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.