Here are some quick tips to make sure your room (hotel rooms, bedrooms, living areas, etc) isn't infested with bedbugs! Most people who end up having their home infested with bedbugs could have prevented it by looking for the signs below. If you have bedbugs (rather than looking for them), then check out our Bed Bug Treatment page.
The first thing you can do is find reviews of the hotel you're staying at by searching the internet. We can do that for you if you prefer, simply leave a comment asking us to check your hotel [include the name and address of the hotel in your comment] and we'll post the results under your comment. Keep in mind that a report about one hotel does not mean the issue wasn't isolated to one room, or that hotel management hasn't since exterminated the bugs.
When staying at a hotel, hang clothing in the closet that is farthest from your bed, place luggage on the folding rack usually found at hotels and always place your luggage in a plastic bag (hotel provided dry cleaning bags work great).
When you inspect a room for bedbugs, make sure you wear disposable medical gloves! Bedbugs gorge on the blood of humans, so much so that they can easily pop with very little pressure. When a bedbug pops, it will splatter blood and you may be exposed!
Picture of Bed Bugs, their eggs, shells and feces! This is a high resolution photo of what a bed bug infested mattress looks like including their shells, eggs and feces. You can zoom in on the picture if you need to.
- After you arrive at your hotel, the first thing you should do is to spot check the bed. Peel back the bed sheets and check the mattress, running your fingers along the upper and lower seams. Make sure to check the mattress tag and plastic around the edges (see the picture above); bed bugs often hide there.
- Check for tiny black spots (smaller than the size of poppy seeds) behind the headboard, translucent skins or actual bedbugs. Bed bug spots (fecal matter) are dark brown to black in color and stick to the surface. If it falls off, then it's not a bed bug spot. You can also take a wet towel and wipe the spot to see if it smears and if so, then it may be fecal matter.
- Check the bedside table or any other furniture or fixtures near the bed. Bedbugs don't like the light, so they'll be hiding in areas that are usually dark or have very low light.
- Are there shed skins - as the bed bug develops, it sheds the skin which looks like the bug. Also look for tiny white eggs (like rice) along the edge of the mattress.
- During the early stages of infestation (if you or someone just brought one home), the bug bug(s) usually hide out in the mattress ( and headboard). If this is your home and you're concerned you might have a few in bed with you, it would be wise to buy a mattress cover; this will seal in the bed bugs and over time, they will die. See our section on Mattress Covers to learn exactly what type of cover you need (standard covers will not work).
- Utilize the luggage stand in the hotel room to keep your bags off of the floor where bedbugs can easily get into your things and end up hitching a ride home with you.
- If you see powder in the drawers or on the headboard, it is likely that the room has already been treated for bugs by an exterminator.
- If you do see a bedbug or signs of one, inform a manager immediately. You may request another room but remember the bedbugs could easily be in other parts of the hotel as well. Personally, I would leave and find another hotel if there is any sign at all of bedbugs.
- Other signs of bedbugs may include itching or a foul smell. The odor has been described a number of ways, most say it resembles spoiled raw beef, musty odor or a sweet odor such as fresh red raspberries.
- Just because the room or hotel is new does not mean it's free from bedbugs; bedbugs find rooms by riding on the cloths or luggage of others and may have been been hitching a ride on the last occupant.
- When you're ready to leave double check your luggage as well as individual items within your suitcase. This may seem cumbersome, but preventing a bedbug infestation is a LOT easier than dealing with one!
- If you spot a bedbug within your luggage, wash the item in hot water and blow dry on high heat for 20-30 minutes. Then place the item in a zip lock bag, which should keep any bedbugs out.
Areas bugs bugs like to hide
Bedbugs love gaps in just about everything, so check:
- behind baseboards
- around door and window casings
- around window sills and frames
- behind electrical and telephone switch plates
- between flooring and wall components
- where materials meet to form a gap
- around pipes (water, drain, electrical conduits
- seams, creases, tufts, and folds of the mattress and box spring
- bed frames and head board
- under night stands and drawers
- storage units
- items such as furniture that may have hollow legs
- between upholstered furniture
- between the folds of drapery or curtains
- in your alarm clock
Hotel Room
This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but it covers the basics and should help you sleep bedbug free.
If you have any tips or concerns, please share them by leaving a comment below.
