Interesting bedbug conversation today with my brother

[Shasta]

First off, I know this is one of those squirmy conversations that don't make you feel good afterwards. I am not trying to spread rumors about Disney. These are facts, you can decide.

My Brother owns a pest service buisness and today while we were speaking about day to day stuff, I mentioned that we were going to dinsey in Jan. He then shared a few interesting comments that he had heard recently.

At a National conference, he hear one of the guest speakers (an Entomologist) covering a few national items like movement of Killer Bees to Mississippi from Southern Louisiana in 2008, bla, bla, bla. Also he mentioned that in the last 6 months there had been a small epidemic of bed bugs in three area in the US. Washington, New York and Orlando. These locations specificaly because of the % of travelers from abroad.

He said that they (this is the grey part because I don't know if he was speaking about Dinsey or area hotels and condos) had began to take action by treating rooms in an interesting way. A third party service company would bring equipment into rooms, take some items out, seal them and heat the room to over 300F for a certain perdion of time in order to steralize it.

He mentioned a few things that I should do for my trip, First was to leave my clothes in the suit cases if possible and put suit cases near the vanity or closer to hard floor services. He also is going to supply me with a can of BedLam, a product that you can spray on the matress and outside of your luggage to kill any potential bugs. My brother described that you can't inspect a matress to see if they are infested because the bugs craw into tiny crevaces to hide at all times other than their active 2-4 a.m. period. Worse than the potential bites were the chance of packing them in your clothes and bringing them back to infest your home. Treatment for a home is very expensive and extensive for him. Cheaper but still extensive for the homeowners to treat thier homes themselves.

I have read a few posts recently on this forum regarding bedbugs that may tied in to these comments that the speaker made. Decide for yourself but do give it some though. It won't keep me from staying on property but it will make me take a few steps of precaution.

Sorry for the squirmy feeling I just gave you! :guilty:

[ehrn]

Wow! That does make me squirmy. It's good info to have though, thanks. I hope Disney takes this VERY seriously.

[Tonya2426]

Is a can of BedLam something any lay bug killer can buy or only for the professsional bug killers? Because if it will make me not think about bugs in the hotel mattresses then I certainly want a can!!!! :goodvibes

[js]

I just googled the BedLam and didn't find anything.
Can you please ask your brother where/if we can purchase this can?
I sleep with my pj pants tucked in my socks and my pj shirt tucked in my pants when we are in a hotel no matter how clean, much to my husbands dismay :rotfl2: The kids won't sleep like that and think I am nuts but just thinking about it disgusts me.
I would love to get a can of this stuff for our trip next month.
When we cruise, our bags always have to be stored under the beds and that freaks me out too! :scared1: Thank you very much I will watch this thread to see if your brother knows how/where we can purchase.

[Tracy Savage]

YIKES!!!! My DS and I always do a full room inspection (under lamps and behind pictures and head boards) I never thought about MY luggage!!!!:faint:

[Atotty]

Ohhhh Tracey.......You've got a bedbug!!!!!!


:rotfl:

[hinodis]

YIKES!!!! My DS and I always do a full room inspection (under lamps and behind pictures and head boards) I never thought about MY luggage!!!!:faint:

Thanks alot your little bug just freaked me out!!!:scared:

[Tracy Savage]

Yeah, at least he doesn't want blood!!!!!!:goodvibes Sleep tight... don't let the bed bugs bite.............

[KimAshton]

I thought the bug in Tracy's signature was on my computer screen. I just tried to smack my screen. LOL.

[bunnyfoo]

I just googled the BedLam and didn't find anything.
Can you please ask your brother where/if we can purchase this can?
I sleep with my pj pants tucked in my socks and my pj shirt tucked in my pants when we are in a hotel no matter how clean, much to my husbands dismay :rotfl2: The kids won't sleep like that and think I am nuts but just thinking about it disgusts me.
I would love to get a can of this stuff for our trip next month.
When we cruise, our bags always have to be stored under the beds and that freaks me out too! :scared1: Thank you very much I will watch this thread to see if your brother knows how/where we can purchase.

I found a link for it - this is just the first site that I came across, I'm sure there are others. I will definitely consider picking one up for our next trip. Thanks for the tip OP :)

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/bedlam-insecticide-p-269.html

[Tracy Savage]

I thought the bug in Tracy's signature was on my computer screen. I just tried to smack my screen. LOL.

Don't hurt your hand!!:rotfl: Where are you staying on your trip?

