Picture this: You’ve decided to go home for the holidays. You’ve saved up the money for a plane ticket and scored one of the last seats on a very crowded flight. You cram all of your belongings into a carry-on to avoid checked bag fees, cross your fingers in hopes you haven’t forgotten anything, and fight your way through holiday traffic to the airport.
At the airport, you inch your way through security, where you forget to take off your belt and are nearly tacked by enthusiastic TSA agents. As a result, you have to sprint to catch your plane, but you make it just in time! Whew!
Finally, your carry-on is stowed overhead, and you can kick back the whole 2 inches your economy seat allows and enjoy the flight. As you’re waiting for your free pretzels and soda and pretending to sleep to thwart the chatterbox next to you, you feel a stinging sensation in your side. You wave it away. Probably just muscle cramps from sitting so long, you tell yourself. It happens again. And again.
Hoping that stretching your legs will help, you interrupt your seatmate’s regaling tale about her fruitcake recipe and head to the lavatory. There, in the mirror, you notice angry red looking pinpricks on your side. What the heck is that?!
Guess what? It very well may be bed bugs.
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Flying at any time of the year, especially during the holidays, is stressful. While airlines make more and more cuts, such as reducing legroom, charging for carry-ons, and doing away with in-flight meals, there’s one frequent flyer who may be getting a free ride: Bed bugs.
While bed bugs on airplanes don’t get the same media attention as bed bugs in hotel rooms, they are a real problem you may face while traveling. Bed bugs make their way onto a plane through another passenger’s luggage. They then crawl over to your luggage or take up residence in the upholstery of the seat, where they will get to enjoy a free in-flight meal (you).
How can you prevent being bitten by bed bugs on a plane? Follow these tips:
Be Aware
Being aware of your surroundings is a great way to avoid bed bugs. Obviously, on an airplane (especially a crowded one), you can’t complete an in-depth inspection of everything. However, you can be aware. Know the signs of bed bugs (for example, red or black spots on upholstery), and don’t be afraid to bring potential “symptoms” to the attention of airline staff.
Bring Your Own
Do not use the pillow (or blankets for that matter) provided by the airline. They may be infested with bedbugs. Many people bring their own pillows and blankets due to sanitary or comfort reasons, so you won’t look the least out of place.
Tip: When you de-board the plane, put your pillow and blanket in a sealable plastic bag in case bed bugs have hitched a ride. Don’t open the bag again until you can wash and/or dry the contents on a hot setting.
Use a Seat Cover
To keep bed bugs from biting you or latching onto your possessions, try covering your seat. You can use different kinds of plastic, such as packing stretch wrap, garbage bags, or things like mattress protectors to slip over airplane seats. Yes, you’ll garner a few strange looks from your fellow passengers, but it beats getting devoured by these parasites during the flight.
While these tips aren’t foolproof, they should help you avoid nasty bites while flying.
If you’re concerned about bringing bed bugs home as a souvenir, follow these tips:
Wrap Items in Plastic
To keep bed bugs from hitching a ride, put your carry-on items in a sealable plastic bag before placing them under your seat or in the overhead compartment. Again, like with covering your seat, you’ll probably be the recipient of odd looks and eye rolling, but you won’t have to deal with an infestation when you get home!
Don’t Assume Checked Bags are Safe
Even after exiting the airport, leave your carry-on items sealed in plastic. If you have additional items that were not protected by plastic bag, such as a checked bag, place those in a plastic before putting them in your car. This will help prevent spreading the infestation to your vehicle.
Don’t Bring Items into the House
When you get home, don’t bring your baggage inside, even if it was sealed in plastic. While you may have avoided picking up bed bugs at the airport, you may have “caught” them prior to that at your hotel, in a taxi, etc. Set your luggage in the garage and leave it sealed until you are prepared to do some cleaning.
Deep Clean
Once you’re settled at home, open your luggage and immediately wash and dry all clothing on “hot” in order to kill bed bugs. If there are items that can’t be washed but can go in the dryer, dry them on hot as well. If you aren’t sure whether or not something can be heated in the dryer, consider freezing it. According to the University of Minnesota, when freezing something, “a minimum of 23°F (-5°C) must be maintained for at least 5 days” to take care of bed bugs.
