SailorMom Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 OK - so I've been losing sleep over bed bugs. We are going to be doing a lot of traveling soon.... I'm kinda phobic. Are bed-bug mattress protectors worth the cost? I believe it would cost us around $400 To cover all of the mattresses and box springs in our house. Maybe a little more for the pillows. Has anyone had any personal experience with these helping during an infestation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca VA Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 If I were going on a long vacation, I'd use inexpensive suitcases and discard them without bringing them into the house. I'd wash every washable item immediately (unwashed items should remain outside until the washer is available for them). I would be careful about bringing other items (souvenirs and such) into the house -- they might need to be washed and inspected before they could come in. Every traveler would need to take a shower immediately and put on fresh clothes. Those steps should go a long way toward eliminating any bedbugs that you pick up while travelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted September 28, 2010 Author Share Posted September 28, 2010 Oh - those are wonderful ideas..... doubt DH would go for the ceahp luggage, though :( I would! We are also having family here for Christmas - and they are coming from Washington D.C..... I don't want to offend them, so I am not saying a thing - but I am nervous since DC has them so bad right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 OK - so I've been losing sleep over bed bugs. We are going to be doing a lot of traveling soon.... I'm kinda phobic. Are bed-bug mattress protectors worth the cost? I believe it would cost us around $400 To cover all of the mattresses and box springs in our house. Maybe a little more for the pillows. Has anyone had any personal experience with these helping during an infestation? What I do is to look for evidence of them on the mattress immediately upon entering a hotel room. You can google photos so that you can see what evidence they leave behind looks like. A friend of my mother's who brought them back from an expensive Carribean holiday and endured a lot of suffering (because she didn't know she had them--they only bit her, not her husband--and she went through many medical tests) now enters a hotel room when it's dark and places a heating pad on the bed and turns it on. She comes back later to see if there are any on the heating pad. (they are attracted to warmth) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 Oh - those are wonderful ideas..... doubt DH would go for the ceahp luggage, though :( I would!We are also having family here for Christmas - and they are coming from Washington D.C..... I don't want to offend them, so I am not saying a thing - but I am nervous since DC has them so bad right now. The whole country has them. It's not very likely that someone in a single-family dwelling has them even in areas where the infestation is more intense. I wouldn't worry about it another minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 I know this is all over the news, but I want you all to stop and think for just a minute...this is the media! Bed bugs are nothing new. They have been in hotels and homes since - well - forever. What is new is that the media doesn't have the swine flu to hype up right now, so they are using the bed bug thing. To think that clothing store and libraries have never had this issue before is just naive. It has happened...we just haven't heard as much about it. I truly think this is no different than it has ever been...we are just hearing a ton more about it now. This is just my personal opinion and my goal is not to make anyone feel "stupid" or anything, but to maybe give pause for thought about the media hype. I think precautions are good. My dh will be checking beds when he checks in to hotels and such. We aren't careless, we are just cautious of buying into the hype. Last year, it was the swine flu and this year it is bed bugs.... Hope this helps someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 --they only bit her, not her husband-- Oh huh.. Bed bugs discriminate??? I just look at pictures of bed bugs bites, and I do wake up once in a while with such bites! But I'm never covered like the pics I saw. It's at the most three bites, usually just one. And it happens every second week. DH never has any! Do I have bedbugs??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 First, some of the bed bug thing is media hype and some of it is real - there really are more than there have been in the past because we no longer coat everything with carcinogenic chemicals and even if we did, the ones that have survived may be the crazy strong immune ones. Second, I'll just share my own experience - we stayed in a hotel abroad that turned out to have them. We were bit all over. It was a nasty infestation. We left the hotel and laundered EVERYTHING and scrubbed the heck out of ourselves. They did not come home with us. It wasn't the end of the world - it seemed horrible in the moment, but even by the end of the vacation, we knew it was just an annoyance, nothing more. Keep in mind that they don't carry disease, so it's not any worse than