bed bugs

[badger]

I'm TERRIFIED of getting them!!

I buy quite a bit online, and it just struck me that I could bring the bugs in my home through something I buy. I hear you can kill the bugs and the eggs if you throw an item in the dryer for 20 minutes, but what to do with stuff you can't throw in the dryer?? And what about hotels and general travel, I could bring some back in my suitcase.

From the sounds of it if you get it, you pretty much have to torch your place to get rid of them. Yikes

[jessmarimba]

and what about if you don't have a dryer?

I travel all the time, I'm so worried about bringing them home from a hotel.

[JennK13]

My husband is an exterminator and deals with bed bugs on a daily basis (Jess, I'm sure you can imagine the influx of calls they've received with all the recent press locally about them!!).
You can actually get rid of them by calling an exterminator - he treats for them all the time without "flames" or heat - he uses a spray to kill them, but only professionals have it (not something you can get from HomeDepot or some thing). The best way to NOT get them is to NOT bring them in. Check the stuff you buy BEFORE bringing it into your house. You can see them; they look like miniature ticks. You can also see their feces (like black dots) on things. Whenever we travel, before we unpack or anything, he pulls up the sheets on the bed and looks at them to see if he sees anything - like I said, it's pretty obvious if they're there.
Something I find really odd (Jess, don't get grossed out!), we moved to Colorado from California. He would do one or two jobs a YEAR in California, mostly at hotels from travellers bringing them in. Here in Denver, he does one or two (or more) A WEEK!!!! A person's financial situation doesn't matter - he services poor people in the ghetto just as often as he services rich people. And usually they are brought in by either people who have recently travelled, or those who have bought furniture used and brought it into their homes, or the college kids who come home for a break (who have bought stuff cheap as college students do).

[Chicken Little]

I leave my luggage in the garage for 24 hours after I get home. The only thing that comes in the house goes directly into the washer/dryer.

[OakLeaf]

I read to take everything out of your luggage outside and put it on white garbage bags. The white plastic makes it easier to see the bugs.

+1 on checking hotel mattresses. Also never put your luggage on the floor.

[jessmarimba]

I'll just hope all of his work here is in hotels too!

[marni]

while you still should check the beds in hotels, a catalog store called gaia used to carry a silk travel bag/ sleeping bag style sheet that kept you off of the questionably cleaned sheets in a hotel. I have one and use it whenever I do a cross country tour because between dealing with a) finding a motel that can house 20-30 women for one night, all preferably in ground floor, non smoking rooms, that is not in a huge suburb, and b) finding the next one withing a doable days ride for 6-8 weeks is a challenge which means that at times, the nights' lodging ends up being in less than totally desireable locales.

I also leave anything new or returning luggage outside in the garage and then go straight to the washer or a white garbage bag for 48 hours.

just saying....

[badger]

this may sound stupid, but what does leaving luggage in the garage for 24 hours do? will the bugs leave? die?

[Grog]

Bed bugs can lay dormant for one year so I'm afraid 24 hours in the garage won't do much. Laundry will help kill the eggs if the water's really hot. Not sure the dryer is quite enough, but it's better than nothing I guess...

If you are *really* terrified you can get a bug-proof casing for your mattress. (In fact, you can ask me to give you one - my husband would NOT tolerate it and kept thinking that it made plasticky sounds... I did not think it was that bad.) It's the most obvious hiding spot for them and will prevent most problems supposedly...

When we were in Paris last year I inspected everything in the hotel room when we checked in (mattress seams especially) and couldn't find anything, however the first morning I found a dead bed bug (positively identified) on the bed. No traces of blood anywhere, no feces, nothing but a single dead bed bug. (I kept the dead bug and used it to bargain a deep discount on the room price later on.)

Needless to say, we were freaked out, but there was no way I was going to try finding another hotel in Paris for the remaining two nights, and the other place would have been just as likely to have bed bugs, as every hotel of every major city in the world does. When we landed back home, everything went straight to the hot cycle in the washing machine (even what was not supposed to - that's life!) and our bags were thoroughly inspected and vacuumed outdoors.

Later that summer, I started getting bites on my extremities, often two in a row. (Bed bugs are well known for taking three in a row, also known as "breakfast, lunch and dinner" when they are disturbed in their blood-sucking activities.) Freaked out even more. It took me a while to realize that the bites were occurring after my night shifts volunteering at the aquarium, and that's probably where the bites originated. [For Badger's: I always wondered what the kids brought from home when they came for sleepovers.... But maybe it was just from outside when I checked resp rate at the surface.] In the meantime, we cleaned everything EXTREMELY THOROUGHLY in the home, vacuumed every crack obsessively, and covered our mattress with the aforementioned mattress cover, which my husband despised.

We never saw a bedbug again, but they terrorize me still.

