Some air travelers may bring back more than just souvenirs after departing on a trip.
A woman traveling on a Turkish Airlines flight from Johannesburg to Istanbul saw bed bugs crawling on her seat on the plane, The New York Times reported this month.
She claims flight attendants ignored her concerns and later posted her experience on a Facebook travel group, where others also said they had seen bed bugs on the plane.
Leave your luggage in this strange place while you travel, say experts
Fox News Digital has reached out to Turkish Airlines for comment.
One expert says traveling is a common time for bed bugs to hitchhike on your personal belongings and follow you home. (St. Petersburg)
A spokesperson for Turkish Airlines told travel news source SimpleFlying.com: “Regarding the recent reports regarding bed bugs, Turkish Airlines remains steadfast in its commitment to the highest standards of safety and comfort. I would like to emphasize that.
“Bed bug infestations are a common problem occasionally encountered in public places, including aircraft. In this regard, we take all feedback seriously and thoroughly investigate each report. In the event of an incident, the affected aircraft will immediately undergo all necessary testing and treatment,” the spokesperson said. It added that the airline’s aircraft are “regularly cleaned” and “thoroughly disinfected before each flight.”
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Georgia-based Orkin entomologist Benjamin Hottel told Fox News Digital that travel is a common way bed bugs become a problem.
He said bed bugs are blood suckers that seek out humans and animals as food sources.
“Bed bugs detect humans by the carbon dioxide we exhale and by our body heat. When they’re not looking for humans or prey animals, they prefer to hide in dark crevices and crevices,” Hottel says.
He added: “You don’t usually see them hiding in the open.”
“Bed bugs often hitchhike on luggage and personal items, and can sometimes find their way onto planes without you knowing,” Hottel says.
Additionally, “they are also very skilled at hitchhiking, traveling with personal belongings such as bags, clothes, wallets, and gym bags on their backs. Travelers unconsciously transport them from one place to another. ” he added.
Georgia-based Orkin entomologist Benjamin Hottel says bed bugs can attach themselves to personal items such as luggage, clothing, wallets and gym bags. (St. Petersburg)
In November, Eric Brown, a board-certified entomologist and experienced technical services manager for Terminix, told FOX News Digital to unpack only the essentials when traveling.
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“Personally, I keep my toiletries on the bathroom counter, clothes that need to be hung in the closet, everything else in a suitcase, and my suitcase in the bathroom,” he says. I did.
To avoid bringing bed bugs home from a trip, Hottel says travelers should look for small, flat, oval, brownish-red bugs on luggage. (Andresle)
Like Hottel, Brown said bed bugs are good at “hitchhiking.”
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“If clothing is left inside the suitcase and placed on the floor, near the bed, or within a radius of potential bed bug hiding places, the suitcase and its contents are at risk for hitchhiking bed bugs. You could be exposed,” Brown said.
To avoid bringing bed bugs home from a trip, Hottel says travelers should look for the small, flat, oval, brownish-red bugs on luggage or discarded skin or feces. It is said that there is.
“It will look like an ink stain near the seams of fabric or furniture,” he said.
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“If you suspect you’ve been exposed to bed bugs, put your travel clothing in the dryer on the highest temperature setting for 30 to 45 minutes. Vacuum your luggage and place the contents of the vacuum in a sealed trash bag. Please,” Hottel said.