having some mosquito bites... better actually since mosquitoes do carry disease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenC3 Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 First, some of the bed bug thing is media hype and some of it is real - there really are more than there have been in the past because we no longer coat everything with carcinogenic chemicals and even if we did, the ones that have survived may be the crazy strong immune ones. Second, I'll just share my own experience - we stayed in a hotel abroad that turned out to have them. We were bit all over. It was a nasty infestation. We left the hotel and laundered EVERYTHING and scrubbed the heck out of ourselves. They did not come home with us. It wasn't the end of the world - it seemed horrible in the moment, but even by the end of the vacation, we knew it was just an annoyance, nothing more. Keep in mind that they don't carry disease, so it's not any worse than having some mosquito bites... better actually since mosquitoes do carry disease. The ones in South America do carry a disease that affects your heart. They also fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenC3 Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 I know this is all over the news, but I want you all to stop and think for just a minute...this is the media! Bed bugs are nothing new. They have been in hotels and homes since - well - forever. What is new is that the media doesn't have the swine flu to hype up right now, so they are using the bed bug thing. To think that clothing store and libraries have never had this issue before is just naive. It has happened...we just haven't heard as much about it. I truly think this is no different than it has ever been...we are just hearing a ton more about it now. This is just my personal opinion and my goal is not to make anyone feel "stupid" or anything, but to maybe give pause for thought about the media hype. I think precautions are good. My dh will be checking beds when he checks in to hotels and such. We aren't careless, we are just cautious of buying into the hype. Last year, it was the swine flu and this year it is bed bugs.... Sorry, but the numbers ARE up, WAY up. I think prevention and awareness are always a good idea for just about everything. I've never had the "oh it can't happen to me" attitude. No, this is not the end of the world, but if I can avoid the hassle and expense and the psychological trauma by being aware, I will. But I'm super freaked out by bugs that use me as a host. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted September 28, 2010 Author Share Posted September 28, 2010 Oh - numbers are way up - it may partially the media hype - but not all. I actually have read a bunch of scholarly scientific journal articles and reports form entomology departments at universities that agree the things are out of control. Sadly, the DC relatives line in an apartment complex in the middle of DC..... not a single family home. And the bugs love getting on suitcases in airplane luggage holds. I found some great spray on Amazon specifically for luggage...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 I know this is all over the news, but I want you all to stop and think for just a minute...this is the media! Bed bugs are nothing new. They have been in hotels and homes since - well - forever. What is new is that the media doesn't have the swine flu to hype up right now, so they are using the bed bug thing. To think that clothing store and libraries have never had this issue before is just naive. It has happened...we just haven't heard as much about it. I truly think this is no different than it has ever been...we are just hearing a ton more about it now. This is just my personal opinion and my goal is not to make anyone feel "stupid" or anything, but to maybe give pause for thought about the media hype. I think precautions are good. My dh will be checking beds when he checks in to hotels and such. We aren't careless, we are just cautious of buying into the hype. Last year, it was the swine flu and this year it is bed bugs.... Hope this helps someone. I've never known anyone who had them before this year. Maybe people are just "announcing it" more due to the media hype. I think the reason there is media hype is because it IS a growing problem. They're closing stores in NYC, for Jiminey Cricket's sake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 Oh - numbers are way up - it may partially the media hype - but not all. I actually have read a bunch of scholarly scientific journal articles and reports form entomology departments at universities that agree the things are out of control. Sadly, the DC relatives line in an apartment complex in the middle of DC..... not a single family home. And the bugs love getting on suitcases in airplane luggage holds. I found some great spray on Amazon specifically for luggage...... Can you link it, or give us the name of the product? Many of us will be facing holiday guests, and we don't want any "extra" guests! