Tips and Hacks to Avoid Bed Bugs When Traveling: featuring Lucy Belle LeMay and Nurse Anne Thracks

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• Bedbug Basics

• Before Your Trip

  • Pack Smart

  • Inspect Your Hotel Room

• During Your Stay

  • Keep Your Belongings Contained

  • Be Cautious When Out and About

• When You Get Home

  • Inspect and Wash Items

  • Look for Signs of Infestation

• Conclusion

• Attribution

Introduction

Traveling can be a fun and exciting experience. However, one downside is the potential to bring home unwanted souvenirs like bedbugs. Bedbugs are small, flat, parasitic insects that feed on human and animal blood. They can easily hitch a ride in luggage and clothing and infest your home. While avoiding bedbugs entirely may not be possible, there are steps you can take before, during, and after your trip to minimize your risk. For a fun take on bed bugs, watch the music video, Bed Bug Love, on YouTube.

Bedbug Basics

Bedbugs are oval-shaped, wingless, reddish-brown insects around the size of an apple seed. During the day, they hide in dark crevices and cracks near sleeping areas. At night, they emerge to feed on blood. Though their bites are not known to transmit disease, they can cause itchy welts and skin irritation. Bedbugs are also difficult and expensive to eradicate once established.

Infestations are on the rise worldwide due to increased international travel, development of pesticide resistance, and lack of effective treatment options. However, bedbugs do not indicate dirty conditions and can be found even in the cleanest living spaces if given the opportunity to hitchhike inside.

Before Your Trip

Pack Smart

• Put luggage in plastic bags to reduce hiding spots. Inspect bags thoroughly before packing.

• Pack minimal belongings and essentials only. The less you bring, the less can be infested.

• Use hard-sided luggage which offers fewer crevices than soft-sided bags.

• Vacuum suitcases thoroughly before packing to remove any stowaways.

Inspect Your Hotel Room

• Pull back bed linens and check the mattress seams, headboard, and furniture crevices for signs like dark spots or reddish stains.

• Check behind wall decor and electrical outlet plates. Bedbugs can hide in cracks in the walls.

• Keep suitcases closed or covered during inspection so bugs cannot transfer inside.

• Request a room change if you find signs of bedbugs.

During Your Stay

Keep Your Belongings Contained

• Never place luggage or bags on beds, upholstered furniture, or floors. Use hard surfaces or luggage racks.

• Store items in sealed plastic bags when not in use. This limits bedbug access.

• Launder clothing or use a hot clothes dryer to kill bedbugs before repacking into bags.

Be Cautious When Out and About

• Avoid buying used furniture or clothing which could harbor bedbugs.

• Inspect theater and transit seats before sitting to avoid picking up hitchhikers.

• Change clothes and wash them immediately upon returning to your room after being out.

When You Get Home

Inspect and Wash Items

• Unpack directly into a garage or laundry room, not bedrooms.

• Check luggage thoroughly and clean with a vacuum or steamer.

• Wash all clothing, linens, and fabrics in hot water and dry on high heat.

Look for Signs of Infestation

• Examine mattresses, furniture, and baseboards for dark stains or live bugs.

• Look for reddish fecal spots in crevices or on sheets.

• Monitor for itchy bite marks over the next few weeks.

While the risk of transporting bedbugs during travel cannot be fully prevented, following these tips can greatly reduce your chances. Be vigilant in inspecting rooms, limiting items brought along, and containing belongings. Take thorough precautions unpacking at home to avoid spreading an infestation. Stay mindful, but do not let concerns over bedbugs prevent you from creating wonderful travel memories.

—This article was written, restructured, or adapted by Russell with information gathered from sources around the internet. Russell is the producer of Amber Live and is greatly overworked to pull it all together.  If it’s on the internet, it must be true. (We’re kidding.) BUT, if you find any errors or omissions in the article, please let us know so that we may correct the issue. Thanks for your support!