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As we plan our next trip, we have a variety of concerns on our radar, from serious issues like how destinations are working to mitigate tourists’ environmental impact to inconveniences like months of waiting for passports. In this column, we’ll answer your questions about navigating the world.
I read the other day that bed bugs are now found in all 50 states and are appearing in more and more hotels, even nice ones. I travel regularly so this makes me nervous. How can I avoid bed bugs and what is the worst that can happen if I get bitten? And if they happen to hitchhike to my house and start an infestation, what do I do then? Eeeek! this is my nightmare – Wiretapped
Your fears are absolutely justified. A few years ago when I was hiking in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, I started having a burning, itchy sensation two hours into my five hour hike. It was so intense that not even the surrounding snowy peaks could distract my urge to scratch. Finally, when my guide stopped to make mint tea, I yanked up the right sleeve of my puff. A zigzag of small red bumps on my forearm confirmed my suspicion: bed bugs.
Two weeks earlier, at a conference in Marrakech, several attendees turned up with pockmarked faces, which was due to the fact that I had stayed in a bed bug-infested hotel in the Atlas Mountains where I was supposed to stay after the conference before my trek. Surely the owner would have taken care of the situation by then, I reasoned; Besides, I would only be there for one night.
The series of swollen, prickly bites on my arm was proof the hotel owner hadn’t exterminated. By the time my guide and I reached our cabin, my skin felt like I had rolled over in poison ivy and then been attacked by no-see-ums. It was relentless. Worse, though, was the terrifying thought of parasites crawling over me as I slept. As fate would have it, the cabin and the previous hotel belonged to the same owner; Afraid of becoming a midnight snack again, I decided to soak in the bath for the next three nights.
Few insects are as psychologically disruptive as bed bugs. During the day they lurk undetected, and at night they emerge from crevices in bed frames, seams in mattresses, and crevices in walls and floorboards to insert their beaks into our skin and suck our blood for up to ten minutes. The beetle’s saliva contains an anesthetic that numbs the skin so you never feel the bite, and the resulting red, swollen bumps can take one to several days to even appear.
The good news is that bedbugs are not poisonous, nor do they carry disease. In rare cases, bites can cause anaphylaxis, but most people simply experience itching like I did. (Still others have no reaction at all.) When I got back to Marrakech I was able to buy a skin cream with hydrocortisone to soothe the irritation, and upon my return to the States my dermatologist said I had an extreme reaction, so suggested an oral one antihistamine such as Benadryl. It took over two weeks for my bites to go away, but in most cases they are gone within a week.
Linear or zigzag bite marks indicate bed bugs (Photo: Getty Images/Joel Carillet)
However, if you’ve been bitten, there’s something else to worry about: eventual stowaways crawling into your belongings. If these are resistant to pesticides, getting rid of them when they make it into your home is a real problem.
After my trip to Morocco I wanted to move into a new apartment. The lease mentioned repercussions for any tenant being held responsible for bringing in bugs, and I remember thinking at the time: Disgusting! What dirty person carries bed bugs?
But equating dirt with bugs or unclean facilities is a myth. They can be found in the cheapest hostels and the best luxury resorts. “Unlike flies, bugs aren’t attracted to rot or the buildup of organic matter,” says Eric Braun, a chartered entomologist and technical services manager at Ehrlich Pest Control in Philadelphia. “Bed bugs can be found anywhere there is a population of people for them to feed on.”
Unwilling to risk a bug outbreak in my new apartment, I made the difficult decision to leave my luggage in Morocco, including the Berber rugs I had lavished on myself. I also vowed to myself that I would never again lazily toss my luggage on or under the bed in my hotel room. Jim Fredericks, senior entomologist at the National Pest Management Association in Fairfax, Virginia, later explained to me that bugs are attracted to heat and carbon dioxide. They do not always return to their original hiding place after a meal. Sometimes they’ll go to any crack or crevice near the host—usually within five feet—and seams on backpacks and luggage are especially inviting, especially when they’re around.
When I shared my traumatizing misadventure with friends, many shared their own bed bug horror story. As the media has reported in recent years, these insects, which have terrified humans for centuries, are on the rise again. According to the National Pest Management Association, one in five Americans has either been personally affected by the parasites or knows someone who is affected. In France, bedbugs have become such a threat that they are considered a national health risk.