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 What I do is to look for evidence of them on the mattress immediately upon entering a hotel room... ... enters a hotel room when it's dark and places a heating pad on the bed and turns it on. She comes back later to see if there are any on the heating pad. (they are attracted to warmth) This is the test I've heard. Many business traveler carry laptops. Upon checking in, enter the dark room and set your laptop near the foot of the bed on top of the covers. Plug it in, turn it on and go get dinner (at least 20 minutes). Whe you return, move the laptop and use a small flashlight to examine each layer of bedding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critter Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 I read somewhere that if you put your luggage in the shower/tub of the hotel room instead of on the furniture or luggage racks that the bedbugs won't climb aboard and hitch a ride home. I wonder if that works. I also wonder if all the preventative techniques only serve to make people feel better about the situation because they feel they have some control. Whether the control measures work or not, worrying about it too much could ruin a person's vacation or keep us from enjoying guests. That seems worse than bedbugs to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted September 29, 2010 Share Posted September 29, 2010 I might also take a small spray bottle containing distilled water and any of the following essential oils you can stand the smell of: eucalyptus, tea tree oil, rosemary. I wouldn't mix them (yuck! I've tried it and it's waaaaay tooooo much....) I personally prefer rosemary. I'd add about 40-50 drops; mix it strong. There's some indication that these may help deter bed bugs. I'd spray my suitcases inside and out before returning home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted September 29, 2010 Share Posted September 29, 2010 We stayed - 10/11 years ago - at a hotel in London and ended up covered in "fleabites". In retrospect, they were most likely bedbugs. :( Knowing nothing about them at all, we took no precautions, and did not end up carrying them on, and didn't get infested. So, it is possible to be lucky. These days I'm much more knowledegeable and do check all hotel rooms etc... Min Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwenhwyfar Posted September 29, 2010 Share Posted September 29, 2010 Last year, it was the swine flu and this year it is bed bugs.... i was just thinking that. :laugh: yes, the numbers may be up some - but that's actually not "new" either. a few years ago, we went through a period of mystery bites on the kids and i (but never dh) and when i turned to the internet initially, it was bedbugs EVERYWHERE. the websites - a lot of the same ones that were listed in another thread - were flourishing, with claims of how OMGEXTREME it was.... then. that would be - four years? five years? something like that now. ours turned out to be mites related to rodents, but the hype was there then too...i saw it, i was on the forums/websites, reading everything. (heck some of the SAME people are still posting in a few of them, i noticed the other day) it may very well be that they make a *bigger* comeback and turn into something (again) that people just have to deal with...that would suck, yes, but...they don't kill you. (if you think about it...why is it that we don't get freaked out by skeeters, blackflies, noseeums, etc? i mean, they're chomping on us as well....because we're used to them.) i might be a bit calmer about it because i already went through the !!!!! stuff when we dealt with the mites. quite likely. i mean no offense to anyone who IS freaked out by it. just my few cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iucounu Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Bedbug infestations are definitely on the rise, in rentals and places of public accommodation. It's not media hype. They can get into furniture, walls, etc. Just sealing the mattresses is not going to work. The only truly foolproof method for eradicating bedbugs from a building is essentially to seal the building for a year or more, if they've had an opportunity to get into the walls. That's usually not necessary. One bad part about bedbugs is that the chemicals necessary to eradicate them are fairly noxious, and have to be liberally sprayed all around affected area. One client of mine had an exterminator spray her mattress, and it was soaked. I like the traveling anti-bedbug measures mentioned in this thread. I hadn't heard the one about putting the luggage in a tiled area, but it sounds helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrdinaryTime Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Can you really kill the bedbugs on any clothing with a hot wash? I want to go to the Williamsburg Great Wolf Lodge with the kids, but heard they have had some bed bugs problems on and off over the last few years. I was planning to just pack clothes in cheap laundry baskets and leave them there. I would bag all the clothes in garbage bags and then take then laundry them at a laundrymat instead of taking them in the house. I wasn't a 100% you could kill them with a hot wash, though. Part of me thinks it is crazy to even risk exposure, the other part of me hates living life in fear. All of our friends are going on the trip, and my kids have worked hard on their American history this year and would love visiting Williamsburg - and enjoying a waterpark! