Bed Bugs are Travelling!

Pugs in your bed are one thing (we think they’re cute) but Bed Bugs… Eeuw!

Travel insurance covers a lot of travel-related mishaps, but one thing it is unlikely to cover is any expense associated with picking up bed bugs on your travels.  Getting rid of them can be a costly nightmare, so it’s definitely better to avoid entertaining them in the first place.

Even fans of vampire tales are likely to recoil at the thought of sharing their bed with blood-sucking bed bugs.  Infestations are popping up all over the world and in recent years have become a particular problem in North America, Australia, parts of Europe - and reported to be increasing in the UK. 

There are enough travel-related problems to fret about already so we apologise for giving you something else to lose sleep over.   However, with the rise in foreign travel, immigration, and the banning of the chemical DDT it seems that bed bugs have made a comeback and are digging their heels in.  It’s better to be aware of the possibility of running into these nasty little critters rather than learning when it’s too late.

Bed bugs used to be associated with shabby motels but they have moved up in the world.  It doesn’t matter how clean you are as bed bugs are only interested in one thing - your blood – and they don’t care if it’s blue or any other colour. 

There have been news reports of serious infestations in New York, with the bugs being found in five-star luxury hotels, upmarket shops, and even (strangely) the basement of the Empire State building.  These tiny terrors are terrorists of a different kind, with six legs and a voracious appetite.

Bed bugs are tiny and flat and able to hide in all sorts of places, including suitcases, backpacks, computer bags, handbags, shoes and clothing.  They are keen travellers and opportunists and will hitch a ride anyway they can get it; in delivery trucks, your luggage, on cruise ships, taxis, buses, trains, planes.  They lurk anywhere that people go and there is a ready source of blood to feed on. 

They are called bed bugs for a reason, of course, as they love to hide in places like the seams of mattresses, bed frames, headboards, pillows, and box springs.  In heavy infestations they may also hide in unlikely places such as computers and the spines of books, cracks in the walls, etc.

You name it, bed bugs have probably been there, done that, got the T-shirt and eaten very well along the way.  They are being found in hotels of all ratings, apartment buildings, dormitories, military barracks, theatres, cinemas, hospitals, nursing homes, laundromats, dry cleaners, churches, gyms…  Be selective with furniture rentals and avoid second-hand furniture (especially sofas and mattresses) and clothing like the plague. 

Unless you plan to give up travel and stay at home and be a hermit you’d be wise to educate yourself and be aware of the possibility of picking up these unpleasant bedfellows, and what to look for.  There is plenty of information on the internet; try Bedbugger.com for a start, and their forum.  Travel review sites like TripAdvisor have reports and reviews on good and bad hotels and accommodation. 

A few tips to avoid picking up bed bugs when travelling:

• Use hard/smooth-sided suitcases if possible
• Pack a flashlight and magnifying glass to inspect hotel room and bed
• Use metal luggage stand or put bags in bath/shower while checking room
• Don’t use hotel drawers without inspecting first
• Check beds, mattress seams, box springs, for sign of bugs
• Check linen for signs of old blood spots
• Consider using sealable plastic bags for items in your luggage
• If you find bugs in your hotel room – switch hotels, not just rooms

Bed bug bites resemble flea or mosquitoes bites but are not known to transmit diseases – although research is ongoing.  A telltale sign you have bed bugs is that the bites are usually in rows, also known as the ‘breakfast, lunch and dinner’ pattern.  The bugs are most active during the night, but may also be seen during daytime if hungry enough.  Having said that, they can apparently survive for about a year without feeding.

Bed bugs are difficult to get rid of, so it is better to prevent them invading your space to start with.  Do your research before using chemicals, which may be toxic and harmful to your own health.  Insecticidal dusts containing silica powder, which stick to the bugs’ exterior and cause them to desiccate, are believed by some to be effective.   Some properties and companies are employing specially trained sniffer dogs to detect the presence of bugs, as well as using pest control companies, which often use expensive methods such as extreme heat or cold to kill the bugs and their eggs.

Prevention and awareness are the best weapons against bed bugs.  At the time of writing, to our knowledge, travel insurance is unlikely to cover costs associated with getting rid of bed bugs.  It is also unlikely that your house insurance will foot the bill for exterminators if you take them home as souvenirs from your trip and they infest your home. 

We wouldn’t recommend this method, but there is an old saying: Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite – and if they do use dynamite!

Flickr cc Image:  Nevada Tumbleweed (Pug ‘Trever’)