Thanks!
Symone,
I have not found any reports of Bedbugs at that location, under that name. During my search I did find more than one Resort going under the name Vista Cay. They all seem to be at the same location, but are managed by different companies.
That being said I did find one report on Trip Advisor left by user “anydaynow” of Bed Bugs at another Vista Cay resort in the complex.
I would suggest talking to the management asking about Bed Bugs at their location.
Thanks for the comment!
Ryan
For the past few days, I’ve been waking up with 3 to 5 very small spots of what looks like blood on the back of my pajama pants (in the area of the buttocks and back of thighs). On a couple of days, there was an extra large spot (the size of a nickel) of blood.
These spots were not there when I went to bed.
And there are no raised welts or bug bites on my skin, in the area of the blood spots or anywhere else.
I’ve stripped my bed down and have not found any signs of bed bugs or any other kind of insects on the mattress or linens.
From what I’ve read, usually the blood spots are found on the linen.
Could blood spots from bed bugs appear on clothing as well?
Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Any suggestions as to what I can do to find the source/ cause of the blood spots?
Thanks in advance!
So 2 months ago i was getting bit i live in metro housing they came n sprayed did three treatments it was done so this morning i wake up and my 8 month opd baby has bites all along his back his face and his hand what should i do ???? The first time i threw out everything i bought a whole new bedroom set and threw out my couches.
A new mattress set was purchase past this September and now they have been “infested” by bed bugs. I wonder if they (the bed bugs) came from the truck where they usually hid to sleep and/or opened the plastic wrapped before they came into my new mattress set (which two guys delivered my new mattress set out of the truck)? Yes, I have been very upset with that. My roommate bought us four Hot Shot aerosol spray cans that already killed all damn bed bugs.
Raid is okay, but I never used it anyway. Right now, I need to know the name of aerosol spray can that can remove the black spots (their feces) to be “washed” off on my mattress set. Can you know the name? Thanks. My roommate also bought his new mattress set a couple of years ago and the bed bugs “invaded” around his new mattress set. Yes, he has been very upset.
My bestfriend had bed bugs, could I have brought them home with me?
Got bit in middle of night in 1 to 3 places (left wrist, right wrist, above left breast. Does not happen every night. This last time, went about a week without bites. I moved into this house the end of July. Sleep on a futon that I bought in May (no bites where I lived before). Steamed cleaned carpets several time before I moved in. Bombed the house with the raid stuff for fleas, ticks, spiders, etc. Did it a second time in August. Did get bit right away but thought it was mosquito bite. Again did not happen every night.
Looks like one big welt (like a mosquito bite) then turns into 2 pimple looking bites about 1/4 inch apart. Today, I sprayed for bed bugs, vacuumed and got a mattress cover and pillow cover and new pillows sheets and comforter. Sprayed couch and chair and carpet in living room too. I washed all clothes in my room. I will have to wait and see if I still get bit. My bites kind of look like some that are posted here but after the initial welt I only have the 2 pimple-looking bites in each place where most of your pictures show 3 to 5 bites at spot.
I took a picture of the bites but can’t get them to my computer, I could picture message if you have a cell phone. Did not see any signs of bedbugs on my futon, couch or chair or in the carpet when I cleaned. I don’t want to wait to see if I get bit again, if they are not bedbugs, I’d like to find out what they are and get rid of them.
So, instead of telling a story we all have read here, I’ve got a few questions
first up: I seem to have these bug’s for about 4 months now, like most people I thought is were mosquito’s or something because i get the bite’s and everything, but when my mom sleeps in my bed she has no problem. same the other way around when I sleep in her bed, i get bites and stuff, but she doesn’t notice it, simply put: is it possible that 1 person get’s bitten and someone else on the same bed doesn’t?
2: my mom just want to throw away my mattress, clean up, and buy a new one….I’m convinced that we need to do hers and the visitor mattress away to if we are going to do it that way, pure logic but she says only mine is ok…please tell me I’m right so i can rub it in her face
3: since I’m getting a new mattress, are there mattress types that are immune to the bugs?
4: i cant find anything about if they make sound or not…maybe I’m paranoid but I swear I sometimes hear a sound like a grasshopper in my pillow, is that normal?
