Stop bed bugs from ruining your guest room mattress this holiday season — all you need is a credit card

On the left, an image of two women closely inspecting the bedding of a mattress as they make the bed, in our Sleep Lab. On the right, a close up of bed bugs giding in the seams of a mattress.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire and bed bugs nipping at your toes... whether your traveling for the season or playing host, bed bugs in a mattress are a sure-fire way to ruin the holiday cheer.

But there is a quick and easy way to identify bed bugs, and it's hiding in your wallet. No, they won't be bribed with the promise of holiday gifts but a credit card and a flashlight form a simple bed bug detective kit, stopping an outbreak before you have to stuff your stockings with diatomaceous earth.