3 DIY Bed Bug Deterrents To Try While Traveling

Posted on: 30 June 2019

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People love to travel to see new places and encounter new things, but there is nothing to love about an encounter with bed bugs when you travel. These blood-sucking pests can multiply quickly, hide like it is no problem at all, and quickly get from place to place. Take a look at a few natural things you can try to keep bed bugs away from you and your luggage while you travel. 

Peppermint Oil 

Most pests detest the smell of peppermint, and bed bugs may be the same. Natural Living Ideas suggests creating a mixture of peppermint oil and lavender oil for use as a natural bed bug deterrent. You can use this stuff on your skin safely before you go to sleep, spray it on the hotel bedding and carpet, or even use it to mist down your clothing before you stuff it back in your suitcase just to be safe. 

Petroleum Jelly 

Petroleum jelly, or even vapor rub since it is the same stuff with menthol added, can be an effective way to deter bed bugs in some areas. The bugs do not like petroleum jelly because their low profile bodies get hung up in a hefty layer of the stuff. If you want to prevent bed bugs from getting into your luggage, this is a good tip to remember. You can easily slather some of the jelly on the bottom half of your suitcase to prevent bugs from climbing up from the floor. 

Dryer Sheets

Slip a little baggie of dryer sheets in your suitcase just before you head out to the airport. The fabric softener in these sheets can make slippery surfaces harder to climb for bed bugs. Once you get to the hotel, you can set your suitcase on a chair with metal legs or another piece of hard furniture and rub down the furniture with a sheet. You may be able to keep bed bugs from making their way into your luggage so easily. Just make sure that when you change clothes, you do not drop your items on the floor or leave them lying on a bed. Dirty clothing should be placed in a sealable bag before you stick them in the suitcase. 

Even though the majority of the natural remedies you find to keep bed bugs away are limited at best, some of them are worth a shot when you travel. Talk to a bed bug control agent if you believe you have inadvertently brought bed bugs home with you after a trip.