5: I don’t have a dry cleaner, an alternative is putting cloths in the freezer, but I don’t really get it, are you supposed to wash cloths and put them wet in the freezer?, or more like first in the freezer and then wash?
I think that’s it, sorry for the bad spelling and so…I’m from Holland.
For a couple months I had started to get little bumps on me. My friends thought it was scabies. I started sleeping in the front-room, and my bumps went away. Then I went back to my room, and laid in the bed. The bumps appeared again. My aunt told me to spray my room with flea spray, I left it in their for a couple days. Today I laid in my bed and felt something crawling on me, it was on my pillow so I got a tissue to put it on as proof. I found this website and I’m waiting to tell my aunt that we have bed bugs.
HELP!
I husband and I have recently been getting bit by what we think are bed bugs. We called in a canine/handler and the dog tested positive for the bed frame, night stand, and vacuum cleaner. We threw out the vacuum cleaner and called in an exterminator the next day. We washed and dried all of our clothes and put EVERYTHING in black plastic bags! The exterminator said that he saw no signs of bed bugs, eggs, or their shells, or feces. He did a full crack and crevice and dusting anyway.
After 24 hours (we have a six month old) we were allowed back into our apartment. The next day, my husband found several bites on his body. Three on his arm were grouped together. We have yet to see ANYTHING. He woke up at 5am to serach and NOTHING! We put those sticky mouse traps along our base board in the hopes of seeing some evidence and still nothing.
Is this normal?? They are coming back 10 days later to do the second treatment to the apartment. Is it normal to still get bit after the first treatment? How long does it take to start seeing results?
Going insane!! Is it normal to not see any at all?? We have already encased our mattress after the first treatment.
PLEASE HELP!
We lived in an apartment complex that we later found out was infested. We lived there for years but had a new neighbor who apparently brought them with her. We had an inspection done and we had a mild case of it. Not a bad infestation. We did everything we were told to. Washed EVERYTHING, bagged it and we moved. Before we moved we had all of our furniture professionally treated. We’ve been in our new place for about a month now and my little girl just started getting bit again this week. We are a family of 4 and she is the only one getting bit. I found a dried one (but still alive) on her wall. So I got Diatomaceaous Earth (sp?), cleaned everything and used that. Her mattress is in a case. I have looked EVERYWHERE for more! our couches, all beds, everywhere and nothing!! I cant find any bugs at all but she is getting bit! the bites are tiny and she would just get one.. but this morning there was 4 in a row and one on her face!! She got one a few days ago on her shoulder but it was huge and bruised. I don’t know what else to do!! Please help!! Is it possible that I just have a few? And I can get rid of them myself!??
I found one bed bug accidentally on my curtain in plain view does that mean i have a bed bug infestation?
Sorry Karen, but your request is missing information.
the first bug i saw ,was on the kitchen table…i had just bought a bunch of nice toys that were inclosed in zip lock bags at a yard sale…i thought it was a baby roach (which i don’t have).a month latter my handi caped son neck had lots of bits..so we checked his waterbed n there they were! we took everything out of the room (they were hiding behind picture frames near his bed too!) n washed n sprayed every thing,,,n moved him out of the room. SO DON’T MOVE WHERE YOU’RE SLEEPING, THEY WILL FOLLOW!
i went back to the waterbed after a couple weeks,to be bait n they were still there.i went on line 4 more natural hints n found CINNAMON ! i doused that bed with it n saw no more!!!! and NONE IN THE BED WITH THE FEET IN THE DECRONIC EARTH!…but they had moved with my son into the living room…we called an exterminator .He sprayed n suggested putting everything else in the dryer or black plastic bags n place in the sun
( za ,that was during the heat wave) Haven’t seen any for 2 months.
Hi Micky,
How have you been treating the bed bugs? I’d at least get some food grade diatomaceous earth and dust everything before you move!
I have a bed bug infestation , and have been treated for it almost 6 times!!! They won’t go away! Anyway today is Saturday and im moving out of here on Monday, and im moving into my grandmas house to help take care of her with my husband and children. Im scared because I don’t want to take them to my grandma’s nice house in the suburbs! Should I just wash my furniture down and still take it? Or should I sacrifice the furniture and start a new? I am definitely leaving the bed, but what about my children’s cribs? I really can’t afford to buy brand new ones! Im confused, any helpful thoughts?