If your luggage can’t be heated or frozen, store it in sealed plastic bags for approximately 2 weeks and then vacuum it thoroughly inside and out. You may also be well advised to use a stiff brush and hot, soapy water to scrub out any cracks and crevices in order to dislodge eggs and dead bed bugs.
Tip: To keep handling possibly infested clothing to a minimum, while you’re on vacation, sort your clothing into separate plastic bags. For example, put all whites in one plastic bag and all darks in another so you can literally just dump each bag into the washer.
How to Prevent Bed Bugs on Vacation
You don’t want to bring home bed bugs from your much-anticipated holiday! Here are our top tips for preventing bed bugs on vacation post-COVID.
#1 Know What to Look For
Do you know what bed bugs look like? To avoid bed bugs on vacation, you have to know what to watch out for!
It’s almost impossible to see bed bugs in their nymph stage, when they’re about the size of a pinhead. However, in their adult stage, they’re easier to spot:
- Their body is small, flat, and apple seed-shaped
- Their head is smaller than their body
- They have six legs and two relatively straight antennae
- They are brown or reddish-brown in color
In addition to actual adult bed bugs crawling around, there are a few other signs of a bed bug infestation:
- There are dark spots on bedsheets or duvets that look like the spot of a bleeding marker
- There are reddish or rust-colored stains on sheets or mattresses
- Skin casings of adult bed bugs are found
#2 Check Your Accommodations
Whether you are staying at a hotel, motel, bed & breakfast, cabin, “glamping” tent, or any other type of accommodation, check for bed bugs and their signs.
You can do this by pulling back the sheets, lifting the mattress, and looking in and around the bed for the signs we mentioned above. It’s also a good idea to check the other areas of the room. While bed bugs typically prefer the mattress, they can hide anywhere.
Bed bugs are notorious for hiding in various places within hotel rooms, making them a challenge to detect. When checking for bed bugs in a hotel room, focus primarily on the hotel bed itself, including the mattress and box spring, as these are common hiding spots.
You’ll want to be extra careful when checking your accommodations. If you suspect bed bugs, immediately alert hotel staff. You can change rooms or—even better—change hotels entirely. Yes, it’s a hassle, but it’s better than bringing bed bugs home with you!
Another good tip is to call prospective hotels before you book. Ask them what their procedures are for pest control. A good hotel will be happy to tell you how they proactively handle pest issues. (Note: a hotel that tells you they’ve “never had any problems” is a red flag: there are pests everywhere!)
It’s important to do this research even if you plan on staying in the most upscale hotel. Reports have been shared about no-star roadside motels and five-star resorts alike. A room’s high price tag is no protection against bed bugs!
We should also note that just because a hotel has had bed bugs in the past does not necessarily mean that you should avoid staying there. If you find that a prospective hotel has had bed bugs in the past, call them and find out what they have done to remedy the problem. Bed bugs are so prolific that if you avoid every place that has had them, you might never leave your house.
If You Find Bed Bugs or Evidence of Them…
If you discover a bed bug in your hotel room, immediately inform the hotel management and request to be moved to a different room. It’s crucial not to move your belongings hastily, as this could spread the little buggers.
When relocated, inspect the new room thoroughly at night when bed bugs are more active. Use luggage racks to keep your bags off the floor and away from the bedding and furniture. Look for signs like small dark stains or live bugs in the bedding, seams of the mattress, and other hidden spots.
Before leaving the hotel or heading home, ensure all your items are sealed in plastic bags to prevent any potential hitchhikers. Upon returning, wash all clothing in hot water and dry on high heat to kill any bed bugs.
Thoroughly vacuum your luggage and inspect it for any signs of bed bugs. Keep monitoring for bites or further evidence of bed bugs in the following weeks to ensure these pests have not followed you home.
Wash All Clothing on the Hottest Setting or Seal in an Airtight Plastic Bag
If you’re concerned about a bed bug infestation after traveling, taking steps to kill bed bugs and prevent them from settling into your home is crucial. Wash and dry your clothing and any fabric items on the highest heat setting as soon as you return; this extreme temperature will effectively kill bed bugs. For items that cannot be immediately washed, seal them in airtight plastic bags or garbage bags and leave them outside for several days before laundering them with hot water.
This method helps avoid bringing bedbugs home, as most bed bug transfers occur when luggage is left unattended for a period upon returning. Be vigilant in handling your luggage and other items to prevent an infestation.
