#How to prevent bedbugs while traveling

From hotels to trains and Airbnbs, bedbugs are being documented across Paris. Even Paris deputy mayor Emmanuel Grégoire recently said “no one is safe” on X, formerly Twitter. Just uttering the name of these easy-spreading critters can cause stress to many. 

News of the infestation may scare some travelers to reconsider their travel plans to Europe, buthe good news is that you don’t have to rebook your trip, according to Dr. Chow-Yang Lee, entomologist and professor at the University of California, Riverside. 

“It’s not something we should be overly concerned about,” Lee told USA TODAY. “They are there and they will continue to be there tomorrow. As travelers, we just have to be extremely careful not to bring them home.”

Bedbugs can’t really hurt you: But your fear of them might, experts say

Over the last 20 years or so, infestations of the tiny blood-sucking critters have been prevalent around Europe, Australia and the U.S. 

“With regards to bedbugs, it is not just going to Paris but particularly even traveling within continental U.S., you’re always at risk,” Lee said. 

Here’s how bedbugs could impact your upcoming travel plans.

Check your accommodations

According to Lee, a five-star rating doesn’t necessarily mean your hotel will be free of bedbugs, which like to hide in the seams of sofas and mattresses, and the crevices of bed frames, headboards, dressers and more. 

“It’s not just the type of hotel that you’re staying at. Some people are like, if I stay in a motel, chances are there will be bedbugs,” he said. However, cleanliness doesn’t determine whether an infestation can occur or not, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. 

If you’re traveling to Paris, contact your hotel to check if they’ve been affected by bedbugs. 

As soon as you arrive at your room, hold off on unpacking and check for any signs of bedbugs, Lee said. Pull the sheets off the bed and lift up the mattress if you can, looking out for any tiny black spots, which are bedbug feces or their exoskeletons. If you find something, which is probably rare but still possible, ask your hotel to move you to a different room.

Protect your home

It can be a huge headache if you bring bedbugs back home from your trip, so it’s important to be diligent when you return, Lee said. Bedbugs can live for up to three months without a meal. 

The first thing to do is leave your luggage outside of the house. Immediately put all your packed clothing – even what you didn’t wear – in a garbage bag and let it tumble in the dryer with heat for a good 30 minutes to kill any of the critters and their eggs.  

Then it’s time to clean your luggage itself. If it’s a duffle, throw it in the wash if you can. Otherwise, use a garment steamer to kill off any stowaway bugs. 

Where do bed bugs come from? Here’s how they get in and how you can check for their presence

How do I know if I have bedbugs?

Bedbug bite reactions are a sure-fire way to tell if you’ve encountered bedbugs. Unfortunately, reactions vary between individuals, Lee said. Some people will see their bites as soon as an hour and others won’t have any reaction at all. Seeing bite marks and/or evidence of them in the space are the best way to know, according to the CDC.

Besides the irritating skin swelling you may get, bedbug bites are relatively harmless and they don’t transmit diseases, according to Lee.  

What should I do if I have bedbugs in my accomodations? 

Contact your hotel management or rental host as soon as possible, Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com told USA TODAY. 

“Most hotels will have experience with bedbugs and likely have a protocol in place,” he said. “If confirmed, the hotel will need to relocate you to a clean room and also assist in getting your clothes and personal belongings cleaned.”

He added that it wouldn’t be “unreasonable” to request additional compensation like a discount on your room rate or other amenities to make up for the inconvenience – and stress. 

How do you get bed bugs? Here’s where you might have gotten them from.

Will travel insurance cover bedbugs? 

Yes, depending on the plan. 

There are travel insurance plans that have a “Travel Inconvenience” benefit – which could have a coverage of $250 per insured person for a total of $750 – for those unfortunate inconveniences such as a closed golf course, cruise diversion or hotel infestation, Sandberg said. So, for example, if you have to stay at a different hotel than the one you originally booked, you and your travel guest would each get $250 if you’re both insured. 

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected].