5 of Idaho’s Favorite Vacation Spots Are Crawling With Bed Bugs

Anyone else feel like the days leading up to Fourth of July are completely blurring together? With the holiday falling on a Friday, you can completely enjoy it this year. Your body is technically at work, but your brain? It’s relaxing on a flamingo floaty with a frozen drink in hand. 

Me too and we’re not alone. AAA is predicting another record travel weekend with 72.2 million Americans expected to travel 50 miles or more to celebrate Independence Day, including 410,000 Idahoans. 

READ MORE: If You See Any of These 5 Bugs in Idaho, Kill Them Immediately

So where are we headed in 2025? It’s a mix of big cities, beach towns and mountain escapes. This year, top destinations for Idahoans include:

1. Los Angeles
2. Las Vegas
3. Yellowstone National Park
4. Hawaii
5. Salt Lake City
6. Oregon Coast
7. Seattle
8. Denver
9. San Diego
10. Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park

All solid options! Especially Denver. That’s where I’m headed because I may have paid a small fortune to meet John Cena at FanExpo and am still crossing my fingers and toes that a reservation will open at Casa Bonita. 

However, before you load up the car or head to the Boise Airport, there’s something you need to be aware of. Half of Idaho’s favorite Fourth of July vacation destinations also rank on Orkin’s most recent list of the most bed bug-infested cities in the entire country. The list was just released on June 30, ahead of the holiday travel period. 

Orkin doesn’t release the list to scare people, but to inform people so they can inspect lodging and luggage to avoid turning a relaxing vacation into an itchy and expensive return home. Yup, it can cost as much as $5,000 to effectively eliminate them from your home. Here’s what you need to know before you go! 

How Dangerous are Bed Bugs?

They’re more gross than dangerous. The CDC explains that bed bugs produce an anesthetic and anticoagulant that they inject into their human hosts. That’s why you likely won’t wake up or even notice if bed bugs bite you in the night

That said, it is possible that those bites may swell and become itchy within a few days.  More serious, non-visible symptoms of bed bug bites include insomnia and anxiety.  

Bed Bugs Can Be a Serious Travel Concern

If you’ve never seen a bed bug with your own two eyes, they have rather skinny and flat bodies which allow them to hide in a nearly infinite number of places in order to hitch a ride from your hotel room to your home. 

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They can fit into the seams of your luggage, folds of your clothes or inside a pillowcase on that pillow you brought from home. These little vampires can survive anywhere from 20 days to over a year without feeding, so they’ll just hang out inside your stuff until they’re ready to emerge and snack on you again. Once they’re in your home, they can spread to your bedding, furniture and other areas of your home. 

How Can I Tell If a Room or Bed Has an Active Bed Bug Problem?

Bed bugs aren’t easy to spot with the naked eye and like we mentioned, they like to sandwich themselves into places you won’t see them waiting to feed. However, if you see rusty colored blood spots on mattresses or furniture, that could be a sign of an infestation. Experts say there may also be a sweet, musty odor in the air. Bed bugs are also known to leave their molted exoskeletons behind. 

It’s important to stay alert for signs of bed bugs everywhere you go, because they don’t discriminate. They’re just as likely to show up at a five-star hotel as they are in a college dorm room. 

5 Of Idaho’s Favorite Fourth of July Destinations Rank Among America’s Most Bed Bug Infested Cities

And that brings us to a list that’s making me incredibly itchy right now. Not only is my Fourth of July destination on the list, so are Pittsburgh and Youngstown, two other cities I plan to visit this summer. 

Orkin placed five of Idaho’s most popular Fourth of July Destinations on this year’s Top 50 list for bed bugs. 

San Diego, CA

#9 most popular Fourth of July destination for Idahoans, #49 most bed bug infested city in America.

Las Vegas, NV

#2 most popular Fourth of July destination for Idahoans, #46 most bed bug infested city in America.

Denver, CO

#8 most popular Fourth of July destination for Idahoans, #14 most bed bug infested city in America.

Seattle, WA

#7 most popular Fourth of July destination for Idahoans, #39 most bed bug infested city in America.

Los Angeles, California

#1 most popular Fourth of July destination for Idahoans, #4 most bed bug infested city in America.

Planning a trip elsewhere? Here's a look at Orkin's full list to help you prepare to be on the look out for signs of bed bug infestations when you arrive at your hotel or Airbnb.