As a traveler, one of the most terrifying things you can hear is bed bugs. Encountering bed bugs while traveling is not only annoying and itchy but it can ruin an entire week of travel.
Bed bugs are extremely hard to get rid of, especially when you are budget traveling. The little bugs feast on your blood before you even know what is happening and once they find you they do everything they can to never let you go.
The good thing, is that while bed bugs do leave an itchy bite they are harmless. They don’t carry any diseases known to negatively impact humans and while it takes time you can get rid of while traveling.
WHAT ARE BED BUGS
Before diving into how you can spot bed bugs, and then get rid of them while traveling, here are some fun facts about what they are.
10 Fun Facts About Bed Bugs.
- There are two main species of bed bugs that enjoy eating human blood. Theses species include: Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus
- They date back to over 3,500 years ago.
- Did you know that bed bugs have a peak feeding time? They like to feast on their hosts while the hosts are sleeping and tend to chow down between midnight and 5 am.
- In order to survive, the bugs need to feed regularly but their eggs can stay hidden for weeks.
- They prefer the dark
- Bed bugs like to live in sofas, bed mattresses, clothing and other soft furnishings.
- Their bites don’t always appear right away; some bites can take up to 14 days to appear on the skin.
- Some species have adapted to preferring birds, bats and rats hosts instead of humans.
- Bed bugs bites are incredibly itchy and are bitten in rows
- The color of these bugs ranges from white or light tan to a deep brown or burnt orange color. Once they feed you can sometimes see a dark red or black blob on their stomachs.
STRATEGIES TO TAKE TO GET RID OF BED BUGS WHILE TRAVELING
There are a number of strategies you can take once you have already gotten bitten. If you wake up one morning with rows of bites on your body , chances are that you have bed bugs. They like to bite in rows so you should be able to see rows of 3-5 bites on your body.
Once you know that you have bed bugs try one of the following to get rid of the nasty little bugs:
Hot Water Wash:
Take all your clothing, bags and soft pouches out of the room and wash them in HOT water. In order to kill the eggs the water needs to be on the hottest temperature available. Meaning no less than 50 degrees.
Dry on HOT after washing:
After washing on hot you will need to dry on hot.
Black Garbage Bag
If you can’t wash your clothes you can stuff them inside a black garbage bag, tie the bag up so that it is completely sealed. Then put the bag on the roof directly under sunlight for the day and potentially overnight. The next day the eggs and bugs should be dead and you can shake out your clothes. Just to be safe I recommend washing your clothes after this process to keep them clean.
Iron All Your Clothes
If you don’t have access to a hot dryer a hot iron can do just as well. The downside with this is that it takes a lot more time and energy. That being said if you can get rid of the bugs and give yourself peace of mind then it is worth it.
HOW TO PREVENT BED BUG ENCOUNTERS
Once you have successfully gotten rid of the bugs you will want to take some preventative measures to make sure they don’t come back.
Use Deet:
I am not usually a big fan of using deet but sometimes it is a necessary tool. Spray down all your bags with deet to prevent any new creepy crawlies from nesting in your bag.
Use Lavender Oil:
For some reason bed bugs do not like lavender oil. If you have some essential oil take a small spray bottle and add a couple of drops of the oil inside. Then fill the rest of the bottle with water and shake it. Use the spray on your clothing, any beds or pillows you encounter and whenever you feel like it.
Read Reviews:
The best way to know ahead of time if a hostel has bed bugs is to read the reviews. Backpackers and other travelers are usually really good at warning other travelers about the bugs when they encounter them . Trust the reviews and stay clear of hostels with any reviews that even mention bed bugs. It is not worth the risk.
Check the Mattresses:
To check a mattress for bed bugs you can do two things. The first is check the bottom for red spots. Sometimes when a person gets bit alot the mattress gets red stains on it. Check both sides to make sure there are no red stains. Next you can check the stitching of the mattress. Bed bugs like to live in the corner stitching of mattresses.. Lastly check to see if the sheets have black dot stains on them. This could be bed bug poop stains and if you see one or two I wouldn’t worry. But if you see a lot then ask for another bed.
Go for Metal Beds:
If you have a choice look for hostels that use metal frames instead of wooden ones. Bed bugs can sometimes be attracted to the wood in the frames.
CONCLUSION
Overall, bed bugs are not fun to encounter. They are itchy, annoying and can ruin an entire week or more. The tips above should help you stay clear of them and or get rid of them but also know that bed bugs are more common than you think. A hostel can appear to be perfectly clean and free of creepy crawlies and still have one or two beds that are infected.
Have you ever encountered bed bugs before? Have a good tip for getting rid of them or avoiding them? Feel free to leave your tips in the comments below.
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