Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Bed bugs in hotels and on cruise ships? What about my backpack?
The questions come and go for hotel managers, cruise ship cabin stewards, even sporting goods store workers but the bugs themselves, stay behind. It seems that infestations of bed bugs, the hematophagous (bloodsucking) insects of urban legend-quality mania are here to stay. Experts agree, the only thing to do is prevent them from dropping by in the first place.
One scary thought about bed bugs is that they can infect you with a disease they may have picked up from the last person they took a bite out of.
No, those people are thinking of a vocal member of whatever political party you don't care for. In the U.S. that could be Sarah Palin for some or Keith Oberman for others.
An expert on bed bugs (not politics) Richard J Pollack PhD says no way;
"The bites can cause distress, a few people have allergic reactions, and scratching can lead to secondary infection, but bed bugs are not known to transmit infectious diseases to humans," says Pollack. "You don't have to worry about who the bed bug fed on earlier. You're not going to get hepatitis B or C, malaria, or HIV."
On the contrary, we can often be harmed more by trying to get rid of bed bugs in the first place.
"Many people, whether they think they have bed bugs or truly do, will attempt to apply insecticides in their homes and on their beds. They don't know what they're doing, they don't read the labels, and they can overexpose themselves to something, which, if used properly, would pose minimal risk." adds Pollack.
These are really icky creatures
Some people think bed bugs are caused by poor hygiene...like people that don't bathe frequently are more apt to foster an environment good for bed bugs to thrive. Again, not so much says BadBedBugs.com;
"Finding bed bugs in your home has nothing to do with poor hygiene! It takes only one bed bug to hitch a ride on your clothing (furniture, suitcase, etc) and infest your residence. What's worse is that they can live up to one year without drinking a drop of your blood."
Others think bed bugs hitch a ride on luggage and wind up anywhere that luggage might go including cruise ships.
I talked to bed bug specialists from Avoid-A-Bug told this week at Cruise Shipping Miami, a week-long trade show where cruise line executives and buyers stop by to sample the wares of vendors looking to get their business. They say bed bugs are not a big problem on cruise lines and that hotels are much worse. Avoid-A-Bug uses bug-sniffing dogs to find them.
"Cost-effectively locating these elusive insects can be a challenge especially in large multi-room structures. Pest control professionals are realizing the time and cost savings of enlisting bed bug sniffing dogs to help conduct preliminary inspections." said Bill Cowley of Cowleys Termite and Pest Control.
What has more of a bed bug problem than cruise ships and hotels?
Airlines.
British Airways grounded two jumbo jets earlier this month not because of unrest in the world, earthquakes or tsunami's, because of an infestation of bed bugs so bad that one passenger was badly bitten on two separate occasions reports Time.
BedBugs.com has some tips to protect against bed bugs when flying. You, not the bed bugs. Bed bugs don't fly. Bed bugs don't really even run much.
The tips we probably won't do include calling ahead to the airline and asking "What steps do you take to keep bed bugs out of the passenger areas?" Somehow I can't imagine myself making that call. They also suggest personally inspecting the area your seat is in for signs of bed bugs. That one might be good on full flights. We've sure heard stranger ways to get that upgrade to first class.
That leaves us with backpacks and sporting equipment of all kinds.
Tips for backpackers include water-proofing your tent and keeping it sealed whenever possible, putting your shoes in bed bug-proof bags when not using them and killing any visible bed bugs with alcohol.
Gadling has been seriously (?) covering this topic for quite some time, providing video on how to find and attack them and also an informative video about the top cities for infestations.
An expert on bed bugs (not politics) Richard J Pollack PhD says no way;
"The bites can cause distress, a few people have allergic reactions, and scratching can lead to secondary infection, but bed bugs are not known to transmit infectious diseases to humans," says Pollack. "You don't have to worry about who the bed bug fed on earlier. You're not going to get hepatitis B or C, malaria, or HIV."
On the contrary, we can often be harmed more by trying to get rid of bed bugs in the first place.
"Many people, whether they think they have bed bugs or truly do, will attempt to apply insecticides in their homes and on their beds. They don't know what they're doing, they don't read the labels, and they can overexpose themselves to something, which, if used properly, would pose minimal risk." adds Pollack.