Hotels are particularly vulnerable due to the transient nature of their guests. One of the newest studies, released in 2017 and conducted by Atlanta-based pest control company Orkin, found that eight out of 10 US hotels had been battling bed bugs in the past year. (And more recently, as reported in USA Today, Chicago was the number one nationwide bed bug problem last year, followed by New York and Philadelphia.)
The pandemic has since shown a clear link between travel and bedbug occurrences, Braun says. “As travel slowed, so did the number of bed bug sightings and reports,” he says. “As more people travel, we are seeing an increase in bed bug reports for the hotel and hospitality industry.”
According to a spokesman for the American Hotel and Lodging Association, “Our members take the health and safety of their guests very seriously, and that includes ensuring pest control procedures are in place to prevent and eradicate pests, including bed bugs.”
Can you avoid something that only comes out at night, is the size of an apple seed, and may or may not have found a new home in your belongings? The answer is: possibly, armed with the following information and diligence. And if you do become a victim, these smart strategies will help you deal with bites and infected baggage.
Bed bugs like to hide in bed frames, mattress seams, and cracks in walls and floorboards. (Photo: iStock/Getty Images/Dzurag)
Always check your room for signs of bed bugs before settling in
Bedbugs.net is a free bed bug report source that you can use to search for specific hotels. But that alone will not be enough. When checking into your hotel, inspection is key. Resist the urge to flop onto your bed and don’t unpack until you’ve performed a thorough room scan, says Fredericks.
“Pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams and box springs — particularly at the corners — for peppery stains, stains, or bug skins,” he says. “Do not place luggage on padded surfaces. The safest place is in the bathroom in the middle of a tiled floor or, after thorough inspection, on a luggage rack. Don’t use a luggage rack with hollow legs where bed bugs can hide unseen.”
Bugs have flattened, wingless, oval bodies and are reddish brown in color. Being nocturnal, they can be difficult to spot during the day as they tend to hide in tight, dark spaces. According to Braun, three telltale signs are fecal stains, which are stains left by the beetles and resemble black sharpie marks on fabrics or small blisters on hard surfaces; cast skins, the exoskeletons of previous molts; and blood smears suggesting a crushed bug.
Identifying a bug bite and next steps
“People don’t usually notice or wake up when they’re bitten,” says Fredericks. “Although the bite is painless at the time of attack, most people develop an allergic reaction to the saliva that is transferred during the bite — this causes bites to become red, itchy, and swollen.” Bug bites, he says, do occur usually in a linear or zigzag pattern, and anti-itch creams can be used to provide relief.
Immediately notify management of your suspicions. (In Morocco, I complained to the hotel owner, and he offered to compensate me for my losses.) Don’t agree to move to a room next to or directly above or below the suspected infestation, Fredericks says, because “bugs can easily hitchhiking through household vehicles, luggage and even through electrical outlets. When an infestation spreads, it usually does so in the rooms closest to the source.” Hotels should contact certified pest control specialists who will vacuum, steam or apply and in some cases use heat treatments EPA certified pesticidesto solve the problem.
Now it’s time to address your luggage. Anything that can be washed should be immediately tumble dried on a high setting because heat kills the bug and its eggs, says Changlu Wang, a professor in Rutgers University’s Department of Entomology. Then pack the clean clothes in plastic bags to avoid re-exposure. If you find bed bugs in or on something that can’t be washed, he suggests freezing the items for three to four days, although he says a home freezer may not be cold enough, as most experts say minus four degrees Recommend Fahrenheit.
Things to consider when you return home
Check your bags outside before bringing them indoors, advises Fredericks. Thoroughly vacuum your suitcase before putting it away. Consider using a hand steamer for your luggage, which can kill any bed bugs or eggs that may have come home with you. Wash and dry all your clothes. And if you suspect tramp bugs may have escaped your notice, Fredericks recommends contacting a licensed pest expert ahead of time — you can’t expect to eradicate them yourself. “Bugs,” he says, and as the following video shows, “are not DIY pests.”
