Captain made the crew vacuum the inspector’s bunk to hide bed bugs on the ship. She found out anyway — and decided to get even

A marine biologist (u/WaZepplin) deployed on a fishing boat felt suspicious when they first noticed the crew vacuuming their bunk just before a pre-departure inspection. However, they let it slide until a week into the trip, when they noticed that the boat was filled with bedbugs. Shocked, the person confronted the crew, who then revealed that the captain had intentionally concealed the bedbug infestation so the boat could proceed quickly. As the wicked bed bugs forced the inspector to leave their bunk and sleep in the wheelhouse, they reiterated the captain’s recklessness by quietly relocating every bug into his room. Their August 14, 2026, Reddit post has garnered over 1,000 upvotes online.

Captain's dirty little secret

The incident happened when the person was working as an at-sea observer based out of Honolulu. They had previously worked on boats with bedbugs, so they were not surprised much by that. But what infuriated the person was the fact that the captain knew about it and asked the crew to hide it from them. After a week into sailing, the marine biologist found a significant bedbug infestation in their bunk room. "The crew and I eventually took our bed pads to the wheelhouse and slept on the floor up there to be out of that room," they recalled. 

The petty revenge

When the marine biologist confronted the crew, they confessed that the Captain knew about it. "Yes, the captain told us to vacuum your bunk so you wouldn't find any during the bed bug inspection," the crew told them. The captain basically didn’t want to get involved in the lengthy procedure of bug eradication and therefore fabricated a lie to fool the National Marine Fisheries Service into giving permission to move the boat. The author was shocked, but from that point onwards, they took monstrous pleasure in avenging the Captain for his heedlessness.

They ensured that every bug they discovered was quietly transferred to the Captain’s room through his open stateroom door. “I took great pleasure in knowing I was at least adding to the infestation in his room, if not outright introducing it in there if he had somehow managed to keep them out of his space,” they remarked.

A risky decision

In research titled “Bed bugs on ship,” 27% of the doctors confessed that bed bug infestation is an increasing maritime problem. In fact, according to a study published in BMC Public Health, researchers placed 486 insect traps in 21 ferries and found that 0.21% were infested with bedbugs, along with flies, cockroaches, ants, spiders, and a lizard. Public health officers captured bedbugs in three of the ships (14.3%). Researchers speculated that boats and ferries provide a welcoming environment to these bugs, and they sneak inside through cracks and crevices in furniture and walls, in upholstered furniture, and in mattress seams. A 2004 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc. research stressed that extermination of bedbugs through cleaning techniques is necessary. This further highlights the importance of inspections and proper eradication of bedbugs, making the captain's decision not only dishonest but also a risk to everyone living and working onboard.

'Totally justified'

Meanwhile, in the comments below, u/rodimus147 remarked, “After the trip was over, I would just burn or leave everything behind and walk away naked rather than even chance bringing any home with me.” To this, the author clarified that the crew onboard is usually required to take a shower at the gear warehouse and freeze everything from the boat in minus-five-degree temperatures. u/animaniactoo said, “Having dealt with bedbugs, I was prepared to be horrified and pissed at you. Having read why... nah, I'm on your side. Totally justified."

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