Recently, I haven’t been able to open a single app without being confronted with the menacing form of a bed bug. After taking hold of Paris’ mattresses, it seems the critters have started to establish their London stronghold, too (oh, good).
We know from personal experience how ridiculously disruptive the little bugs can be. So, we thought we’d reach out to the pros to find out how to protect ourselves while travelling.
HuffPost UK spoke to ecologist, conservation scientist, and entomologist Professor Adam Hart about the bed-based terrors. Here’s what he had to say:
1) Inspect, inspect, inspect
Whether you’re staying at a friend’s house or a hotel, it’s a good idea to get up close and personal with your mattress, Professor Hart told HuffPost UK. In fact, it was his first piece of advice.
“When travelling, the best thing to do is to inspect your bed carefully,” Hart says. He advises we “look online to find out what eggs, larvae and adults look like, and to see how bed bug droppings and blood marks look. That way you will be able to see if you might have a problem.“
2) Think outside the box
One of the many terrifying things about bedbugs is how good they are at hiding. Professor Hart advises we look a little further than our mattress and sheets when trying to find the beasties.
“Check other areas, like around and behind the headboard,” he says. Bed bugs may also hide in places like sofa and chair seams and old drawer joints.
3) Cover your clothes
Speaking of bed bugs’ many homes, you’ve likely already heard about their ability to cling to our clothes. So, it makes sense that Professor Hart advises us to keep our outfits securely covered while travelling.
“If you are worried then keep your clothes packed inside your closed bag. Some people even pack their clothes in Ziplock-style bags to keep any bed bugs out,” he says.
4) Wash everything the second you get home
If you’re worried about bringing bugs home, Hart says you should steam-clean or machine-clean your clothes (and bags, if possible) the second you get home.
“When you return home wash clothes at a high temperature and tumble dry; dry-cleaning and steam cleaning also kill bed bugs in fabrics that be washed or dried at high temperatures,” he says.
Heat is important here, so don’t lower the temps too much.
Ah, the joys of travel...