#3 Be Careful with Your Luggage
Don’t unpack just yet: luggage is a common bed bug carrier. After you’ve checked your room, be careful where you put your suitcases. Instead of setting your luggage near the bed or on the floor, place it on a luggage stand or in the bathroom. (Bed bugs are less likely to hang out in bathrooms.)
#4 Do a Post-Vacation Check
It’s a good idea to take a few final steps to prevent bed bugs on vacation. If you suspect you might have brought bed bugs home (or just want to be extra cautious), you can do the following:
- Wipe off the soles of your shoes with rubbing alcohol
- Wash and/or dry your vacation clothing on high heat
- Seal clothing and luggage in an airtight plastic bag for several days and leave it outside or in your garage
- Keep a lookout for bed bugs in the days and weeks after you get home
Are Guests Who Have Traveled Recently a Risk?
Your guests could unknowingly bring bedbugs into your house via their suitcases, clothes, books, and even laptops. Left unchecked, just a few bedbugs picked up from a hotel can quickly lead to an infestation of your entire home. While bedbugs, fortunately, do not carry any diseases, an infestation can nonetheless result in loss of sleep, embarrassment, and even physical injury: a secondary skin infection may occur from excessive scratching at the bites.
Before you host any travelers this summer, learn the facts about bedbugs and how to protect yourself and your family.
Inform Your Guests
Travelers—particularly frequent travelers and guests of hotels—are at an elevated risk of carrying bedbugs. Bedbugs typically congregate where people rest for extended periods of time, making hotels perfect for breeding and spreading the pest.
If your guests are coming from a hotel or bed and breakfast, be sure to talk to them about reducing the likelihood that they bring bedbugs with them. The following tips will help both your guests and you.
Before leaving home, your guests should pack sealable plastic bags to store their travel items. Storing clothes and toiletries in plastic bags inside their suitcase can help keep bedbugs out.
After their arrival at a hotel, your guests should do the following:
- They should inspect the room for a bedbug infestation. This includes checking the mattress, box spring, and headboard before using the bed.
- They should place luggage and bags in the bathroom or on top of the desk in the room, not on the floor or upholstered furniture, where bedbugs are more likely to hide.
- Their clothes should be kept in their suitcases or, if necessary, on hangers in the closet. Clothes should never be left on the floor or bed.
- At the end of their stay, they should search their suitcases and other belongings for signs of bedbugs.
- If they find signs of bedbugs, they should notify hotel management immediately and demand a new room.
Mitigate Your Risk
When your guests arrive at your home, you don’t have to simply cross your fingers and hope they didn’t bring any bedbugs. There are a few things you can do to mitigate your risk:
- Check their suitcases (including the seams and zipper areas) for signs of bedbugs.
- Have your guests leave their suitcases outside, whether in their car or in your garage.
- Launder your guests’ clothes and shoes, when possible, using hot water and high heat. This will kill any bedbugs hiding in their clothing. Clothes that are too delicate to be laundered this way should be kept in plastic bags and preferably left outside of your home.
- Have your guests keep items that can’t be laundered; such as books, electronics, toiletries, and jewelry; in sealable plastic bags during their stay with you.
Inspect Your Home
Bedbugs are very small and adept at hiding. They move quickly and, since they are as thin as credit cards, are able to fit into the smallest cracks and corners. Bedbugs are frequently located on or near places where people rest, including mattresses, box springs, bedding, headboards, and bed frames. They can also be found in chairs, couches, furniture, curtains, carpet edges, floorboards, electrical outlets, and even wall cracks and loose wallpaper.
When inspecting your home, look for dark spots or reddish stains on bedding, tiny white eggs or eggshells, skin casings, and live bedbugs.
The signs of a bedbug infestation can easily be missed if you aren’t looking carefully. It can also be difficult to tell whether you have a bedbug problem or another pest infestation.
If bed bugs do manage to hitch a ride home with you, contact a professional, like those at Scherzinger Pest Control, right away before the infestation gets out of control. Tackling the problem quickly will save you time, money, and stress.
Scherzinger Termite and Pest Control is a trusted pest control company in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas, including Dayton, OH, and now Columbus, OH. We’ve been pioneers, engineering new standards for ways of eliminating and controlling bugs and pests. Contact us by phone at 1-877-748-9888 or through our website, Facebook, or Twitter.
