Unfortunately, according to recent reports, the word is not if, but when it happens. One glaring statistic about Manhattan is that half of the 400 hotels, both ritzy and ratty, have been reported last year for being infested with the nasty bugs.

What can a traveling senior do about it when it happens in a hotel room? First, when you arrive, pull back the covers and top sheet and very closely inspect the bed and mattress. If you see evidence of the little black pests, get out of that room pronto. You may opt to insist on one on a different floor. Or check out entirely, making sure you’re not charged for your stay. It happened once to your travel4seniors.com senior editor in a Las Vegas hotel about 10 years ago. Following a night’s sleep, we discovered bites on our legs, and after pulling back the covers, discovered several bugs.

Our complaint to the front desk was answered at first by sending up a staffer with a Polaroid tourist camera. He took several blurry, totally useless photos. Then they attempted to get us to move to a room down the hall. We refused, left and insisted that our bill was cancelled.

When we arrived home, we didn’t take our bags into the house. We emptied them outside on the pavement, then sprayed everything inside and out with a strong water hosing. When they dried, we hit them again with bug spray