[badger]

I'd imagine the mattress protector's just after the fact, isn't it? If the mattress is already infested, then I'd rather get rid of it than to try and keep them INSIDE the mattress *shiver*

I'm so paranoid now... I wonder if freezing the articles in the freezer would kill the eggs/bugs? I often do that with my wool items or shoes with wool because I had an infestation of wool eating moths a couple of years ago.

About once a year, I'll get a cluster of bites, sometimes up to about 8 tiny, angry red bumps. Itch like nothing else, but I know those are flea bites. I got another bite not long ago that was rather raised and painful/itchy at the same time. I suspect that was a spider, but whenver I have an itch somewhere I'm terrified to look and find the breakfast lunch and dinner.

Thankfully my new washing machine has a "sanitary" setting, which uses hot water and promises to kill 98% of all viruses and bacteria, so hopefully the bugs and eggs will meet their demise, too. Too bad I can't wash leather shoes in a hot cycle...

p.s. I wouldn't be surprised at all about the bed bugs at the aquarium, you'd think with all the exotic stuff they get shipped in there's bound to be unwanted visitors!

[OakLeaf]

Not sure the dryer is quite enough,

I'm no entomologist, but I've read over and over again that 30 minutes at or over 120°F will kill them, and the dryer is an easy way to do that.

Honestly, I think the whole thing is overdone. Bedbugs don't spread disease, they don't eat crops, they don't damage property. They just leave bites on middle-class and wealthy people that are associated with a stigma of poverty. Anyone who spends time outside in the summer gets mosquito and fly bites that are much worse on every level - worse swelling, worse scarring, worse itching, and worse potential as a disease vector.

The bedbug outbreak is just forcing economically comfortable people to admit that they can't 100% control their environment. The whole fanaticism about sterility has taken cleanliness to a level that's unhealthy both physically (in terms of immune system development) and, obviously now, mentally.

I don't consider myself lackadaisical about protecting against bedbugs when I travel, BUT some of what I read just seems obsessive-compulsive.

[badgercat]

Oakleaf, I see where you're coming from. While I don't vacuum my luggage when I get home, I do thoroughly check hotel mattresses and such. But what bothers me about bed bugs has nothing to do with economic stigma, it's the idea that I'd have to spend a huge chunk of my time and money (which as a student, both are at a premium) getting rid of an infestation of something that exists to suck my blood while I sleep (meaning I can't really actively defend my body from them, like I could swat away a fly while sitting outside). Prevention is the best medicine, in this case.

I know that they're essentially harmless, but that doesn't mean that they're not creepy. And that has nothing to do with how much money I do or don't have.

[Cataboo]

I don't like having roaches in my house or in a hotel i'm staying at, either.

I've run into bed bugs 3 times - once in a hospital guest center in LA - found a couple, I immediately put all my clothes into the laundry - hot water & high heat. And did it again. They gave us a new room which seemed to be fine, but I kept the luggage up on tables and left it zipped.

When we got back home, I again washed all the clothes on hot water & dried on high heat (including my wool which did survive these 3 washings) - and left the luggage out in the shed for the winter. Extended cold temps will kill them.

Then in Costa Rica last november, one hotel had them - I'd put my luggage up in the closet with it zipped just thinking the place was grungy - so when I got back from costa rica, basically put what could take it in laundry on high heat, everything else went into the shed and stayed their for the winter - given that we had the 4 feet of snow last winter...

Then a few weeks ago, I was at a wedding in NJ... i didn't see any bedbugs in the hotel, but one of the other wedding guests in the other wing of the Marriot hotel we were at woke up covered in bites... I had just stuck my bag on the couch and not zipped it up - so again, I stuck everything that could take it in the laundry on high heat - the rest of the clothing has gone into the shed and I guess it's staying there till spring and hopefully the cold'll kill any bugs that may be in it. Since it was a wedding, I had nice clothes for the rehearsal dinner & such that I don't think will survive high heat.

I have needed a couple pieces of clothing from the bag - and those have gone on the dashboard of my car on a hot sunny day to heat them up to temperatures that should kill bed bugs.

From what I read, if you have clothes you think are suspect, you can stick them in a black bag and leave them out in the sun for several hours on a day that's over 70 some degrees - 20 mins at 140 degrees will kill them, but also a few hours at 110 degrees will kill them as well.

I figure my dashboard gets hot enough, but I did inspect looking for eggs or bugs before hand. Eggs are supposed to hatch within 1-2 weeks.

[OakLeaf]

See, that's just my point, though.

I don't like roaches, either. (Which DO cause property damage - they will eat holes in wool - and DO have the potential to spread foodborne disease.) But if I see one, I don't freak out, I'm not ashamed to face my co-workers, I can sleep at night, I don't have anxiety attacks all day long (related to the roaches, at any rate ;)). Unlike some of what you read about bedbugs.

