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Bed Bugs - How To Avoid Them


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I had a miserable experience with bedbugs last summer at a well known motel. The story would literally make your skin crawl, and it was only by the best of luck that I didn't bring them back to my home. (Actually I did bring them home in my suitcase and had to keep it outside and throw it away to prevent an infestation).

 

The problem isn't at all confined to lower end accommodations, as a look at any of the bed bug web registries will testify, for example......http://bedbugregistry.com/

 

There are several authorities who offer advice on how to inspect a room for bedbugs. I know from experience if I had followed their advice I would not have awakened at 2AM with bugs crawling on me and sucking my blood. But why should I have to do that?

 

My question is this. Where are the hotels/ motels that inspect their rooms daily for bed bug infestations? I want to stay there.

 

There is no reason for the experience I had. Full grown bed bugs take many days to mature and an inspection only takes minutes. If the room was regularly inspected (I like daily) I would not have had the experience.

 

This is a universal problem. It impacts air, train, and auto travelers, and it is unnecessary. The motels and hotels that certify an inspected room are going to get my business.

 

And hotel / motel operators, get smart. If you inspect daily, and make that known, it dissuades false claims of bedbugs, not to mention the awful publicity when someone reports an infestation. And it provides a credible rebuttal if you are falsely accused.

 

Clean, comfortable rooms, inspected carefully every day. It is that simple, and nothing less will do.

 

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

There are several sites that describe how to avoid bedbugs, some better than others. Since I have had first hand experience, I will add my two bits worth. I want it to be clear that I have no expertise with bedbugs except my one personal experience, I am not a lawyer, nor a hotel / motel expert.

 

Recognize there are two main problems. Bed bugs in the room, and bed bugs you take home. Of the two, the second is by far the worst .

 

Inspect:

 

Bed bugs leave evidence in the form of spots on sheets, mattresses, baseboards and walls, so look carefully in these areas, especially in crevasses (bed bugs don't like lights)..

 

Mature bed bugs are big enough to be easily spotted. Pull the sheets back quickly and carefully inspect them. They will be evident if they are there. Look for small brown blood spots on the sheets. Look at the wall and baseboard behind the bed, and for any crawling bugs on the wall near the bed.

 

Bed bugs can be in upholstered chairs as well, so check them out as you did with the bed.

 

Frankly you should not have to do any of this!! If the hotel/ motel did their job they would have already checked and you would not be looking for disgusting blood sucking bugs.

 

Protect your Luggage:

 

Don't put your luggage on the bed or on the floor at any time. If you do have bed bugs in the room you are inviting them to leave with you. You might go as far as putting luggage on top of somthing like a plastic sack.

 

Don't toss your used clothing on the floor and pick it up later. Don't put your used clothing back in your suitcase. Put them in a plastic bag you can seal, and wash them in hot water and dry at high temperature.

 

What if You find bed bugs:

 

I see no excuse for mature bed bugs in a motel room. If it had been inspected before you entered, you would not have the problem, period. If the room has mature bed bugs the hotel / motel provided you with unsuitable accommodations through their negligence (my opinion).

 

The least they should do is refund your money, or offer you a bug free room. I would expect both, and if I didn't get them, they would be listed on the bed bug register and exposed on every travel advisory site I could think of. They have no excuse.

 

If I were you and I had a camera, I would photograph the bugs, preferably with some part of the room in view, so it was obvious where you were. I did a video panning from the bed bugs to the rest of the room.

 

I want to repeat something here. If I owned or operated a hotel / motel I would have my rooms inspected daily, I'd record the inspection details, and I'd audit the inspector regularly. I'd train my front desk help on how to respond to a complaint.

 

I recognize that some guests might try to scam the motel by bringing or claiming bedbugs. You can't stop crooks from being crooks, but you can refute them with your good practices and records. If you suspect a fraud, you can pull your records and face down the scam artist, or use them to reply to a false claim. Without the inspections and good records, you invite the scam artists.

 

I also want to say that every spot on a sheet is not caused by bed bugs, and everything that crawls doesn't suck your blood as you sleep. If you suspect bedbugs, go to the desk and ask that someone look at what you have found. In my case I used one of the glasses in the room to capture some of the critters, so it wasn't hard to identify the source of my concern. If the staff has been trained, they will know a bed bug from a spider! If they haven't been trained, it isn't a good sign.

 

Finally, as a regular traveler, I would much prefer a bed bug free room than a refrigerator, microwave, TV, view, pool, phone, exercise room, yada yada., so don't tell me it costs too much for routine inspections. One bed bug not only ruins all the amenities, it stands to spoil your reputation.

Travelers won't stay where they fear being eaten!

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Thanks for the bedbug registry url. I'm heading for Oklahoma City in July for our Hudson car club National. I ran our hotel (the Biltmore on South Meridian in case you're wondering) and found that it has no reports. I'll check again in June just to make sure. I had experience with this problem at our club national in Wichita, KS, in 1990, I think it was. Fortunately I didn't bring any home with me. Strange part was I didn't get bit until the last night - when I checked out the next day I told them about it.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

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Wow....

 

Sorry you had that experience, Dave.

 

In all of my yearly travels, I haven't had any run-ins with bed bugs. Course, most of the time ... with the exception of my Route 66 trip in 2009 ... I spend the evenings at homes of family and friends. Still, I've seen enough hotels that I'm glad I've been lucky enough to not have the "bed bug" experience.

 

 

I am glad you shared that link ... I've saved it for future reference.

 

 

 

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Wow....

 

Sorry you had that experience, Dave.

 

In all of my yearly travels, I haven't had any run-ins with bed bugs. Course, most of the time ... with the exception of my Route 66 trip in 2009 ... I spend the evenings at homes of family and friends. Still, I've seen enough hotels that I'm glad I've been lucky enough to not have the "bed bug" experience.

 

 

I am glad you shared that link ... I've saved it for future reference.

 

 

I'm glad my experience caught some attention. It really isn't that a few bed bug bites one night is a big deal, it is the risk that you bring them home (or infect your car), and make it a regular affair!

 

I meant to add that it is wise to leave your unpacked suitcases in the garage or outdoors for a few days after you return. I left mine on the deck outside, and one was crawling with tiny bedbugs when I opened them. I soaked it with insecticide and threw it in the trash can, along with the contents.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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