Okay, it’s gross and no fun to read about, but frequent travelers everywhere are buzzing about…bed bugs. Is this for real? Apparently it’s all too real; a pest we thought was a relic of depression-era tenements is now taking up residence in hotels across the globe.
What surprised me the most, I must confess, is how many of the hotels challenged with bed bug reports are high-end hotels, including members of respected chains that you’d think would have high-tech pest eradication programs in place. But yep — Hiltons, Holiday Inns, Radissons and ritzy boutique hotels are turning up among those listed by the Bed Bug Registry, a website where travelers report their experiences with the nasty critters. The fun touch: a clickable coast-to-coast map.
So first a few facts:
• Bed bugs are so small you rarely see them. What you will see (and feel!) are tiny red bites, often on the feet, ankles and calves. They itch big time.
• Bed bugs only come out at night, usually in the wee hours of the morning.
• They can be as small as a sesame seed, and possess the ability to flatten their bodies to fit inside tiny crevices, so don’t count on actually seeing them.
• The best way to check for bed bugs is to lift up the sheets and look around the edges of the mattress for their waste products (think shells, feces, and traces of blood — as in ick).
• Also check under upholstery pillows and behind headboards.
• According to pest control companies, bed bugs were pretty much eradicated 50 years ago by DDT, but since heavy duty pesticides were banned in the 1970s they’ve been slowly making a comeback.
• The Orkin pest control company says the problem is nationwide; their agents have been called to rid hotels and homes of bed bugs in all but three states.
The good news is that new products are starting to arrive to help us deal with the bed bug threat. First out the gate in terms of a travel product is Rest Easy, an all natural concoction featuring cinnamon and lemongrass oil. These ingredients are said by herbalists to repel and possibly even kill the pests. The company boasts impressive statistics, though there’s little data beyond theirs and I find it hard to believe bugs resistant to DDT could be killed by natural oils.
Does it work? Therein lies a problem – how would you know, since you can’t spot the darn things anyhow? I can tell you I’ve spritzed it between the sheets in at least 20 hotels over the past three months, and I’ve nary an itch or scratch to complain about. But wait — another explanation is there weren’t any bed bugs to worry about anyhow. It smells good, if faintly medicinal, so there’s really no downside to using it, other than the expense (cheapest at two bottles for $14.95 from pest control companies) and the space the two-ounce bottle takes up in your quart-size plastic baggie of toiletries. And while I find the product’s claims to kill the bugs a bit far-fetched, I can believe that it works as a repellent, since I’ve had good luck with natural oil-based mosquito repellents.
So here’s where I really take the “better safe than sorry” approach: Stowaways. Bed bugs can hop into luggage or tuck themselves into clothes left on hotel floors, then cop a ride home and invade your home. That’s where the real ick factor comes into play.
So I always:
• Store my suitcase on the raised fold-out rack that hotels usually provide to keep it off the floor. (Tip: move the rack away from the wall.)
• Resist scattering my clothes around the floor; instead I hang them in the closet or keep them inside my suitcase. (Don’t use hotel chest drawers.)
• Spray some Rest Easy around the edges of my suitcase when I get there as a barrier to keep curious bugs from getting any ideas.
• Leave my suitcase outside for a few days to air out when I get home, and wash all the clothes I brought in hot water, then dry them in a hot dryer.
My friend and fellow travel writer Diana Lambdin Meyer also has a good post on the bed bug epidemic in hotels. If you have bed bug tips, please feel free to share them here. All ideas welcome.
It took six months to get bed bugs out of my house. It wasn't quick or easy. To avoid bed bugs when I travel I keep my clothes in XXL Ziplock bags and when i get home everything goes into my Packtite, portable oven designed to kill bed bugs. You can watch videos on how to inspect for bed bugs at bedbugsnw.com. I'm afraid scented oils will not deter bed bugs from biting you. They eat blood and don't care what you smell like. Bed bugs reproduce like crazy so you need to have information to successfully avoid and eradicate bed bugs.
Hi Terrabyte and thanks for sharing your story – ugh! My kids got head lice once when they were little and it was such a terrible trauma for all getting rid of them that I take the threat of pest infestations super seriously! I guess my thinking is that perhaps the sprays are at least preventing the bugs from getting in my suitcase, since it's taking them home with me that I truly fear. (A few bites while I'm there doesn't seem as serious a threat, since I've dealt with tropical mosquitoes and sand fleas many times.)The plastic bags are a great idea, though — I'll start doing that for sure!
