Bedbugs on a Plane!
At SOS Pest Control, not only do we deal
with bed bugs, we write about them too. So you can understand why we were
intrigued by the headline ‘British
Airways Apologises for Bed Bug Infestation’.
How Bed Bugs Travel
Bed Bugs are tenacious creatures, able to
adapt to all kinds of environments, providing there is a welcome course of food
close by – in other words, a blood meal
from a human or a warm-blooded animal.
It has long been known that the bedbug
travels by clinging on to clothing and bags thus, it is no surprise to a pest
controller that bed bugs hitch a ride on planes, trains, trams, taxis, or any
other mode of travel or transport.
Mainly active at night, bed bugs on a plane
couldn’t believe their luck with passengers ‘trapped’ in the cabin for nine
hours, in this case, with passengers flying from Canada to Slovakia. The plane
was full which meant that the travellers who spotted the creepy crawlies were
unable to move to other seats.
The warmth and humidity of the cabin would
be perfect for bed bugs too. British Airways say that bed bugs on a plane are
rare but that they do monitor their aircraft regularly.
Can Bed Bugs be
Prevented?
Bed bugs are, like other pests, attracted
to where there are humans. They find us by searching not only for body heat but
carbon dioxide, a sure sign that a human is in the vicinity.
They are hardy bugs too with adults able to
live up to 12 months between a blood meal. And they can withstand high and low
temperatures too, so a cold wash of your bed line might not the doing the
trick.
In other words, avoiding bed bugs may not
be possible but being forewarned and understanding what to do when you spot one
can make the difference between an infestation and a small problem effectively
dealt with…
#1
When travelling, check for bugs
Adult bed bugs are oval and flat in shape,
reddish brown in colour. They move fast and can be difficult to catch but you
may see the adults scuttling about. If you do see them, you will need to either
hot wash your clothes, bedding, bags etc. or if that is not possible, the items
will need to be put in the deep freeze for a few weeks – this kills the eggs,
as well as adults.
#2
Act quickly
The key when you first come across a bedbug
problem – or think you have a bed bug problem – is to act quickly. One or two bed bugs on a plane or in a bed will
quickly become several hundred bed bugs. And getting rid of these bugs,
especially an established infestation, is hard.
#3
Deep clean, chemical, temperature
Bed bugs don’t go away on their own and
this is why the aircraft will probably have undergone a particularly rigorous
clean. The treatment sounds simple enough – a deep clean, the use of an
insecticide and the application of heat or severe cold – but this process may
need repeating several times.