Some travelers consider a name keychain or themed shot glass a tacky memento, but it beats bringing home bed bugs as a souvenir. Unfortunately for us, these parasitic creepy crawlers don’t feel the same way: One in seven U.S. travelers encountered bed bugs in the past year, according to a 2024 study from Sleep Doctor. When it comes to accommodations, bed bugs don’t have a preference either. The report showed that infestations occurred across all property types, including four- and five-star hotels, Airbnb vacation rentals, motels, and bed and breakfasts.
If you’re a frequent traveler, you know to never stow your suitcase on the bed and to inspect every inch of the hotel mattress before diving under the covers. But did you know that you can use the hotel hair dryer to your advantage as well?
RELATED: Doctor Shares Easy Way to Protect Against Bed Bugs in Hotel Rooms.
Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, PhD, is an entomologist and senior associate of the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell University. Speaking to Self magazine, Gangloff-Kaufmann explained that hair dryers, because of their extreme heat, can serve as a DIY extermination tactic against bed bugs.
“Homeowners can use extreme temperature to kill bed bugs in a limited sense,” says the pest control company Orkin. “Adult bed bugs die at 119 degrees Fahrenheit, and their heat-resistant eggs require temperatures upwards of 125 degrees.”
Hair dryers can reach temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to burn the skin on a human scalp, per ProFashion.
In order to measure whether a hair dryer is blowing hot air at the right extermination temperature, Gangloff-Kaufmann recommends “[blowing] hot air under the seams of the mattress, around the boxspring, behind the headboard, and so on, and hold the dryer in each spot for a few seconds,” per Self.
If the area is uncomfortably hot to the touch, “that should definitely be intense enough to score a bed bug,” according to Gangloff-Kaufmann’s instructions.
For good measure, Gangloff-Kaufmann also advises throwing both clean and dirty clothes from your travels into the dryer for 30 minutes, just in case.
RELATED: The Two Germiest Areas in Hotel Rooms, New Data Reveals.
The good news is that bed bugs are more annoying than they are harmful. Gangloff-Kaufmann says they don’t transmit diseases to humans, but their presence alone is enough to ruin any vacation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bed bug marks can look similar in appearance to mosquito or flea bites. “The bite marks may be random or appear in a straight line,” per the health organization.
You might notice the bite area is slightly swollen and red and experience an onset of itching and irritation. This is a normal side effect. However, allergic reactions are possible, so if you notice the bites getting worse, reach out to a health professional.
