Bed bugs: Am I being crazy or should I actually be worried?

scrapquitler said:
They can be ANYWHERE, and not just at hotels.
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Our landlord in our office (a major commercial building owner) checks regularly for them in our building, especially where there is carpeting. They really can be found anywhere. DH and I have never run into them and we both travel quite a bit and spend time in lots of hotels. Likely you won't ever run into them but know what to look for and do a check just for your own peace of mind.
 
Any hotel can have them, 5 star, 1 star and all points in between. You can check before you accept the room.

You can get them from other bags in flight too.

But, I have travelled extensively and NEVER encountered them. There was a larger than usual population of them a few years ago, so there were more reports, but they are always possible.
 
You're being paranoid.
The hotel you stay at is not going to matter.
Bed bugs can be anywhere.
But I will say that I have stayed at POP many times and I have never encountered bed bugs.
In fact I have never encountered bed bugs at any hotel/motel I have ever stayed at anywhere.
When I walk into the room I take a quick peak at the beds to ensure there's nothing crawling around in the covers or under the fitted sheet.
If you are truly concerned about it then I suggest cancelling.
 
kiford said:
Our landlord in our office (a major commercial building owner) checks regularly for them in our building, especially where there is carpeting. They really can be found anywhere. DH and I have never run into them and we both travel quite a bit and spend time in lots of hotels. Likely you won't ever run into them but know what to look for and do a check just for your own peace of mind.
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A few months ago there was a local movie theater that had a bed bug issue. So I agree they really can be anywhere.
 


otten said:
Pesticides have never been the best approach for getting rid of bugs. Extreme heat and cold are more effective and less damaging to your stuff.

As for common, I have stayed in hundreds of hotels and hostels ranging from really crappy hostels to five stars. I have had to deal with bedbugs once. (and it wasn't in the crappy hostels btw). Your best guard against them is to keep your stuff up off the floor and when you return home but all your clothes in a very hot wash and dry cycle upon return.

I'm not trying to minimize the problem of bed bugs but I read the post the OP was referring to also and the poster in that read was almost having a breakdown over it. IMO, it's not a bad enough problem to warrant that and there are some pretty simple steps to take to avoid bringing the problem home.
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Agree to disagree. I have friends and relatives that have spent a lot of money to get rid of the bugs in their homes. Quite the process involved. Yes heat and cold are some of the tools used but an exterminator comes into your home and sprays every nook and cranny. It can get very expensve. I am very leary of bed buds as a neighbor two doors down from me had them and I was very vigilant in checking my house constantly, especially where you sleep as they are more likely to be found in bedrooms.

The OP will be fine as others have suggested. Before bringing your luggage in the room make sure to check the mattresses for any bed bug evidence. I never unpack my suitcase and leave it up on the stand provided.

You should google NYC hotels problems with bed bugs and there quite a few stories on how the problem is increasing.
 


Concerned is a much better state of mind to be in regarding bedbugs than pretending they don't exist. While many frequent travelers have never dealt with them, they do exist. Due diligence is always advised. Wherever you decide to stay, check your room for them before you settle in. From an experience I hope to never repeat again, they are not fun to deal with and very expensive to get rid of. Checking your room for bedbugs is a quick process that may prevent a much longer and more expensive process to be rid of them.
 
Sleepless Knight said:
Concerned is a much better state of mind to be in regarding bedbugs than pretending they don't exist. While many frequent travelers have never dealt with them, they do exist. Due diligence is always advised. Wherever you decide to stay, check your room for them before you settle in. From an experience I hope to never repeat again, they are not fun to deal with and very expensive to get rid of. Checking your room for bedbugs is a quick process that may prevent a much longer and more expensive process to be rid of them.
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That pretty much covers it IMO - I have certain things I do every time I enter a room and for the few minutes it takes it could make a big difference.

From checking for bed bugs to making sure the windows \ doors are locked - I can't count the number of times housekeeping has entered my room and left a window\patio door unlocked.
 
We encountered bed bugs at a Disney resort last year. They checked the room, told us they found them and took care of all of our things. It was NOT fun, but Disney did absolutely everything right in responding. One thing I learned is you can get them in your luggage on a plane, so we could've even been the ones who carried them in off the plane...who knows. Our stuff was treated and I made sure to wash/dry/bag everything before bringing it into our house. We had no more problems. You can encounter them anywhere. Moral of the story...check your room!!
 
Govols1997 said:
We had no more problems. You can encounter them anywhere. Moral of the story...check your room!!
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Yep, I agree with this. I've never encountered a bed bug and I don't check but if you have even the slightest idea that they might be somewhere, you will have to check. And check everywhere. From the posts in this thread, when you go to a movie theatre, check those seats. In clothing stores, anywhere there is a fabric. Buy a previously owned car? Check that out all over.

My brother-in-law is an exterminator and he's had to deal with bed bugs in a variety of places. It does take time which is why if you do see them anywhere, alert the management and let them handle it.
 
Encountered them at Beach Club two Christmases ago. Disney was very good in handling situation. They treated the clothes we wore that day, shoes included. Good thing I left the suitcases by the door. We didn't even unpack. Just make sure to check the beds, behind headboards and pictures.
 
This video shows a good 5 minute hotel bed bug check: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnOrYqKpmpI

I don't worry about them. I do take a quick look around and am aware of my surroundings, but I know that I'm just as likely to pick up bed bugs on the subway or at a movie theatre as in a hotel, so it's not something I spend too much energy thinking about!
 
Is there anything you can do to protect your luggage on the plane? Some kind of deterrent you can spray on your luggage or something?
 
Tiffx8 said:
Is there anything you can do to protect your luggage on the plane? Some kind of deterrent you can spray on your luggage or something?
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Hard sided luggage is recommended. If you want to be ultra proactive, pack your things in plastic airtight bags like Space Bags or large Ziplocks. Also, pack your worn clothing in plastic. When you get home, keep your luggage in garage, and wash and dry immediately. Put suitcases out in the sun in a black trash bag to heat it high enough to kill any hitch hikers.

I encountered bed bugs last summer while traveling for business. A friend who is an exterminator came and checked my home after I realised what the bites were. He told some horror stories of hotel rooms he's encountered. I did not bring any home with me, thankfully. I used to think people over reacted when they say it kept them up at night. No more. I had sleep issues for a couple of months.
 
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Pridemom said:
Hard sided luggage is recommended. If you want to be ultra proactive, pack your things in plastic airtight bags like Space Bags or large Ziplocks. Also, pack your worn clothing in plastic. When you get home, keep your luggage in garage, and wash and dry immediately. Put suitcases out in the sun in a black trash bag to heat it high enough to kill any hitch hikers.

I encountered bed bugs last summer whike traveling for business. A friend who is an exterminator came and checked my home after I realised what the bites were. He told some horror stories of hotel rooms he's encountered. I did not bribg any home with me, thankfully. I used to think people over reacted when they say it kept them up at night. No more. I had sleep issues for a couple of months.
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I have to agree. I was worried for weeks. And we had our stuff (down to the underwear we were wearing) treated by Disney, I brought nothing into our home unless it went straight into the washer, suitcases left out in freezing temps for days. I couldn't get over the worry that we might've infected our house. It's not a joke.
 
One thing that I have seen in this post and other posts. If you are unfortunate enough to be impacted by bedbugs at Disney, is that they do an incredible job in addressing it and helping you. They also seem to be very diligent in be proactive about bedbugs. With over 25,000 rooms (not beds) on property, it is going to happen, fortunately it seems to be fairly rare.
 
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