Who watched the bed bugs on Dateline?

[chesirechik]

I am getting itchy just reading this! Yuck!

 

[Pugdog007]

It was disgusting. I'm still itching. And I travel a lot, leaving this afternoon for Las Vegas. I will be investigating my room at the Marriott this evening before settling in.

 

[beachbunny]

The first time I heard about the resurgence of bed bugs was when I was planning a trip overseas. Several websites had warnings about which hotels had bed bug infestations - I like Travel Advisor (just look up your hotel and read the reviews - if there are bed bugs, it'll show up there). Two other comments:
1. Hotels today have problems getting rid of bed bugs because we've outlawed the pesticides that work.
2. If there are bed bugs at your hotel and they get into your suitcase/clothes, you'll bring them home with you. I've read that people who bring bed bugs home have had to fumigate and purchase new beds/furniture, hence the lawsuits against the hotels.

 

[chris1gill]

The first time I heard about the resurgence of bed bugs was when I was planning a trip overseas. Several websites had warnings about which hotels had bed bug infestations - I like Travel Advisor (just look up your hotel and read the reviews - if there are bed bugs, it'll show up there). Two other comments:
1. Hotels today have problems getting rid of bed bugs because we've outlawed the pesticides that work.
2. If there are bed bugs at your hotel and they get into your suitcase/clothes, you'll bring them home with you. I've read that people who bring bed bugs home have had to fumigate and purchase new beds/furniture, hence the lawsuits against the hotels.

I think this is absolutely true, they did mention that one of the difficulties was the pesticides that we ARE allowed to use here in the U.S..... I absolutely would not doubt that if you got these things in your house, you'd be losing a lot of personal possesions as a result...

I always pull down the blankets & sheets before getting into a bed (don't assume it to be clean), but now I'll look three times as hard Like I needed that stress!

 

[Imzadi]

The report didn't say how to kill them...

I didn't watch because I knew this would happen. I don't need to see a show showing large pics of bugs, but then not give remedies for it, other then switching hotels.

Did they say anything about moving the mattresses away from the headboard, or anything like that?

 

[mommaU4]

Why oh why oh why did I open this thread??
I knew it would creep me out and it has. I did not see that show but have seen others and it make me want to stay home. Or at the very least never walk into a hotel room without being in a protective bubble.

Now where's my back scratcher? I'm all itchy......

 

[olena]

Last year, I spent Memorial Day in NYC at the Hyatt at Grand Central Station. I wondered about my itchy back. A week after my return, I asked DH to check my back and he saw a few bites up and down my spine.

*shudder*

Others in my group had bites, too.

 

[tiff211]

I am so skeeved!!! Why oh why did I open this thread!!! I will be itching anytime I say at a hotel even if there are no bugs!!!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I didn't watch because I knew this would happen. I don't need to see a show showing large pics of bugs, but then not give remedies for it, other then switching hotels.

Did they say anything about moving the mattresses away from the headboard, or anything like that?

Sorry! They didn't give many suggestions. I think the main thrust was that you are supposed to look for the bed bugs before they have a chance to bite you. The way the beds are on platforms I don't think you can move them. Besides, they were looking on the bottoms of the chairs, the backs of the framed pictures on the walls, etc. They said the bugs LIKE to get behind the headboard, but apparently they aren't picky. They will hide out in various locations and then descend on you in the middle of the night.

BUT...
They did say that if only one room is infested in a hotel that inspecting all the other rooms won't turn up anything. That sort of makes me think once a room has them, they don't spread around the hotel. In the case of the lady who had all the truly HORRIBLE bites they went to the same hotel and asked specifically for the same room she had been in. And they found bed bugs. UGH! Then the hotel lied and said 1) they had never had a report of bed bugs and 2) followed it up with a written statement that they had never had any other complaints of bed bugs.

Hopefully the hotels will be checking regularly, but they would almost have to inspect after every single guest checks out. Guests are bringing them in - they aren't spontaneously manifesting in the hotel rooms. Gross, gross, gross!

Note to self:
Add magnifying glass, flashlight, and work gloves to packing list. (I don't want to get splinters when I yank that headboard off the wall. )

 

[luvmyfam444]

only caught the last 2 mins or so on Datleine - but saw the story on GMA last week where a woman was covered with like 300 bites -complained & still went to stay back @ that hotel (diff room) 1 more night! AND THEN stayed there 2 weeks later!

After watch GMA though I went around & washed everyone's sheets & mattress pads that day 'cause I was so paranoid!

