That dream of backpacking around the world can quickly turn to a nightmare upon finding some unwanted guests in the form of bed bugs.
Once the pests have taken up residence, it can take long hours and cost a lot of money to have them removed. While bed bugs can be found in extravagant hotels or resorts, those who travel on a budget by staying in hostels can be especially susceptible due to the amount of traffic these guesthouses receive. There are precautions that backpackers can take while staying in hostels to ensure they have the trip of a lifetime for all the right reasons. Here are some strategies to use to avoid encountering these pests.
Ask Questions
Sleeping bags in hostel rooms is one of the main culprits behind the spread of bed bugs in dorm room settings. Ask potential sites about their policy toward allowing guests to use their own sleeping bags. Those that are proactive about preventing the spread will not allow outside sleeping bags on beds and will have signs posted warning that bedbugs can be hiding in the rolled up bedding.
Facility Bedding
Good hostels will provide their own bedding for guests to use free of charge. No matter what the warning signs or dangers, backpackers are more likely to use their own sleeping bags on beds if they are going to be charged for sheets by a facility on top of the room fee.
Inspect The Room
Even the best hostels can succumb to an infestation of bed bugs despite their precautions. When first entering the dorm room, inspect the room for any signs of bed bug activities. Lift the mattress, look behind framed artwork on the walls, and check in the seams of bedding. Also be sure to check under the baseboards and in any cracks in the walls. Signs include small blood spots and tiny, dark-brown stains on bedding or the upholstery of furniture.
Off The Floor
While conducting the inspection, keep backpacks or other bags off the floor. Even if no signs of bed bugs are found, keep all bags off the floor. Hang bags on hooks or place on dressers away from the walls.
Alert Management
If any signs are discovered, immediately alert management to the situation and ask for a different room, or consider staying in another location.
Wash Clothes
Whenever possible, launder clothing on a high heat setting, as the heat will kill any bugs that may be hiding in the fabric.
Backpacking around the world can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it should be remembered for the right reasons. Staying at a hostel is often part of that experience because of its economy. Avoiding bed bugs is possible with some precautions and will keep those memories positive.
Share your bed bug story in the comments…
I moved into a condo, plus they did not let me know however they have mattress bugs. I have been getting bit every evening so i am thinking about leaving. Among the finest to make certain no mattress bugs follow me towards the new apartment and lay eggs. Any tips about things i can perform or the way i can make certain any mattress bugs don’t move beside me?
We accept the inlaws in S.E Asia, a home is normally immaculate. Our mattress room is extremely small with a lot of books and papers – she provides extensive clothes and small things everywhere. I acquired my book that is next to the mattress during the night to determine 3 of those little buggers run out of the pages – I squished them on sight! We have drawn the mattress in the wall and thouroughly cleaned it and also the walls and cracks, tomorrow we intend to put all the books and clothes in plastic bags using the hopes when you will find anymore mattress bugs – they’ll die within the plastic bags!
We actually don’t wish to alert her mam as she’ll respond badly and search for anyone to blame – so we’d would rather eliminate this stuff without her knowing (or) if she would locate them herslef and that we could just play dumb and become surprised!
They haven’t really bit us that much – we rarely have bites do you consider this meens there aren’t a lot of bugs at this time?
For Just Two days I’ve been getting out of bed with bug bites throughout my body system. They began on my small legs and arms, when I put on lengthy-sleeve shirt to mattress, they gone to live in my hands. They gone to live in my necks some days later. Today I acquired 4 on my small face. I believe I’ve mattress bugs on my small mattress. I already cleaned the sheet and bed comforter once, however it does not work. What must i do? I do not have any pet either.
Pardon me however i take showers two times each day and clean my sheets and bed comforter once per week. I keep my place all neat. How am I nasty?
My buddy continues to be on holiday in Chile and Argentina, and that he is because of fly in about ten days. A Couple Of days ago he acquired mattress bugs from the hostel. We do not understand how to eliminate his mattress bugs as he comes. I was considering establishing a quarantine station out outside :P
Help!
There exists a curios dog too, so I’d prefer to not use any spray that’ll be toxic to dogs.
I moved into a condo, plus they did not let me know however they have mattress bugs. I have been getting bit every evening so i am thinking about leaving. Among the finest to make certain no mattress bugs follow me towards the new apartment and lay eggs. Any tips about things i can perform or the way i can make certain any mattress bugs don’t move beside me?
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I’ve got a bedbug cover on my small dorm bed mattress, but exactly how would Time passes about getting rid of it without letting the bugs out throughout my room? Also, how does one recommend washing or getting rid of the bed bugs from this in order to utilize it again?
Getting bit by bedbugs while backpacking or in any situation is as bad as losing a passport.