ICKY Travel Question!!

[irishfanx4]

This is such an icky travel question but our trip is getting closer and I'm driving DH crazy with this! Lol! Was reading an article about how rampant bed bugs are becoming. Even people getting them from the belly of the airplane on their luggage as well as the overhead storage compartments on the planes. I will of course check out our hotel room/beds like a mad woman but am still a bit nutty from reading the other article about air travel. I did find bed bug zippered luggage protectors to purchase to put your luggage in for travel. I'm sure people will think I'm going a bit over board but don't want any extra passengers coming home with us!! Any thoughts??

 

[ToddyLu]

I do not think it sounds nutty. Use the bags if you want to. I have to admit I checked the mattress for the very first time on our last visit. We flew to and from MCO in Dec and didn't secure any new passengers. But I am a wound care nurse so if I didn't like bugs--I would be working at Disney

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Weekly traveler here..

Never met a bed bug.

Do nothing to protect luggage etc. Don't really stress over the room either.

 

[dudspizza]

Weekly traveler here..

Never met a bed bug.

Do nothing to protect luggage etc. Don't really stress over the room either.

I don't travel weekly, but I too have never met a bed bug. It is something I am not worried about at all....

 

[locolala]

You know that TSA won't put the bags back on if your bags get searched, right? The protectors might even make your stuff look suspicious. I've traveled around the world a few times and never encountered bugs on planes.. so don't stress. If you're really worried, put your suitcases in garbage bags when you get home and let them sit in the garage until you do your laundry.

 

[goofy4tink]

Are bedbugs becoming a bigger problem than in the past? Yes. Do you need to go nuts and buy addtl stuff to protect yourself from them? No. Seems that the bigger the bedbug 'problem' gets, the more people that come out of the woodwork to sell us stuff to protect against bedbugs!!!

What to do when traveling??? Check your hotel room upon arrival. Don't put your luggage on the floor until you have checked out the bedding and baseboards around the bed area. If you are really concerned, don't unpack. Leave your luggage up on the luggage rack thingie or on a table. And then live out of the suitcase.
When you get home, rush all your washables into the laundry..wash and dry at highest heat possible. Leave your empty bags out in the trunk of your car, wrapped up in a large trash bag for about 2 weeks. The subsequent heat will kill anything that might be crawling around in the bags.

This is what we did when dd came home from camp after a nasty bedbug debacle!! Worked like a charm. And really, there is little reason to go overboard worrrying about these nasty little bugs.

 

[cey]

We just returned from a 7 week trip to Australia and Hawaii. I was paranoid about bringing home bugs so as we live in a cold climate (Canada) left all our luggage in the garage for 3 days during very cold weather. All the items which couldn't be frozen were brought into the laundry room, washed with lysol and water in the laundry tub. Clothes were brought in from the garage by the load and washed and dried in the laundry room. After the suitcases were emptied, I vacuumed them thoroughly ( used a vacuum with a disposable bag) and then wiped them down with Lysol. Added a spray of Febreeze and they now smell amazing. ( I will now do this after every trip!) I know it was a lot of work, but so worth it not to bring home any little unwanted passengers! So far so good!

 

[irishfanx4]

You know that TSA won't put the bags back on if your bags get searched, right? The protectors might even make your stuff look suspicious. I've traveled around the world a few times and never encountered bugs on planes.. so don't stress. If you're really worried, put your suitcases in garbage bags when you get home and let them sit in the garage until you do your laundry.

Thanks so much for all the helpful advice and hints. I don't want to be paranoid but on the other hand I don't want any bugs!! I guess I will forgo the bags and bring a flash light for spotting and a ton of trash bags in the car for the ride home from the airport with the luggage. I also read an article where when you get to the hotel you should NOT set your luggage down. You should place it in the bathtub till your sure your room is safe. I'm thinking our luggage and the luggage stand may just live in the bathroom for our vacation.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You are worrying too much. I travel all the time and have not encountered bedbugs anywhere; in hotels or on planes.