[badger]

I don't know about you, but infestation of any kind grosses me out. I had a hell of a time with those moths, I had to turn my place upside down to vacuum every little crevice, and to throw tons of stuff out and the rest in the wash and/or freezer. And I still see the occasional moth so I know I still have them.

I've also had a flea infestation once and it was awful. Like I said, infestation of any kind is not good.

And while I don't feel the social aspect of this, I do feel embarrassed that somehow I'm not up to snuff in my cleaning, or that I'm somehow unsanitary (when I had the flea and moth infestation).

[GLC1968]

Just like mosquitoes, black flies or any other biting insect, if bed bugs are present, they will bite me. Put me in a bed with even a single bed bug in it and I will get bitten. I have no idea why, either as I'm regularly cold to the touch and bed bugs are drawn to human warmth.

I got involved with bed bugs about 15 years ago. A guy I was dating at the time picked them up from this family he was renting a room from. I had given him my old futon to use and it got infested when he lived there. I never stayed with him when he lived with the family (unrelated to bed bugs), so it wasn't until he got his own place that we noticed anything. Once he got an apartment on his own, I started staying over. Everytime I slept there, I woke up with many bites. He never got a single one. At the time, there was NOTHING about bed bugs in the news or anything, so we had no idea what was going on. At first, we assumed it was mosquitos, actually...but since my ankles were prime target areas and always under the covers, we ruled that out. I would stay with him for a weekend and then head home (I lived 5+ hours away). I never got bitten at home. This went on for a couple of months (maybe 4 or 5 weekend visits total) before we figured out that it was bedbugs. I forget how we put two and two together, but we eventually did. We tossed out the futon, washed all his sheets and vacuumed the apartment. That's it. No fumigating. No washing his entire wardrobe. No going through his roommates stuff either. We did notice that some idiot took the futon out of the trash before the truck came by...stupid. That'll teach them not to do that again! :eek:

I guess if we weren't prepared to throw out the futon, getting rid of them might have been harder to do, but really, it was no big deal. And like I said, 4 or 5 weekends of travel back and forth between his place and mine (with a bag and a dog) and I never got them at home. I know this because I never once got a bite in my own bed (still use that matress to this day).

Maybe bed bugs are different now, but I just don't get all the panic. Bedbugs live off human blood, so it's not like they will spread throughout your house. They want you, so they will reside in a place where it's easy to get to you. Why in the world would they go into someone's closet or even into the carpet unless someone is sleeping/laying on it? Clothing that you are wearing? Sure. Sheets? Sure. Beds? Of course - and even into drapes or pillows or headboards that are in very close proximity to where humans sleep. But why would they hop into a random suitcase?

Maybe I'm naieve, but the panic seems super overblown to me and like I said, I've basically had them before.

[JennK13]

I'll just hope all of his work here is in hotels too!

haha! nope, it's all residential - from Cherry Hills Village and the Pinery to Colfax. No one is safe!

And, no, 24 hours isn't enough time to do anything about them. After a job, my DH will spray himself down and disrobe his uniform in the garage before coming inside, then straight up to shower.

Also, don't think they only live in mattresses/couches. They can live in wood, too, so simply hanging your clothes in a wooden armoire won't protect you if there's an infestation. The good news - back in CA, the one to two bed bug jobs he did were in hotels. Here, the several a week he does are all residences - like I said, college kids coming home with them from buying used furniture, people picking stuff up on craigslist, people bringing them home from their OUT OF COUNTRY travels (most hotels here are pretty good about staying cleaning and taking care of problems).

[sundial]

When we were vacationing in NM I woke up one morning with a bed bug making its way up my sheet. It is shaped like a lady bug so it's easy to spot. I told the front desk about my plight and they had just treated the room last week for BB. They said that with the military coming home some of them are bringing the uninvited guests along for the ride.

My exterminator told me to use hot steam to kill the bugs and eggs and to look for them along the edge of the mattress and bed rails. Fortunately I didn't find any of them after we got home from our trip.

[Cataboo]

Not everyone who is bitten by bedbugs actually reacts to them. many people have no idea they have an infestation till a guest comes to stay that is allergic to them.

Bed bugs are being spread by travelers - so obviously, they're hitching rides on clothing and in luggage - so it's not unreasonable to expect them to hitch a ride in your clothing or your luggage if you've left them open on a soft surface. Bed bugs are becoming increasingly resistant to chemicals.

I do have a silk liner bag - but I'm not entirely certain why people think bed bugs won't crawl into a silk liner bag just because y ou're in it?

I know I'd be extremely upset if I had a bed bug infestation, so when I know that I have been around them, I take preventative measures. It doesn't cost me anything and it's not really all that much hard work. Just like if I have been staying with a friend or whatever that i know has roaches - I leave my suitcase & such in the shed or outside for however long and inspect very carefully before I will take it into the house.

