beetle or something.

A spider was my first thought. Poor thing!

Spider, bent legs are very familiar (my house is spider central currently).

And I have the impression that bedbugs would be smaller too.

I've already thrown-out the suitcase and bags

You’re joking?!?! Get them out if not! Overkill reaction IMO.

It looks like a one-off spider is all.

Calm down.

A very clean hot washed spider...

Looks like s spider to me too

I did check the bed crevices when we arrived.

I've already thrown-out the suitcase and bags and put the shoes and books in the freezer! I even threw out the door mat that the bags were sitting on when we came home

None of this is normal behaviour. You need help with your serious anxiety issue, not bedbugs.

https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/bed-bugs-appearance-and-life-cycle

Not a bed bug. Like pp says, likely a spider

You might be right. It didn't look like a spider to me because the legs have disappeared in the washing machine and it was just a shell resembling a beetle and more brown than most spiders. There does seem to be space for 8 legs so maybe that's what it is! Feeling reassured already.

To be fair to the OP, I live in fear of getting bedbugs and I’m not even an anxious person.
It’s honestly my worst case scenario due to how difficult they are to get rid of.

I'd be digging my doormat out of the bin 🤣

I think it’s a spider too x

Spiders do curl their legs up when they die because if you recall the plot of arachnophobia the spider in it learns to do this to trick the human I to taking it away in a specimen jar and that's where the carnage begins.

I had bedbugs previously (AHHHHHH) & they were much smaller than this, different shape also

Do people really check beds in hotels for bugs. I’m in a PI tonight and haven’t checked!

Yep, this is absolutely mad. Why on Earth are you doing this?

Given the horror stories about having bed bugs, I do understand the checking of the hotel but the rest seems an overaction.

Thanks for all your helpful replies.

I'm now feeling much better about this and realising that I overreacted to what looks much more likely to be a dead, legless spider than a bed bug. Feeling quite upset with myself that I threw out the bags so quickly without caring about the contents. DC's shells from the beach are in there so I'll make it my task tomorrow to retrieve them (and then deal with another round of contamination anxiety do doubt).

One good thing to come of all this it is that the front door area has never looked so clean and tidy!

Spider - too many legs for a bedbug. They are more like woodlice, but red

The picture isn't very clear but there are no legs but what might be the stumps of legs (I know, poor soul). There are 8 stumps, I believe a bed bug has 6 legs, so agree it most likely was a spider.

It's not anything dangerous - everything is clean and safe and you don't need to worry. Please do seek help for your anxiety though. Sertraline is a wonderful and life-changing drug x

I have ocd - do you have ocd contamination? Throwing everything out before checking bed bugs seems quite an extreme reaction