My nine-year-old son is a huge fan of YouTuber Mark Rober and because of him, I’ve become a fan too. What’s great about Mark is that he’s made science and nerds cool, turning curiosity into entertaining, educational content. One of his videos that has generated over 65 million views and close to a million likes is titled Bed Bugs – What You’ve Been Told is Totally False. In it, Mark dives deep into the fascinating world of bed bugs, debunking common myths, revealing surprising facts and showing travelers exactly how to spot and get rid of these pesky little critters.
Mark partnered with Dr. Wong at Rutgers University, the world’s foremost bed bug expert, to conduct experiments and investigate the most common advice about killing or avoiding bed bugs. Dr. Wong’s research revealed that many online remedies, like ultrasonic repellents, dryer sheets, mothballs, baking soda, or essential oils, don’t actually kill bed bugs—they merely annoy them.
Instead, the science-backed ways to get rid of bed bugs are simple and natural. Diatomaceous earth, a fine powder made from fossilized shells, dehydrates and kills bed bugs effectively. High heat also works: washing clothes in hot water and drying them on the highest heat setting, steaming furniture seams, or heating an entire house to 122°F will instantly kill bed bugs and their eggs.
Mark also shared practical travel tips for preventing bed bugs from hitching a ride home from hotels:
- Pull back bed sheets and inspect mattress seams, corners and headboards.
- Keep luggage on the rack or in the bathtub, not on the bed or floor.
- Store clothes in your suitcase or hang them up; avoid drawers and floors.
If you do bring bed bugs home, Dr. Wong recommends three defense steps:
- Encase your mattress and box spring in bed-bug-proof covers.
- Wash and dry bedding, clothes, and sheets on high heat regularly.
- Declutter and store items in sealed bins or plastic bags to remove hiding spots.
Offense steps include vacuuming weekly, applying a light dusting of diatomaceous earth around beds and crevices and using a steamer on mattresses, furniture, or small items that can’t go in the dryer. For very severe infestations, professional heat treatment may be necessary, but these steps are effective for most cases.
Pro Tip: Move your bed away from walls so the only way bugs can reach it is by climbing the legs.
What People Are Saying
@metrazol: “Prof. Wong is the kind of academic I love. Huge nerd, loves his subject, happy to share, has a lab of horrors in the basement.”
@nathanielmiles-urdan3741: “This dude has built credibility like no one I’ve ever seen. He just said ‘ignore all the advice you’ve ever heard about bedbugs’ and I just thought ‘okay’ with no hesitation.”
@okasuko: “I’ve never experienced bed bugs, but this has inspired me to burn my house down just to be safe.”
@thegrilldad: “Handheld steamer with a hair dryer on the highest heat at the same time. I cleared the whole house with all the furniture in 1 day. Never saw a sign of them again, and no one had anymore bites since and it’s been 2 years.”
By following these tips from Mark Rober and Dr. Wong, travelers can feel confident spotting bed bugs, protecting themselves in hotels, and eliminating infestations at home safely and effectively.