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 Well - most hotels/resorts get bed bugs at some point. It is impossible to really avoid that. If the hotel has a good reputation, and absolutely jumps on the rooms that are reported ot have them, they usually can get control of the situation fast. I have heard that washing on HOT and drying on HOT as well can kill the buggers. It's the suitcases that can be a problem... Btw - I started this a while ago, and we have traveled so much since. A cruise, a trip to Disneyland, a trip to Disney World, a trip to DC, a trip to AZ, two trips to CA,,, not to mention DH coming home from all of his deployments, and we have had no issues with bed bugs. I think the simple tactic of checking mattresses when you get to your room is all you need to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I'd go for Prevention ahead of Protection. Even if the mattresses are "protected" I still wouldn't want bedbugs in my house! They could hang out in the couch or the library books or whatever. Inspect the hotel rooms! Burn the suitcases when you return! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I think we're uber careful. We check the places we stay for evidence, keep luggage in the detached garage, wash and dry all clothes on hot/high heat, and shower when we come in from vacations. I've heard of people unpacking luggage in a tub to look for the bugs on the white surface, hot wash/dry all clothing, and then vacuuming out the luggage (disposing of bag outside). If you're really paranoid you could get a packtite for your own stuff post trips. http://www.packtite.com/ It would be cheaper over time than new luggage each trip! I don't know how you'd manage the relative visit though. Technically if they have them they can be on their persons! Still if it weren't too awkward they could put their luggage in a packtite. If my husband traveled a lot for business or such I might invest in the packtite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Getting mattress covers for your house won't do anything to prevent an infestation. The only reason to get covers is if you have had an infestation. It seals in any bugs that may have been missed during treatment. Most bugs don't live in mattresses anyway unless the mattress has a tear. They prefer the cracks in bed frames. (Ask me how I know. :glare:) Checking the mattresses in a hotel room for signs is a good idea. Also check the headboards. I love the heating pad idea. My brother-in-law is a pilot so obviously travels a lot. He keeps his suitcase on the toilet. Supposedly the bugs cannot walk upside down so they can't climb the toilet. That's not very practical when you have more than one suitcase though! The Packtite recommendation is good too. For clothing, it doesn't have to be washed first. If the clothes are otherwise clean, just run them through the dryer for 20 minutes. If you do wash them, make sure to dry them at least 20 minutes past the clothes being dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookfiend Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Neem Oil also has had some positive press in repelling bed bugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 I dealt with bedbugs 10 years ago, it is definitely not a new problem! At the time I was living with several other people in a house provided by my job. Someone stayed in a hotel that was infested and brought them back in their luggage. Our house wound up having to be tented and fumigated. We were told at the time that the most effective way to deal with bedbugs short of toxic chemicals is to starve them. We had to bag up all our things and seal them in airtight bags and leave them for 2 months. 2 MONTHS! I have more recently heard that 2 weeks is sufficient. :glare: Fortunately, the job provided most of our clothes and toiletries anyway. Based on that I would recommend that if you are traveling and are concerned you may have picked up bedbugs, don't take your luggage inside when you get home. Instead bag everything in heavy duty garbage bags and leave it in the garage or whatever for a couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Based on that I would recommend that if you are traveling and are concerned you may have picked up bedbugs, don't take your luggage inside when you get home. Instead bag everything in heavy duty garbage bags and leave it in the garage or whatever for a couple of weeks. We brought them home from a medical-related trip in 2010, and thankfully caught it very early on. Now only the bags we need go in, and the bags only go on top of tables and dressers. When we get home, it all goes out to the shed in garbage bags while I bring it in bit-by-bit for cleaning. And yes, I inspect. One place had them, and we scooted out of there pronto. Thankfully no repeat in 2011. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 I dealt with bedbugs 10 years ago, it is definitely not a new problem! At the time I was living with several other people in a house provided by my job. Someone stayed in a hotel that was infested and brought them back in their luggage. Our house wound up having to be tented and fumigated. We were told at the time that the most effective way to deal with bedbugs short of toxic chemicals is to starve them. We had to bag up all our things and seal them in airtight bags and leave them for 2 months. 