You’ve heard of stowaways on ships, but how about the ones that may be hiding deep within your luggage? Travelers should be alert to the risk posed by bed bugs, a stealthy insect that’s as much at home in a suitcase as in a mattress.

The accursed Cimex lectularius will not only avail itself of your blood while on holiday, it’s likely to accompany you home and propagate, producing thousands of hungry progeny.

Difficult to detect, these reddish-brown, oval-shaped insects live exclusively on blood and feed primarily at night, emerging from the many folds and crevices of mattresses, box springs and headboards to hunt for exposed flesh.

Bed bugs are back with a vengeance, infiltrating homes and hotels at an alarming rate, particularly in Australia, which faces a serious threat from these seemingly indestructible creatures.

“The bed bug situation here continues to get much worse, both in terms of the number of infestations and type,” says Stephen L. Doggett, an entomologist at Westmead Hospital in Westmead, Australia.

“We are now receiving a lot of reports of bed bug infestations in private homes. Some hotel associations still state there is no problem, despite the wealth of evidence to the contrary. The backpacking industry is expecting some miracle answer everyday, but this won’t happen! And they treat the problem somewhat ad hoc. The housekeeping associations seem quite responsible, but tend to service the upper end of the market. I have generally noticed the better the quality of accommodation, the more likely they will act promptly and responsibly, probably due to fear of litigation.”

Doggett suggests travelers place their luggage in plastic bags, and even spray the outside of suitcases with insecticide. Such drastic measures are necessary to combat an insect that is both resilient and elusive. Bed bugs can survive a year or longer between feedings. Only a quarter-inch long, they have flat bodies, enabling them to hide in difficult-to-locate spots.

Females lay five eggs per day—tiny and white they are best likened to specs of dust, making them virtually invisible.

Reactions to bites vary, producing swelling in some and only minor irritation in others.

“The first few bites a person receives would not leave a significant mark or cause an immunologic reaction,” explains Dr. Richard Pollack, an entomologist at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

“If you have a hive or a big itchy welt that would suggest to me that you¹ve actually been exposed to bedbugs in some prior time in your life, and your immune system has recognized them even if you haven’t. That kind of reaction is generally due to immunological memory.”

Fortunately, bed bugs do not transmit pathogens to people, limiting their impact to skin irritation and psychological distress—the discovery of an infestation is sure to disrupt sleep, and destroy any sense of well-being.

Anxiety further intensifies when the battle to dispose of them begins.

“Bed bugs are more difficult to get rid of then most other critters,” says Dr Pollack, “because they’re so secretive and hard to find, plus they can survive a long time between feedings. Most steps you take to get rid of them, vacuuming, cleaning and so forth, will reduce their population somewhat, but a nucleus will remain to feed and lay eggs. Insecticide application by a knowledgeable person is the best way to achieve success.”

If you check into a motel during a pest control treatment, Dr.Pollack advises that you leave behind all your possessions.

“Hotel owners are not responsible for the presence of bed bugs, which typically come in on the luggage of guests. No one intentionally transports bed bugs, but it’s lunacy to bring anything from an infested house to a new location. The end result is that instead of one infested property you have two.”

Bed bugs neither fly nor hop; they crawl and then burrow into hiding places, patiently waiting until evening to feed. A university student returning home with dirty laundry may introduce them into a household. Purchase of a used mattress is another common source of infestation.

Without doubt bed bugs have a talent for making their way into people’s homes.

“They’re well adapted to human activity,” comments Dr.Pollack. “Bed bugs have developed amazing evolutionary advantages. You don’t notice them, and their bites don’t cause much irritation, which makes them a big problem.”

Hunger Strike:

The virtual disappearance of bed bugs from the developed world has left us unprepared for their resurgence. Eliminating them again may prove difficult, but at least we know why they’ve re-established themselves. Stephen Doggett lists the following reasons:

• Less residual insecticides. Specific insecticides have been introduced for the control of cockroaches only, resulting in less spraying of hotel rooms.
• Increased world travel.
• Spread of a tropical species of bed bug.
• Improved climate controls such as air conditioning, creating stable environments in which the insect can flourish.
• Despite their elusive nature, bed bugs do leave a few tell tale signs. These include:
• Tiny, dark stains in the crevices of mattresses. These spots are dried excrement.
• Red or black stains on bed sheets, as small as the tip of a ballpoint pen. Such marks are dried blood left from feeding.