Bed Bugs at the Polynesian =(

[bluejasmine]

Lord why did I read this??? lol now Im paranoid lol

 

[RangerPooh]

This is why we check before settling into our room. Glad to hear that Disney is working with you on it.

 

[Sandiz08]

I noticed some bites on my back the last night we stayed at the beach club. Didn’t think anything of it until I was back home the next day and emailed to let them know to inspect the room before they assigned it to someone else. Never heard back, I’m hoping it was just a mosquito or some other type of bug that bit me, however the pattern of the bites seemed like it was bed bugs!

 

[amylevan]

No idea where to get plastic wrap for luggage, but this is exactly why I bought a set of hard shell luggage.

We spray our luggage down with permethrin. We hope that it will at least convince the bugs to pick a different set of luggage to climb into.

 

[My3SweetSuns]

We spray our luggage down with permethrin. We hope that it will at least convince the bugs to pick a different set of luggage to climb into.

Smart!

 

[FSU Girl]

Disney is replacing all the bed clothes with totally white covers. Bed bugs don't like white, and they are much easier to spot on white, I think the replacing with white is because of this, so yes, the room looks much more plain but it's for a reason.

I wish that worked when I got bit staying at the Grand Floridian. Those sheets were very white. Ever since then we always check the beds before settling into a hotel room.

 

[Mome Rath]

I wish that worked when I got bit staying at the Grand Floridian. Those sheets were very white. Ever since then we always check the beds before settling into a hotel room.

Yes, they don't like white, as it makes them easier to spot. But every traveler should check the beds to spot them regardless of hotel location, cost, etc... because white doesn't repel them from a meal.

 

[oceanmarina]

Yes, just take your flashlight and shine on any horizontal surfaces or ledges, cracks, crevices at any hotel you stay at. So, with the headboard, look at the top, and then an any ledges down to the bed. As others have said you are looking for; bugs themselves, and their traces, such as blood spots (look a bit like rust spots), brown spots, and discarded carapaces. With drawers, just open them up and shine your flashlight around the edges inside. The bed is the most important thing, so you look between all the sheets down to the mattress and in the mattress crevasses down the sides. It doesn't really take that long, and once you do it once, it becomes routine. If you notice bites don't ignore them, they may be mosquitoes or other pests too, but they could be bed bugs; the bites usually come in lines or groups of 3, but not always. If you are getting bit, recheck the bed, and you can always talk to the front desk discreetly.

Also, they say not to lay or open your bags and suitcases on the beds, esp. before you've checked them. When going home, if you have any doubts or want to be safe, it's easiest to unload your suitcases outside, bringing in clothes in ziplocks or garbage bags, put the clothes directly into your dryer and crank it up on high, discard the bags and any trash from the trip outside of your house. If you know there were indeed beg bugs the suitcases would need to be treated as well, and that may take an exterminator treating them with heat.

I pack a small maglite in my carryon, just a small strong flashlight. Anything that is bright enough to help you see clearly.

Yes to that! I always check with a Maglite flashlight that I got from Target. I take the sheets off the corners, paying special attention to the mattress seams, under the mattress and all areas around the bed. Dressers, even under the phone / alarm clock!

We travel in the summer and since heat kills them, it is good to leave the suitcases "cook" in the hot car for a few days. When we get home I re-wash everything using the anti-bacterial xtra hot setting on our drier.

To OP, so sorry this happened, glad that they are working with you. I have a colleague who brought them home from a swanky NYC hotel and had to spend 5 grand getting rid of them

 

[Disneylover99]

Lord why did I read this??? lol now Im paranoid lol

A little paranoia now, might save you a few bucks down the road. Always check, cause you never know.