[yrdlyprincess]

OK, I think that I AM grossed out. But my cousin was telling me the same thing that because so many people come in from different places. Ok, I know that Disney doesn't put plastic mattress covers on their bed (because some people don't like the feel/noise of them) put I wonder if you put that on if it keeps them away??? With the suitcases we should keep them on the tile floor in the bathroom?? is it bad to put the clothes in the drawers too?? Or are they ok...and yes right now if feel like bugs are on me!! YUCK!! But I would rather know how to prevent from getting/having them with me and/or bringing them home!!

[Shasta]

My brother said he would get me a can of the Bedlam when he picked up his next purchase of chemicals. I did see it listed on several sites for sale by searching Google. A 17 oz. can ran on average $18. I am sure there are other brands out there but that is the one he mentioned.

I'd guess that is you sprayed the inside of the drawers, you could use them afterwards. The directions online state that it's safe for clothing so...

By the way, aparently this was moved from the Disney Resorts thread. I thought it was the best place for it since it related directly to rooms at Disney. I must be wrong.

I love the bud Sig! :rotfl:

[Tracy Savage]

My brother said he would get me a can of the Bedlam when he picked up his next purchase of chemicals. I did see it listed on several sites for sale by searching Google. A 17 oz. can ran on average $18. I am sure there are other brands out there but that is the one he mentioned.

I'd guess that is you sprayed the inside of the drawers, you could use them afterwards. The directions online state that it's safe for clothing so...

By the way, aparently this was moved from the Disney Resorts thread. I thought it was the best place for it since it related directly to rooms at Disney. I must be wrong.

I love the bud Sig! :rotfl:

Hey! You stole my bug!!! Now we have a swarm!!!!:lmao:

[Tonya2426]

Those little signature bugs are freaking me out!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

OK, the BedLam directions say "Vacate room after treatment and ventilate before reoccupying". I am not sure my family is going to go for vacating and ventilating while on vacation - they already think I am a weirdo for remaking the bed before I will sleep on the hotel bed. Maybe I will just have to print out a picture of a bed bug and get them all freaked out so they will cooperate with the vacating and ventilating. :laughing: Wish me luck!!!

[Terry36]

Okay now I am itching....I leave this Friday...

[Sleepy]

At a National conference, he hear one of the guest speakers (an Entomologist) covering a few national items like movement of Killer Bees to Mississippi from Southern Louisiana in 2008, bla, bla, bla. Also he mentioned that in the last 6 months there had been a small epidemic of bed bugs in three area in the US. Washington, New York and Orlando. These locations specificaly because of the % of travelers from abroad.

While this info may be true, I think it is important to consider the reality of the situation. Like with roaches, it only takes one pregnant one to start a serious problem. Having said that, PLEASE do not think that those of us living in a foreign country have a houseful of bedbugs. We have none and I have stayed in several hotels and so have all my friends and have never encountered any. We have no roaches and I know southern United States is full of them. It gives me the creeps to think one day my house and the hotels can become infested with roaches because Americans travel to Italy. Food for thought.

[Shasta]

While this info may be true, I think it is important to consider the reality of the situation. Like with roaches, it only takes one pregnant one to start a serious problem. Having said that, PLEASE do not think that those of us living in a foreign country have a houseful of bedbugs. We have none and I have stayed in several hotels and so have all my friends and have never encountered any. We have no roaches and I know southern United States is full of them. It gives me the creeps to think one day my house and the hotels can become infested with roaches because Americans travel to Italy. Food for thought.

Remember, those we not my comments but a speaking Entomologist at a pest service convention. I have no opinion either way on where the bed bugs come from so I'm not sure why you picked a pest from my region. Each region of the world has it's own variety of pests.

The difference in bed bugs and roaches is that you're less likely to pack up roaches in your suit case and infest your home. Roaches hide from humans while beg bugs feed upon them. You can pack a colony of bed bugs in your luggage and never know it because of thier ability to crawl under the linning and into seams etc.. That is why they migrate so well through travelers.

I'm sorry that you took offense to the speakers comments though.

[Shasta]

Just a quick additional update. My brother just left and dropped off the product to take on my vacation. He changed his mind and bought a bottle of Steri-fab. Steri-fab is a non-aerosol spray bottle of liquid. The benifit of it over BedLam is that you don't have to vacate your room and leaves no chemical odor.

I just broke the seal and to me it has an aroma very much like Adams Flea spray. If you know that, you'll understand. It's not offensive to me at all.

[whgrn]

OMG I am scratching like crazy!!!!!:scared1:

So, why do I need to keep my clothes in my suitcase? I HATE living out of a suitcase!! Is it OK to hang stuff in the closet?

Where can we get this new stuff your brother brought you? (Not the BedLam, the other one)

Yikes, I just hate the thought of bringing stuff home...

