Do Bed Bugs Really Travel in Suitcases?

If there are bed bugs where you travel, they can move from the bed (or the carpet or the drapes or your pajamas) into your suitcase. They'll also move from somebody else's suitcase to yours in an airliner's tightly-packed baggage hold. The best defense is to keep them out of your suitcase and your house.

Before You Leave

• Containment is your watchword. Pack everything you can't wash in zip-top plastic bags. Pack extra bags in assorted sizes to put dirty clothes (and shoes) in. When you're packed, spray the outside of your suitcase with a DEET-containing insect repellent and/or put the whole thing into a big trash bag.

While You're There

• Keep your suitcase off the floor, the bed or any soft surface. Put it on a metal luggage rack. Keep it in the bathroom, even in the bathtub. Keep it closed as much as possible. Bag anything you buy before you pack it.

When You Get Home

• Keep garbage bags in your car trunk and put your suitcase in one before you put it in the car. If the weather's warm, leave it in the trunk for several hours (bedbugs die at 140ºF). When you get home, don't put it down until you get to the laundry room. As you wash clothing, take the plastic bags out of the house immediately. Vacuum your suitcase thoroughly before you put it away.