A landlord once gave me roaches (gave me a used fridge that was infested with them) and it took me about 3 or 4 months of intensive chemical warfare before I managed to get rid of them. It wasn't fun.

[GLC1968]

Bed bugs are being spread by travelers - so obviously, they're hitching rides on clothing and in luggage - so it's not unreasonable to expect them to hitch a ride in your clothing or your luggage if you've left them open on a soft surface.

I should clarify - I understand that they DO travel by hitching a ride or they never would have spread at all. My point is that a little common sense goes a long way. If you suspect that you stayed in a place where they could (or do) live, then take precautions. My guess is that they travel to new and exciting places by accidentally ending up in suitcases/bags because they hitch a ride in clothing/sleepwear, not because they are malicious and trying to infest new homes. I would think that carrying around your own silk sleeping bag is actually inviting them to come home with you. Kind of like people carrying their own pillows when they travel - a perfect bed bug hiding place!

I think everyone should just sleep naked and shower first thing, then the bed bugs wouldn't have any place to stowaway for the ride to your home. :p

[badger]

and what of folks like me who don't have a garage or a shed to leave the suitcase out? I don't really have a place to spread my stuff out on white garbage bag or sheet to inspect my contents after a trip. I guess I'll just have to run the vacuum all over the outside of the case and dump the contents into the tub and sort things out that way.

[kjay]

However you feel about these critters, these are some very good points. Never thought of vacuuming luggage. :-)

[tctrek]

Ewwwwwww.. this thread makes me itchy!:eek:

[myjas]

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/bedbugs.asp

[OakLeaf]

Here ya go (http://fakescience.tumblr.com/post/1306964130/how-do-you-get-rid-of-bedbugs?ref=nf). ;)

[KnottedYet]

One of my coworkers brought in pictures today of bedbug bites she and her mom suffered all over their legs a few years ago.

They became pustulent and welted, the pus had to be drained. She ended up with impetigo and had to wear bandages and do antibiotics for a while. The bedbug bites left scars.

They threw away everything they'd taken on their trip and that had been in the hotel with them.

Not my idea of a good way to spend a vacation, and since I welt up from the anticoagulant in mosquito bites I would assume I'd also welt up from the anticoagulant in bedbug bites.

Yuck.

[Cataboo]

costco is selling Veriluz UV sanitizer wands - they have a travel and a home one in the package. It claims to kill dust mites and bacteria. The 2 pack was like $50.

I've googled around a bit and seen some sites that claim uv sanitizer wands will kill bed bugs but I don't know how accurate that is. Now obviously, I don't think you can disinfect or get rid of an infestation with them or kill all the bed bugs in a hotel room - but I wonder if they could be used to treat luggage and any clothing that won't take high heat after you come back from staying in a hotel for those of you that don't have an outdoor space to leave luggage when you get home...

[Biciclista]

I have read this thread with interest. Since I am like GLC, whatever bites will bite ME first I have always been worried about/afraid of bedbugs.
I travel a lot and so far have been very lucky.
I have also read a lot about the critters. Leaving your suitcase outside for 24 hours will not do anything for you.
However, when you are in your hotel room, keep your luggage away from the bed and away from you.
Serious infestations of bedbugs are easy to find, but light infestations are not.

The bedbugs are not attracted by your warmth, they are attracted by the carbon dioxide that you exhale. There are now "bedbug traps" that do essentially that, they release small amounts of CO2 and if there are bedbugs in the house, one or two will eventually find the trap. (they won't trap all the bugs)

I am surprised and happy to hear that there is a chemical that kills these things. Google bedbugs and discover how serious an effect they have on some people.

[Grog]

I agree with you Oak, bedbugs are much less of a serious problem than, say, flea, which can be a vector for disease.

However, as someone else mentioned above, bites do get itchy (at least for some people), and left unattended the problem can grow to pretty big proportions and one gets covered with bites pretty quickly. I have seen people with bedbug bites all over their neck and chest and arms and although they were not life threatening they were really, really were enough to scare me into being very careful. It's also not very nice to have blood stains all over your sheets and mattress.

[Koronin]

I'll add that I'm also grossed out by an infestation of any kind of bug. I really don't care if it's bedbugs, fleas, moths, beetles, ect. Preventative measures are always best. However, like someone else mentioned, it is much harder for those of us who do not have a garage or any way of leaving things outside. Plus living in a warm weather climate leaving things in a shed or garage all winter won't work. Although maybe in July or Aug in a shed would work. It's gotta get hot enough. Esp with the outside temps reading in the mid to upper 90s.

[Biciclista]

@grog not to mention what it would be like to have to sleep in a bed where you knew you were going to get bitten AGAIN.. I would be destroyed totally.