Why leaving your suitcase unpacked could save you from bed bugs

In one of the videos posted on TikTok, the doctor warned that opening and unpacking the suitcase immediately after returning home could cause a bed bug infestation. These parasites may have previously laid eggs in clothes and belongings that then return home with the traveller.

- Bed bug eggs usually hatch within six to ten days. Young individuals, known as nymphs, need a blood meal after hatching to continue developing - says Jason Singh. - However, if they remain closed in the suitcase, they won't be able to feed and will die of starvation and dehydration - he explains.

The TikToker notes, however, that keeping the suitcase closed for a few days is not enough to avoid an infestation. In his opinion, travellers should not open their suitcases for at least two weeks.

- Now you have a reason to be lazy after your holiday and just let your unpacked suitcase wait for the right time. Let's be honest, what kind of psychopath unpacks immediately after returning? - asks Singh.

There's no need to convince those who are happiest with this news: it's the ones whose travel bags stand in the corner for a long time after returning from holiday.

"I've never been so happy to have ADHD, because my suitcase stands unpacked for ages" - wrote one TikTok user. "For the first time, a doctor praises my laziness" - commented someone else.

In an interview with the Travel and Leisure portal, an entomology specialist (who studies insects) proposed a faster way to get rid of bed bug eggs. Just put the clothes from the suitcase into a dryer or take them to a dry cleaner to expose them to high temperatures.

Just washing the items might not be enough, as the water during washing is not hot enough to kill bed bug eggs.