Every time we stay in a hotel, I check the mattress out for bed bugs. Last year there were several stories on the news about people bringing them home. It can happen with any hotel - even fancy ones.
We were in Orlando earlier in the month, during Spring Break and we stayed at Westlake Gates. This was a freebie we got from a Kohl's/Dockers promotion, but we did add 1 night. We were there for 3 nights. When we got to our room, I did my mattress check and there was some little dots in the mattress corner. I couldn't decide if it was dirt or dead bugs and then I started to panic because I always check for bedbugs, but I don't know what I am looking for. I've always found a spotless mattress in the past. The kids had a pullout sofa and that mattress looked brand new. Half of the room was tiled - kitchenette, vanity sink and bathroom. I wouldn't let anyone put anything on the carpet or bed- suitcase, whatever. I asked dh about checking out, but he told me I was crazy and he didn't want the hassle.
When we got home, I washed everything in hot water. But I was sick the day after (for 3 days) and I slept in the same clothes I slept in on vacation. On the third day, I washed my sheets and pjs. Then I looked up bed bugs on the internet. Our mattress looked nothing like the examples shown, but it said that bed bug bites are like mosquito bites. One morning, when we woke up, dh said, "We must have had a mosquito in our room." DD, DH, and I all had a mosquito bite. DD slept in our bed. So I have been worried that we had bed bugs and that it really wasn't a mosquito. I keep checking my sheets and I have found a few black specs, but I can't tell if they are bugs or lint. I sleep in dark grey/black sweat pants. But the paranoid side of me thinks it is bugs and I even put about 6 specs in a ziploc bag in case I need to call an exterminator. And I feel like I am itching when I get in my bed. DH keeps telling me it is psychological.
I have been afraid to mention any of this to anyone because people will either think I am dirty or think I am crazy. Right? I reluctantly told my mil yesterday, because she also is paranoid about bed bugs when she goes out of town. She even told me that she doesn't want to put her suitcase on our bed when she visits because we get so many visitors who travel out of the country a lot.
I'm so glad I told her because she said the test is to take packaging tape, put it on the floor on all sides of your bed, sticky side up and put it on your headboard. If you have bed bugs, they get caught on the tape.
Last night I did that, plus I put tape on the bedrails - all sides of the bed, the footboard, the headboard. Basically, our bed looks like it is ready to be shipped somewhere, only someone forgot to include the box or wrap.
I am happy to report there was only 1 bug on all of my tape and it was a huge plastic spider. Dh thinks he is so funny. I called him this morning and told him we need to get an exterminator because I found a really huge spider.
Going back to Orlando on Saturday - taking the packaging tape with me.
Maybe I can sleep itch free tonight.
O.K... who is up for a GOOD "SNEEZE" today !!
Not much going on here.
to all our newest members. I am Janet the Official TFW Bookie. Anytime there are wagers on our silly site (i.e the over/under on how many pairs of 
(and there's no bed bugs......at least I HOPE POR had none...I didn't know about the tape trick!)
I`ll go over after I brush my teeth! 