Although I hate to think about bed bugs in hotel rooms. It's good to know the best way to combat them. Thanks for the information. I've linked to your post at the My Itchy Travel Feet page on Facebook.
This is no joke, and I am really glad you have written about it. I can tell you that, as an innkeeper, I was horrified a few years ago when I realized a lovely couple, who had stayed at an upscale hotel in NY prior to their visit to Cape Cod, well, they had stowaways in the luggage or laptop, and I had to deal with it after they left. What a nightmare! Especially for a green innkeeper. The chemicals are the only way to really be sure you get rid of these pests. Fortunately, I caught the problem early. The thing is, they spread through the walls in New York hotels. I have heard it is a problem at Disneyland. Our town health agent sent a warning last spring to be on the lookout. Now I warn guests who have booked and come from abroad or will have stayed in NY first, to watch out and tell them the tricks you mention, like keeping luggage closed at all times. Ugh! I hate bed bugs!!!
Ick is right! When I wrote about bedbugs a while back, the post got a zillion hits. Although they're disgusting, for some reason people love to read about them. These are great tips, Melanie – thanks! I've also heard about dogs being trained to sniff out the critters (not in hotels, but in your home). Thanks for the suggestion, too, for Rest Easy. I'm going to order some, just to be safe.
Thank you, thank you for this post. I live in fear of these critters. Now, I'm thinking I should go to cheaper hotels (where I don't have to pay for wi-fi, either).
Oh ick! The thought of this is just awful. Thanks for all the tips. I am definitely going to follow them.
I've heard that bed bugs are making a resurgence, but haven't wanted to give it much thought–ew. You offer some great tips here. I'll start checking hotel mattresses!
I hate the idea of these things being in bed with me. But I think it's probably a good thing that we are no longer using DDT.
For your home bed, you can encase it in a cover that will prevent bed bugs from gaining access to the softer part of the mattress, which is where they like to lay their eggs. Same with pillows. Not sure why hotels don't use these. They don't cost all that much.
Great information Melanie – thanks for sharing this.
I do think it's important for readers to remember that these bugs – unlike cockroaches or other nasties – have nothing to do with a hotel's cleanliness. They are being spread in the clothing of travelers, and because they are so tiny and hard to spot, most housekeeping staff never see them. And yes, their sense of smell is very strong so they will migrate through cracks in walls (if such cracks exist) to get from an empty mattress to one with someone sleeping in it.
As much as I dislike chemicals like DDT, sadly the aromatic oils do not do any good – as Terrabyte points out – they make you feel better but are really a waste of money as the bugs don't care about them – they just want your blood no matter how good or bad you smell.
If you're SURE you don't have bedbugs at home, but suspect you've encountered them while traveling, definitely put ALL of your belongings into airtight plastic backs (ziploc works well) and make sure you squeeze as much air out as possible – yes, they can suffocate, but it's more about making sure there aren't holes they can sneak out of, and when you get home DON'T bring your luggage into your bedroom -take it right away to your laundry room and wash everything on the hottest wash setting and dry completely on the hottest dry setting. Use HOT steam to clean your luggage, and use the Packtite for anything that can't be washed or steamed.
There is a lot of really good information available at bedbugger.com, but one should really read through all of it if they have a concern.
Bleech to bedbugs. Horrible. And Alexandra's experience with guests bringing them to her inn sounds awful too. Hooray for the spray though!
I had heard about this, but wasn't sure I could believe it. Bed bugs?! Wow. I love your recommendation of Rest Easy, specifically because it's natural. I have a vacation planned in June and will be adding Rest Easy to the packing list!
Good for you for posting on a subject that deals with a less sexy part of travel — but something everyone should know how to deal with. Just back from a trip. Feeling itchy now.
Bedbugger (a good website for all things bedbuggy) has great FAQs on how to avoid bed bugs when you travel, or how to avoid taking them home if you encounter them.
I recommend it! http://bedbugger.com/faqs/travel/
In some part of Asia, bed bugs are a little smaller compared to ones in the US and Europe. But these Asian bed bugs, despite their size, will make you feel itchy for 3 DAYS after being bitten by them
More illegal aliens more bed bugs think there is a connection?
Actually, Jean, some of the hotels with the biggest bed bug problem are extremely pricey upscale hotels that only the very wealthy stay at. There is no connection between bed bugs and illegal aliens. They do not discriminate; everyone is equally tasty to a bed bug.
Help!!!! I have bites all over me and headed home
now!!!!! Are these things going to infest my car?
I am freaking out!!!!