So, for years I've been telling Louise that traveling makes one subject to being preyed upon by bugs --mostly bedbugs, but roaches, etc., too.
She believed me -sorta- because it's fairly common urban knowledge that boxes & bags from grocery stores are a method that roaches use for deployment. And I've shown her photos of bedbugs on the shirt collar of NYC subway commuters.
For a couple of years now, one of the standard home defenses has been putting the homecoming laundry directly into the washing machine or dryer and firing it up to 135F. But I could tell that this procedure was wearing thin on Louise and sorta viewed as yet another of RC's phobias.
Until her last trip back from Haiti. Her dufflle bag had a HUGE palmetto bug (a.k.a. wood roach) in it. She's a believer now, hhh!
Eeeew, never really crossed my mind.. until driving the South last year and watching the TV in the hotel breakfast lobby one morning. The theme was "rental cars and hotel rooms makes you sick". It was probably geared up quite a bit, but they did test for all kinds of bugs and germs and the result was scary. Especially when having my whole family staying in hotels and driving a rental car..
NY City was the US bedbug capital until the last year or so. I've read recently that Chicago is now the worst.