[don.mickey]

Thanks for the tip! I found another source for bedlam and they fluctuate on price. At one point it was as low as 10 bucks!

Here's a link to a pest control online mall where I purchased it.

http://www.pestmall.com/bedlam-bed-bugs-spray.html

I checked you link at the domyown store but they said they were out of stock. This spray definitely helped out my bed bug problem. :D :banana:

[Teddi]

I just saw cans of something like that at our local Wal-mart. It was in the Pharmacy area. It was a spray that you used on the bed and such. It said it was to prevent bed bugs! It was around 7-8 dollars. YES, I will be getting some. Better safe than sorry I say! :)

[dzorn]

I just saw cans of something like that at our local Wal-mart. It was in the Pharmacy area. It was a spray that you used on the bed and such. It said it was to prevent bed bugs! It was around 7-8 dollars. YES, I will be getting some. Better safe than sorry I say! :)

Why is everyone following bed bug information from a thread that is several years old?

Denise in MI

[SirGalahad]

The PP is right, don't listen to anything that someone was told a while ago. I run a large apartment community and have had a few cases to deal with. We work with the exterminating company that is heading up the research with the University of Kentucky. NOTHING you can buy over the counter will kill bedbugs. No offense to the OP, but her brother is wrong. You can pretty much guarantee the room is bedbug free if you check thoroughly around the piping on the mattresses. Check behind anything against the walls. You probably will never see the actual bedbug, but you need to look for any black or dark reddish brown spots. These are the waste from a bedbug. Everyone needs to calm down a little. They don't carry any diseases or illnesses, they are just a huge nuisance.

[Butterx3]

I too have a brother who works for a pest control company. When we travel we never use the dresser's. Its a hassle to live out of a suitcase, but he told us to put our suitcases in the tile bathroom and leave the light on in the bathroom at night. I concur with the previous poster, look in the seams of the mattress, and in the corners of pictures, behind the headboard and in the corners of the ceiling where two corners meet. Hotels are getting smart and putting up crown molding now so you can't see the corners. We were told to absolutley never use the suitcase stands in the closets. Its a gross problem, and one you don't want to bring home, but there should be tell tale signs if your room has bed bugs. Don't be afraid to insist on another room if you notice anything that looks like waste. And enjoy your trip to Disney!!

[rt3773]

I believe this is a huge problem, not just in Orlando but nationwide. Although some info on this thread is old, it is very relavant. I have just recently seen several reports on this issue.
I will add that I too, have a family member in the pest control business who provided some family memebers a pesticide for bedbugs on a trip to NYC. When they opened their luggage, the product was not in their bag but a note saying you had a hazzardous product in your bag and it was taken. So just beware of purchasing something like this and flying.

[pampam]

I thought the proliferation of bedbugs was because governments had prohibited the insecticides used previously.

[NJtoATL]

I always look up hotels I attend to stay at before booking my plans. Hope this helps anyone interested.


http://bedbugregistry.com/ :scared1: look at all popular hotels in Orlando

[arielsleepingbeauty]

I ama social worker so you can imagine all the homes I go into. We use Steri-fab before we go into homes. I spray directly onto my clothing. It comes directly from the bottle and It dries in 15-20 minutes.
People really need to be careful. Anyone can have bed bugs doesn't matter how clean you are. One of my clients got bedbugs because someone in her housing got a new mattress and wherever the mattress came from, is where the bed bugs came from. And anywhere you sit just think of where everyone else that has sat there has sat before.

[pixiedustmomma]

I also use http://bedbugregistry.com/ and every single Disney Hotel is on there! BUT if you read the awesome actions Disney takes for you don't be scared! They clean everything for you all of your clothes and luggage. They even buy you knew clothes to wear while all your things are being cleaned and they will move you to a new room. The BEST thing for you to do is wait to take your luggage into the room and go in a check for bed bugs. I have heard you can take a maxi pad and use the sticky part on the mattress to see if there are any bugs. Look behind the head boards and take the sheets off the bed. Disney is doing everything they can for there guest. So don't be scared to tell them you need a new room. They have people on site to take care of you.

I also have a friend that told me she used Diatomaceous Earth (food grade) to kill them. But I have not used it so I can't 100% say it works.

Yes, Bed bugs are making a come back because the government put a ban on the stuff that kills them and keeps them away. But with all the international travel cases of bed bugs are everywhere.

[hugscot]

Yeap ok my skin is now crawling:eek:

[lnk1229]

eeeek!!! got the creeppy-crawlies...

[gwiz5kids]

This has got to be my biggest vacation fear, Oh and snakes....