I’M AN ENTOMOLOGIST. HERE’S HOW I AVOID BED BUGS WHEN I TRAVEL
If you’re traveling this summer, you might be worried about bed bugs crawling into your luggage and hitching a ride home with you. With all those creepy Paris infestation headlines circulating online last year and, more recently, reports of sightings in several Las Vegas strip hotels, it’s hard not to freak out.
Thankfully, these critters don’t transmit diseases to humans, Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, PhD, an entomologist and senior associate of the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell University, tells SELF. But still, bed bugs are considered public health pests for good reason: “They can bite on exposed skin at night—the face, neck, arms, legs, hands, feet,” Dr. Gangloff-Kaufmann explains.
In rare cases, their bites can cause severe allergic reactions (like life-threatening anaphylaxis), and scratching them can sometimes lead to secondary skin infections such as impetigo and ecthyma. Not to mention, these pests multiply quickly and can easily take over your home, which may do a number on your mental health. So, it’s a good idea to protect yourself, especially if you’re staying in a hotel or vacation rental.
That’s because, as the name implies, bed bugs are usually found in, yep, beds. (They feed on human blood, so where better to lurk than where we sleep and lie still for hours?) As they reproduce, however, “they can spread to other nearby areas, like side tables or under lamps, as well as rugs and curtains,” Dr. Gangloff-Kaufmann explains.
Before you completely spiral and cancel your trip, though, there are a few steps you can take to keep your vacation as pest-free as possible. Below, Dr. Gangloff-Kaufmann shares her top three tips for avoiding bed bugs when traveling.
1. Don’t leave your luggage on your bed.
Whatever you do, avoid putting your suitcase on the bed, where those little creepy crawlers tend to hide. “Bed bugs thrive in crevices close to humans,” Dr. Gangloff-Kaufmann says—meaning they can also live in the nooks and crannies of places like couches, armchairs, rugs, and carpeted floors.
Instead, prop your belongings above the ground, ideally on a luggage rack (you can usually find one in the closet or entryway of a hotel room): “Bed bugs can technically climb, but they wouldn’t—not unless a person is sitting on [the rack]—since these pests are motivated by a host’s scent and warmth,” she says.
If your accommodation doesn’t have a luggage rack, you can also place your suitcase on a hard, tiled surface (like the bathroom floor) or, as recommended by the American Lodging and Hotel Association, in the car until you’ve done a thorough inspection (see below). Another option: Cover your luggage with a plastic trash bag.
2. Strip the sheets and examine every inch of your mattress.
To thoroughly scan your room for bed bugs, Dr. Gangloff-Kaufmann says to start by stripping the sheets, blankets, and pillows from the bed. (Yes, it’s kind of inconvenient, but it’s worth the hassle to ensure your safety.) Then, lift the mattress and use your phone’s flashlight to check for signs of these unwelcome guests (read on for the biggest red flags).
Don’t stop there: “Other places to inspect include the boxspring sides, the bed skirt if there is one, and all around and behind the headboard,” she adds. (You can do this by pulling the bed away from the wall, if possible.) And make sure to examine the furniture, too—sofa, chairs, nightstands—as well as curtains and rugs.
Okay, so what exactly should you look for? It’s important to recognize bed bugs in all their life stages (eggs, newly hatched babies, and adults) along with their telltale markings (including blood stains and fecal droppings—fun!). Googling photos (or referencing the images below) is probably the easiest way to ID these things, but here’s a quick rundown: Adult bed bugs are mahogany-colored, wingless (unlike beetles or cockroaches), and about the size of a lentil or apple seed. They’re round (and plump) if they’ve eaten, Dr. Gangloff-Kaufmann says, and flatter, longer, and more ovular if they haven’t.
Newly hatched babies are much smaller (about 1 mm long) and change in color depending on if they’ve ingested blood: They’re pale white or clear if they haven’t but if they have, you can see the blood in their bodies, making them appear red, tan, or mahogany-brown, Dr. Gangloff-Kaufmann explains. Their eggs are pearl-white but may be hard to see without a flashlight since, she says, they’re the size of “a comma in the New York Times.”
You may also encounter their poop stains (tiny clusters of brown or black spots). “They look like magic marker dots [about this size: •] and if you were to wipe the marks with a damp cloth or paper towel, the residue would be rust-colored, reddish-brown,” she explains. Bed bugs can also shed their “skin” (technically, their exoskeleton), so you might stumble upon a translucent, possibly light brown, empty shell.
3. To play it safe, fire up your hair dryer to exterminate potential intruders.
Most standard pesticide sprays won’t kill bed bugs, but you know what will? Heat. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, these bloodsuckers die when their body temperature reaches 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whether you’ve possibly spotted these critters or just want to be extra cautious, using a hair dryer is an easy way to exterminate them with lethal heat and ensure they won’t bite or reproduce. Of course, it’s hard to gauge whether your tool has reached that perfect temperature. That’s why Dr. Gangloff-Kaufmann suggests using this simple trick: Blow hot air under the seams of the mattress, around the boxspring, behind the headboard, and so on, and hold the dryer in each spot for a few seconds. Then, touch the area you just blasted: If it feels uncomfortably hot on your hand, that should definitely be intense enough to scorch a bed bug.
Dr. Gangloff-Kaufmann’s final bit of advice: Even if you’re confident you’ve dodged any little hitchhikers, it’s smart to do a quick post-vacation inspection, too: She recommends giving your belongings a once-over for any of the above signs, tossing your clothes (including unworn ones) into a hot dryer for 30 minutes, and scanning your body for possible bites. (Everyone reacts differently, but they typically resemble a cluster of mosquito or flea bites and may be itchy and swollen, per the CDC).
Now that you’re armed with some pre- (and post-) getaway tips, hopefully you can travel with more peace of mind—and return home without any unwanted souvenirs.
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