on vacation-- bedbugs

[The_Jeff]

found a bedbug forum but thought i'd post here.

Stayed in a fleabag hotel in Rhome TX last night for about an hour when wife discovered dead pinhead bugs (she's very paranoid-- good thing), asked for another room, found blood on the pillowcase from them biting.

Packed the stuff up. One suitcase was on the carpet floor and we left it and its contents in the rental car trunk. Found another (clean) hotel, put everything we needed suitcase wise in the bathtub. Doing massive laundry now (dryer kills them). Kids were in PJs and we scooped them up (sleeping) put them in car seats (with removable fabric that's getting washed when we get home) and into the new hotel all in same PJs.

Going to spritz the suitcases with isopropyl alcohol, it only kills on contact, just in case there are bugs on them somewhere. All clothes in giant ziploc bags.

Anything I should do before I get home? I don't want to infect my car; stuff can wait in the car until it goes through the dryer again. There's some hippy dippy enzyme stuff you can order online but being in a hotel this isn't an option.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

A vacation to remember.

 

[Scienceman]

Report them.

 

[mrsilv04]

The first thing you gotta do anymore before even thinking about unloading the car, is to tear the beds apart and inspect for any signs of an infestation.

Earlier this month, I stayed in a $42 a night EconoLodge, which upon seeing the property, really worried me... but no problem. The housekeeping staff must have been well trained.

Then, once you're satisfied.... it should be safe.

However, I stayed in a lodge in an Arkansas State Park in May, and I ended up with bedbug bites all over my legs. I learned my lesson very quickly.

 

[Dave Hess]

Even some very upscale hotels are getting bedbugs.

 

[mechtech2]

Yes. New York's Waldorf Astoria just had a case or two of bed bugs.

 

[Steve S]

After living out of my suitcase for a couple of years due to my job I do not go anywhere anymore unless I have to.

 

[CivicFan]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
After living out of my suitcase for a couple of years due to my job I do not go anywhere anymore unless I have to.


+1 here.

 

[andyd]

So far so good, with my few excursions this year. I havent flown in ages.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Our pest control service does a lot of bed bug work-the gentleman that services our home often has his bed bug sniffing beagle with him.

Some of the stories he can tell about bed bug infestations are downright nasty. And once you have an infestation, it's at least $2000 to get rid of them.

We still travel quite a bit, but we're extremely careful when we stay somewhere and use a couple of tricks to make sure the room is bed bug free before we bring in our luggage.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
We still travel quite a bit, but we're extremely careful when we stay somewhere and use a couple of tricks to make sure the room is bed bug free before we bring in our luggage.



And you're not going to share?

 

[The_Jeff]

well about five minutes after my post wife found one inside my netbook. So it got ziplocked and quarantined.

I'm home now. What we've done:

Everyone stripped neckkid on the laundry room (tile) floor and we washed and dryered the clothes we were wearing, picked out clean clothes from our home closets, and went to bed.

At the hotel we washed and dryed everything and put it in giant ziploc bags inside the suitcase. Segregated out what we'd need per day.

The clothes came in the house, a laundry load at a time, then the ziplocs they were in were thrown out outside.

My car is idling in the sun with the heat on full blast; they say 120-140'F at an hour kills them. Giving more time than that to get the nooks and crannies.

 

[daves87rs]

Yikes!