2 MONTHS! I have more recently heard that 2 weeks is sufficient. :glare: Fortunately, the job provided most of our clothes and toiletries anyway. Based on that I would recommend that if you are traveling and are concerned you may have picked up bedbugs, don't take your luggage inside when you get home. Instead bag everything in heavy duty garbage bags and leave it in the garage or whatever for a couple of weeks. In order to starve adult bugs, items would actually have to be sealed for as long as 18 months. Adults can "hibernate" for over a year when food isn't readily available. Newly hatched nymphs, on the other hand, would most likely die within 2 weeks if unable to feed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in C-ville Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Oh huh.. Bed bugs discriminate??? I just look at pictures of bed bugs bites, and I do wake up once in a while with such bites! But I'm never covered like the pics I saw. It's at the most three bites, usually just one. And it happens every second week. DH never has any! Do I have bedbugs??? They DO discriminate. They like women better than men b/c men have more hair. And, when they sort of imprint on one person's blood and prefer that person, although they will bite others if that person is not around. And, they do tend to bite in 3's. :( Don't know if you have them, but I would definitely be on the look-out and maybe try the heating pad trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in C-ville Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 First, some of the bed bug thing is media hype and some of it is real - there really are more than there have been in the past because we no longer coat everything with carcinogenic chemicals and even if we did, the ones that have survived may be the crazy strong immune ones. Second, I'll just share my own experience - we stayed in a hotel abroad that turned out to have them. We were bit all over. It was a nasty infestation. We left the hotel and laundered EVERYTHING and scrubbed the heck out of ourselves. They did not come home with us. It wasn't the end of the world - it seemed horrible in the moment, but even by the end of the vacation, we knew it was just an annoyance, nothing more. Keep in mind that they don't carry disease, so it's not any worse than having some mosquito bites... better actually since mosquitoes do carry disease. Actually, they are finding that they do carry diseases sometimes, but data is inconclusive as to whether or not they can transmit diseases. http://www.thebedbuginspectors.com/blog/bid/55374/Do-Bed-Bugs-Carry-Diseases Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in C-ville Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Someone else mentioned this, but I would second it. After a trip, before we go home, I get dropped off at the laundromat with everyone's clothes. Unless we are flying, which we have only done twice, everyone just packs in laundry baskets so we can easily wipe them down with alcohol. When the rest of the family goes home, they go to the bathroom, take off their clothes and put them in the bathtub until I can get home and collect those for one load that goes right into the washing machine. The older girls wipe down their toiletries and run their make-up bags through the dryer. All this might seem a bit "over-the-top," but Sara Maria brought them home with her from Mexico two summers ago. We didn't discover them until Christmas of that year. We tried to take care of them ourselves, but quickly realized we couldn't do it. We had a pesticide company come in and treat, treat, treat. But, three months later my daughter discovered them again. Not just a few either. So, the pesticide people came back again. Meanwhile, we had to move to NC. We wrapped up all of the furniture in her room with this saran wrap stuff and stored her furniture in the garage. However, after two months, we discovered them in another daughter's bed frame. This time we called the guys who treat with heat. They used a dog and found MANY bedbugs in that one room, and several on a couch, but none anywhere else. They treated with heat, but I didn't prepare as well as I should have. I didn't understand all the instructions and left stuff in the room that I shouldn't have. So ... 6 weeks later, we found them AGAIN. That company came right out, confirmed that they were back, didn't get upset with me for not preparing the room as I should have, and treated with heat again at no charge. We haven't seen any signs of bedbugs for three months. But, I would not say that I would be shocked if they showed up again. They are terribly hardy. We have spent thousands of dollars on new mattresses and covers, not to mention the money we have spent on treatment. This is not money that we have. So, if it means that I seem a little "over-the-top," that's okay. I just really, really, really don't want to go through this again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 The ones in South America do carry a disease that affects your heart. They also fly. Flying, diseased bed bugs! :willy_nilly::eek: I hate all insect life! I know they are necessary, food chain... blah blah... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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