The packing mistake you're making
A new study in Scientific Reports has revealed what really attracts bed bugs to your luggage and suggest how you can keep them bay.
“Bed bugs are attracted to the odour of sleeping humans and we suggest that soiled clothing may present a similarly attractive cue, allowing bed bugs to ‘hitchhike’ around the world after aggregating in the laundry bags of travellers,” the report said.
“In the absence of a human host, bed bugs were twice as likely to aggregate on bags containing soiled clothes compared to bags containing clean clothes.”
So it seems the scent of dirty laundry is a sure-fire invitation for the annoying little critters to climb aboard.
To stop bedbugs from making their way into your luggage, entomologist and author of the report, William Hentley of University of Sheffield, advises travellers to store their luggage up high and away from the bed.
Placing your bags on the luggage racks in hotel rooms, suggests Hentley, as bugs can’t climb the smooth metal surfaces.
Or if that’s not possible, make sure you separate your dirty clothes and keep them in an airtight bag to mask the smell.