 

[beastlyprince]

Two videos to check for bed bugs in your hotel room. The second video is a more thorough check.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

We thought we had them ourselves last year bc something started biting me in home and like you, I had allergic reaction leaving welts. No one else got bit, this went on and off for a couple weeks or so. We had a dog come in twice bc so worried and found nothing and eventually it stopped. To this day I have no idea what it was. The women who came with the dog said anyone anyone anyone can get these bed bugs, they are not about cleanliness, etc., you can pick up in airplane, movie theater, restaurant, anywhere and bring home. That being said, emotionally it takes a Huge toll on you. I still don't know what was biting me, luckily stopped. I think now it was a carpet beetle which are those tiny little itty bitty beetles bc their larvae can leave marks and people can have allergic reactions, or maybe a spider but whatever it was went away. But just worrying it was bed bugs was just traumatic. I also got rid of all my plants in my house bc sometimes I would see tiny little bugs from my plants, washed everything, got rid of things, etc., but to this day it was just overwhelmingly emotionally draining so really feel for you.

 

[Summer2018]

Two videos to check for bed bugs in your hotel room. The second video is a more thorough check.

OMG. We seriously have to remove the mattress?! Now that’s above my pay grade.

 

[Mome Rath]

I do a search that falls between the two videos above. I've never demolished a bed. What I do is "lift" corners and edges and inspect the material (all the sheets) a lot closer on each level.

 

[Frankie Nova]

Just curious. Did you fly to WDW? Or drive your own vehicle?

Hmmm?

 

[Frankie Nova]

Hmmm?

relevance?

 

[quandrea]

We thought we had them ourselves last year bc something started biting me in home and like you, I had allergic reaction leaving welts. No one else got bit, this went on and off for a couple weeks or so. We had a dog come in twice bc so worried and found nothing and eventually it stopped. To this day I have no idea what it was. The women who came with the dog said anyone anyone anyone can get these bed bugs, they are not about cleanliness, etc., you can pick up in airplane, movie theater, restaurant, anywhere and bring home. That being said, emotionally it takes a Huge toll on you. I still don't know what was biting me, luckily stopped. I think now it was a carpet beetle which are those tiny little itty bitty beetles bc their larvae can leave marks and people can have allergic reactions, or maybe a spider but whatever it was went away. But just worrying it was bed bugs was just traumatic. I also got rid of all my plants in my house bc sometimes I would see tiny little bugs from my plants, washed everything, got rid of things, etc., but to this day it was just overwhelmingly emotionally draining so really feel for you.

So true about the emotional toll. I was covered in bites after a stay at a hotel in London, Ontario. The marks can show up as much as two weeks after the bite occurs. Our room at home was inspected and treated, although nothing was ever found here at home. We will never know if I brought them home or was just bitten at the hotel.

Didn’t matter though because we had to bag all our clothes, bag our mattress, heat treat our clothes, keep treated clothes out of the room for months. I have never been so tired from work and lack of sleep. The possibility of bed bugs really plays games with your mind.

 

[Deb & Bill]

relevance?

You have a good chance of picking up bedbugs in your luggage when you fly rather than if you keep your luggage with you and you drive. Your luggage is in close proximity of other luggage that could have bugs, in the plane hold where there could be bugs, etc.

 

[Frankie Nova]

You have a good chance of picking up bedbugs in your luggage when you fly rather than if you keep your luggage with you and you drive. Your luggage is in close proximity of other luggage that could have bugs, in the plane hold where there could be bugs, etc.

fair enough ....thank you

 

[Summer2018]

Unfortunately, we have cloth luggage. Does this mean I need to replace my luggage with old school hard suitcases?

 

[Mome Rath]

Unfortunately, we have cloth luggage. Does this mean I need to replace my luggage with old school hard suitcases?

I'm not nearly as knowledgeable about the luggage situation, but from what I do understand it's the zippers that are the weak points. Those that want the absolute best luggage to fight bedbugs seem to recommend hardshell with no zippers which in turn are more expensive than regular suitcases. It seems one of the suggestions is simply to do a duffel bag carry on that you can "cook" at home after you get back (such as in the dryer on high). Some people have those PackTite heaters that they treat everything in, so they get whatever will fit in a PackTite and make sure it is heating up enough to kill the bugs.