One More Travel Worry: Bed Bugs On A Plane
Believe it or not, it's been more than a decade since the movie 'Snakes On a Plane' was released in theaters. People were incredibly excited about this simple concept taken to new heights. There were fan-made posters and videos, and the studio even paid for reshoots so that the line "I've had it up to here with these mother&%$# snakes on this mother&%$# plane" could be spoken by Samuel L. Jackson, thus securing the film an R rating and increasing the hype.
There was even a low-budget knockoff that hit video called Snakes on a Train. Snakes on a Plane was one of those movies that was a huge hit...but only before it came out. When released, people's excitement seemed to already be over for the idea, and the movie barely ended up making its budget back. After paying for marketing, it lost money.
What's this got to do with bed bugs? Well, if Snakes on a Plane had been a hit with its ultra-campiness, we are sure that there would have been a dozen movies to follow: Scorpions on a Plane, Spiders on a Plane, Bears On A Plane...it would have taken years to stop. But something that's even scarier has occurred in real life: bed bugs on a plane.
Wait, Bed Bugs On A Plane?
It happened just this month. On October 11, a woman was traveling on British Airways with her daughter and fiance from Vancouver, Canada, to London, England. This mother knew about bed bugs because she had previously worked in the hotel industry, the place most notorious for bed bug problems. She knew what bed bugs looked like, and she saw them on the plane's seat in front of her. She asked that the family be reseated away from the bed bugs but was denied because the flight was full.
Since it was such a long flight, the bed bugs likely bit her daughter while she slept. The next day, she took pictures of the bites her daughter received on the plane. She then made repeated attempts to call the airline to verify that they wouldn't be flying back on the same plane, but she received no response. Only after she posted pictures of her daughter's bitten legs did she get a response. She wasn't looking for a refund or a free flight, but she wanted to ensure that the airline knew about the problem and would do something about it.
So How Did It Happen?
We’re pretty sure that no one can ever know how this occurred. But if we know bed bugs (and we do), we would guess someone brought them in on their pillow. Clothing isn’t very good at transporting bed bugs, and people don’t bring their own blankets on a plane. But bed bugs could certainly be hiding out in the seams of pillows or inside the pillowcase, only to be shaken out when a person leaves the plane.
Could Anything Be Done?
When the airline says that bed bugs in a plane are extremely rare, they’re right, but they should still be vigilant. There’s no way of knowing if the bed bugs had been there for a day or a month; many people could have been bitten and never realized that was the problem. As usual, we’d suggest that once they discover the problem, they use an all-natural bed bug spray that will take care of the devious bloodsuckers.
Can you do anything yourself? Be diligent like the woman in our story. If you see bed bugs, do everything you can to move seats and keep them away from your luggage!
Our natural, plant-based Bed Bug Patrol Killer Spray provides an all-natural solution to infestations of bed bugs, as well as fleas, spiders, and other common indoor bugs. Our 100% natural solution is made in the USA. It relies on the power of natural ingredients like citric acid, clove oil, and peppermint oil to naturally deter these bugs from living in your furnishings and upholstery. Just spray our solution on affected surfaces twice per day, and it will get to work on exterminating your bed bugs and preventing their return. To keep you safe from bed bugs on your travels, arm yourself with our Bed Bug Blasting Travel Spray, which comes in a handy, TSA-approved travel-size bottle for your convenience.
