Alpine clubs warn hikers about bedbugs spreading between mountain huts

The Austrian Alpine Club has urged hikers to take steps to prevent bedbugs spreading between mountain huts, although no cases have been documented in Salzburg this year, ORF reports.

The club launched an information campaign this summer with Alpine clubs in Germany and South Tyrol, working with guests and hut operators to reduce the risk of insects being carried from one refuge to another. Bedbugs can occur in accommodation of all kinds, from luxury hotels to alpine huts.

Across Austria, the club received six reports of suspected bedbugs during summer 2026, among 223 huts. Salzburg board member Peter Kraus said the insects can be brought in unintentionally on clothing or backpacks. One measure is to ask hikers to put backpacks in a separate bag when they arrive.

Getting rid of bedbugs in mountain huts requires considerable effort, Kraus said, making awareness among hut users important. The insects feed on blood and live near the sleeping places of warm-blooded animals, particularly people.