These are really icky creatures
Some people think bed bugs are caused by poor hygiene...like people that don't bathe frequently are more apt to foster an environment good for bed bugs to thrive. Again, not so much says BadBedBugs.com;
"Finding bed bugs in your home has nothing to do with poor hygiene! It takes only one bed bug to hitch a ride on your clothing (furniture, suitcase, etc) and infest your residence. What's worse is that they can live up to one year without drinking a drop of your blood."
Others think bed bugs hitch a ride on luggage and wind up anywhere that luggage might go including cruise ships.
I talked to bed bug specialists from Avoid-A-Bug told this week at Cruise Shipping Miami, a week-long trade show where cruise line executives and buyers stop by to sample the wares of vendors looking to get their business. They say bed bugs are not a big problem on cruise lines and that hotels are much worse. Avoid-A-Bug uses bug-sniffing dogs to find them.
"Cost-effectively locating these elusive insects can be a challenge especially in large multi-room structures. Pest control professionals are realizing the time and cost savings of enlisting bed bug sniffing dogs to help conduct preliminary inspections." said Bill Cowley of Cowleys Termite and Pest Control.
What has more of a bed bug problem than cruise ships and hotels?
Airlines.
British Airways grounded two jumbo jets earlier this month not because of unrest in the world, earthquakes or tsunami's, because of an infestation of bed bugs so bad that one passenger was badly bitten on two separate occasions reports Time.
BedBugs.com has some tips to protect against bed bugs when flying. You, not the bed bugs. Bed bugs don't fly. Bed bugs don't really even run much.
The tips we probably won't do include calling ahead to the airline and asking "What steps do you take to keep bed bugs out of the passenger areas?" Somehow I can't imagine myself making that call. They also suggest personally inspecting the area your seat is in for signs of bed bugs. That one might be good on full flights. We've sure heard stranger ways to get that upgrade to first class.
That leaves us with backpacks and sporting equipment of all kinds.
Tips for backpackers include water-proofing your tent and keeping it sealed whenever possible, putting your shoes in bed bug-proof bags when not using them and killing any visible bed bugs with alcohol.
Gadling has been seriously (?) covering this topic for quite some time, providing video on how to find and attack them and also an informative video about the top cities for infestations.
Filed under: Europe, North America, United States, Central America
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sonja Mar 19th 2011 1:40PM
I'm so creeped out by bedbugs and I am so annoyed by the furious pre-check I do every time I check into a hotel these days. One would think there'd be big money in finding an affordable eradication treatment - someone's got to do this!
Tony King Mar 21st 2011 3:06AM
I have been involved in pest control in North London for over twenty years and you are right many people will try and use insecticides to treat Bedbugs not knowing what they are doing. The problem arises with the fear that they are not going to get rid of them and they over use the chemicals possibly harming themselves in the process. Anybody who has Bedbugs should really call in a professional before infestations get out of hand. Trying to deal with it yourself may make the problem worse and harm your health at the same time. If you are going to treat bedbugs yourself look for organic and natural insecticides.
Jeff Grill Mar 19th 2011 4:29PM
I've also found these bed bug travel tips to be particularly helpful in identifying if a room is infested before entering. Prevention is definitely the best approach when avoiding bed bugs.
Richard Pollack Mar 19th 2011 6:33PM
I was quoted several times in the article above, and certain of the images were reproduced here as well. On my website, I provide far more information and guidance regarding the biology and management of bed bugs. I also offer insight on my services to provide rapid, confidential, independent and expert evaluations of presumed pests and of digital images of such pests. This includes bed bugs, ticks, lice, fleas and yet other creatures.
-Richard Pollack, PhD
IdentifyUS LLC
https://identify.us.com
Mark Mar 20th 2011 9:19PM
Living with STD? There are over 70 million people at STDsingle. com the same as you. It's common to feel guilty or ashamed when you are diagnosed with H+. You may feel that your sex life is ruined or that someone you thought you could trust has hurt you. You may feel sad or upset. Keep in mind that you are one of millions of people who have it. You're Not Alone.
Shelly Roberts Mar 23rd 2011 8:19AM
Before I went on my last cruise I bought a fantastic bed bug protection kit from http://www.USBedBugStore.com which helped keep my family away from the bed bugs.