SO where exactly are the bugs coming from???? They say it's not from being dirty - then what???? HOw come it's only @ hotels & not at home? I'd think it's be a problem we'd see @ home too...

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

My assumption is that it is like head lice. You pick them up somewhere and bring them into your house - they don't just appear out of thin air. With the bed bugs I think the speculation is that they are coming from overseas in luggage or whatever. People stay in a room infested with them, bring them home or to another hotel, and there you have it!

But bed bugs must not transfer as easily as lice. The report said they are only active in the middle of the night, so maybe they are dormant the rest of the day? I guess if you sleep in a bed with them and they get on your pajamas (or the eggs do) then when you put those clothes back in your luggage the eggs will hatch and infest the luggage. Females can lay 12 eggs a day - not sure how long it takes for them to hatch. At some point back at your house the bed bugs will come out of the luggage looking for a snack. I am starting to think I don't want to store our luggage under our bed at home anymore! And I will be seriously thinking about it before I open a suitcase on the bed in a hotel.

What kind of fool would return to a hotel where they suspected they were bitten by something? If I thought I had been bitten by something (even if I thought it was fleas or something OTHER than bed bugs) I wouldn't go BACK to that hotel! I wonder if bed bugs transmit diseases like mosquitoes transmit West Nile? Maybe we'll drive to Disney and sleep in the car.

 

[Poohbear123]

And INSTANTLY knew SOMEONE on this board was going to write about it! Well, I MUST add Magnifying glass/gloves and flashlight to my packing list too!

 

[luvdzne]

I went to bed last night itching like crazy! It like creeped me out! I will definatly be taking a closer look before I lay my head to sleep.

 

[mrsgus06]

Boy, this gives me a whole new appreciation for my camper!

 

[luvmyeor]

I travel about 1/3 of the year. Last year while in NYC I was bitten several times on the face and arm. The bites on my face went away within a few days. The bites on my arm got really red and swollen. I still have scars on my arm. I had stayed at the same hotel at least five other times without any problems. I remember seeing a news show about the outbreak right after I returned from NYC. There were bed bugs all over the city-from hotels to penthouses. They interviewed a lady who spent thousands of dollars to have the bugs removed from her penthouse. She was so embarrassed that she didn't want to been shown on camera. I didn't watch this show but the one I saw had a man slice open a mattress and there was thousands and thousands of bugs inside.

 

[sajetto]

I didn't see it either because I was at WDW at the time.

Here is the story.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11916682/

There is also a video here along with the story.

Thank you sooooo much for posting this. I've heard about this story on other threads and now I can definitely say I have the heebie jeebies....blech!

 

[robinb]

Ewwww! Thank you for sharing .

 

[LaLa]

I wonder if bed bugs transmit diseases like mosquitoes transmit West Nile?

I remember them saying on the show that they do not transmit bloodborne diseases like AIDS. I can only assume that would cover any other bloodborne diseases as well. But still.....

I swear I cannot stop scratching now!

We are supposed to be going to stay at the beach in a couple of months. We got the condo for a week for free from a friend of a friend, looked it up online and the place looks like 'Summer Rental', you know that John Candy movie. Ya get what ya pay for, right?

Anyway, you better believe I will be inspecting that place before we lay our heads down! Yikes!

 

[luvflorida]

My husband and I watched this on Dateline last Sunday and we just sat there repeating "ewwwwwwwwwwwww!"

As a family, we average between 30-40 nights a year staying in hotels while on vacations, and for business, my husband spends an additional 60-70 nights a year in hotels. We've never encountered bedbugs, (that we know of), and I never really look at the sheets too closely before crawling into bed. You can bet from now on I'll be looking a little more closely at things in hotels!!

In a few weeks, my daughter and I are spending two nights at a nice hotel in Boston for a little weekend shopping trip. All I can think about is popping off that headboard! Again, ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

While watching the show, I wondered how many poeple were actually IN a hotel room watching that show! Yuck!

 

[Tiffster7]

You know I was slammed over a year ago when I reported that my hubby was chewed up by bed bugs while we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge Villas. They were in the pull out bed and we reported it to management. At the time some people on the boards said that they are common and you'll just have to deal with it. I'm sorry - they are gross and if you are staying somewhere nice you shouldn't have to just deal with it. Some people are highly allergic to bug bites of any kind. We will never stay at the Wilderness Lodge ever again- It creeps us out way too much. However we have never had a problem at the other WDW resorts.

Well that's my vent-