Ichty scratchy
One of the subjects of our roundtable event was bedbugs. Bedbugs are making a comeback and they are huge in some areas of the United States, including back east and in California. The most common ways of bringing them home are staying in an infested room, such as a hotel / motel, or bed and breakfast, and bringing them home in your luggage; or by purchasing infested furniture.
When you travel, inspect your mattress and bed frame carefully when you stay somewhere. The bugs often nest on the mattress itself under the edges and folds of the mattress. They will always nest within twelve to fifteen feet of the bed, if present.
You may also notice little spots of blood on the bed frame or mattress, even if you can't find the bug itself.
We are seeing more and more of these pests in our area. They can be traumatic to have and they can be expensive to get rid of.
On a training exercise today it took 4 workers and hour and a half to treat one apartment. While many four star hotels have pest control programs it wouldn't hurt to ask your next vacation destination if they have a inspection and treatment program for bed bugs.
Below is a link to a good site with helpful info on this pest:
http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/Extension/DiagnosticLab/IDLFS/BedBugs/BedBugs.html
I will attempt to post picture of this pest - wish me luck!
MrSafeguard
When you travel, inspect your mattress and bed frame carefully when you stay somewhere. The bugs often nest on the mattress itself under the edges and folds of the mattress. They will always nest within twelve to fifteen feet of the bed, if present.
You may also notice little spots of blood on the bed frame or mattress, even if you can't find the bug itself.
We are seeing more and more of these pests in our area. They can be traumatic to have and they can be expensive to get rid of.
On a training exercise today it took 4 workers and hour and a half to treat one apartment. While many four star hotels have pest control programs it wouldn't hurt to ask your next vacation destination if they have a inspection and treatment program for bed bugs.
Below is a link to a good site with helpful info on this pest:
http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/Extension/DiagnosticLab/IDLFS/BedBugs/BedBugs.html
I will attempt to post picture of this pest - wish me luck!
MrSafeguard
That is disgusting! Do hotels have to tell you about pest problems? Is there anything I can do to make sure I don't bring them home with me? ICK!
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Many hotel operators don't know they have a problem until after a guest complains. Often these complaints don't surface until after a guest returns home with the bed bugs. Bed bugs only come out at night when people are sleeping. Most people will not notice the bite when it occurs. They may notice a raised bump later - but only if they have a reaction to either the bite itself or to the bed bug's feces. To add insult to injury, the bed bug excretes in the same area it fed after feeding.
Sometimes hotel operators are very responsive and some are even proactive, with inspection programs by trained staff members or pest control professionals, but it would be highly unusual for a hotel to advertise about a pest problem that would give them bad publicity. Otherwise, if you knew who has had problems with roaches, rats, lice, bed bugs, etc..., you might never stay in a hotel room. Just don't ask me to tell you which restaurants to avoid and why
Inspecting the mattress, box springs, and headboard are your best bet to stay bite free and clear of infestation.
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I thought bed bugs only occured in third world countries. Are these four star hotels you refer to unsanitary?
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Bed bugs used to be quite common, but the use of professional pest control materials had them on the run for decades. Many hotels and motels have gotten out of the habit of having a pest control service and the newer, less toxic pest control materials today do not last as long as earlier materials.
This is not to say that any given hotel or motel could not be cleaner. If you have concerns, contact the hotel or motel you wish to stay in and ask them of they have a service and if they have encountered any problems. Then make sure you do your own inspection when you get there. Before you unpack.
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If you do have bed bugs is it best to just throw away the mattress. And if you do do you still have to have your home treated? Can I just bomb the room for them? Or do I have to do the whole home?
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Don't throw away that mattress yet! There are affordable mattress encapsulation products that we can supply you that are bed bug and dust mite proof. Yes, you still need professional help. Bed bugs can still nest in other areas of your home - within that twelve to fifteen foot area and they can still travel in the night to bite you. Flea bombs will not help - they only treat areas where air circulates and these guys love to hide in cracks and crevices. You do not have to treat the whole home - usually only the bedroom and nearby.
MrSafeguard
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