Today I brought the mail in and after putting it down on my desk I spotted a bug on its back flailing. I brought it to the window in a napkin and immediately had a gut feeling it was a bed bug, I live in NYC and there has been an epidemic.
After googling pictures I am almost positive it was a bedbug. However, I have not been bitten, my mattress is brand new and clean and I tore my bedroom apart looking in cracks and crevices, behind my desk and book shelves. No shells, no bugs, no spots. Is it possible to bring in a bug or two from an outside source but get rid of them ‘before’ an infestation.
How fast do they reproduce. I’m more familiar with cockroaches, unfortunately, another consequence of nyc living! I am tempted to call in an exterminator but do not want to waste the money if I am being sensitive to this situation. Please help!
One of my friends recently stayed at imperial palace in las Vegas, room 14114 in the 1&2 towers on 08/26-08/29.
After his visit, I asked him if he got any bug bites (I recently watched bedbug apocalypse on tv and was getting paranoid). My friend said he didn’t, but his other friend did who slept on the floor in the hotel room.
My concern is, do you think my friend could have brought them to my house after staying in the hotel?
My friend told me he didn’t put his suitcase on the floor (not sure if he put it on the bed) and he hung all his clothes in the closet.
He spent the night on my couch for one night and im paranoid he might have brought them because his friend got bit.
Any advice what to do?
I just went on vacation with my family. I have been home for a week now and I think I brought a bug home with me I have been waking up every morning for 3 days with these itchy bumps on me. They almost seemed like mosquito bites at first. My roommate mentioned something about bed bugs. They start at my right hip and go up to just under my breast, I also have a few here and there on my arms and just found some on the back of my neck. I was wondering if this sounds like bed bugs to any one else too?
So I’m in Elizabeth NJ for 2 weeks, and on Day 3 I found a few really itchy bites… on my rear end (ahem!) I have a pretty personal relationship with my co-worker, so I was only a little embarrassed to thoughtfully mention my confusion– how on Earth does one get a spider in that region? –wouldn’t you squish it if you were sitting down???
He asked if I thought it was bedbugs– I replied probably not, since I’ve never had one and tend not to worry.
Coming to the end of my stay, now, I am finding that the bites are getting worse, and my hotel now hates me because I’ve already gone to them and asked for 2 room changes, and the replacement of 2 (of 3 total!) non-working lamps in the room. Given the frosty reception that I now get from the front desk, I havent even deigned to mention the broken glass in my drinking glass, the nasty clumps of hair (not mine!) that I found throughout the room, the fact that I can hear the neighbors’ music +/or TV loud enough through the walls to make out the words, or the fact that there is no fridge offered, so you can’t keep leftovers whatsoever.
I didn’t mean for this to be a tirade, but I was fed up 4 days ago and am just itching to get the hell out of here tomorrow. (apologies for the bad pun!)
Given that the staff has none next-to-nothing for the other complaints, I doubt that they’re doing anything about the bedbugs. (And yes, on looking at photos, that is definitely what caused the bites.)
My intention here is to:
A.) make public this complaint
B.) get a little relief by venting
C.) Ask– not that I need any confirmation– whether anyone else has mentioned getting bites from this hotel (Crown Plaza, Elizabeth NJ)
D.) *MOST* importantly– ask what I can do to avoid bringing these suckers home with me. (again with the puns.)
I am already planning to launder all of my clothes (and maybe my suitcase, if it will work), then put everything in tied up bags overnight. I’ve even bought a shirt and pants at the dollar store, which I will throw out after I change in the morning. …Other than that, any suggestions? We have a nice new big mattress at home and I don’t want to risk it getting infested!
Thanks so much,
V
p.s., I might use the pool tonight. Any evidence that that might help suck out the saliva that causes the itching??? Hydrocortizone doesn’t help.
We got two couches from a resale shop and I believe we have bed bugs. I live with my fiance, my 4mos old son, and two roomates. My fiance and I are the only ones experiencing bites. His look like large swollen welts, mine usually look like a small bubble/blister or just a red spot.
We thought they were spider bites from sleeping with our window open but I was laying on the couch this morning with the blanket from our room and found a be bug crawling on it! I instantly stuck in a baggy as proof that we do have bed bugs! (my roommates didn’t believe me) we have used a bug spray bought at walmart and treated the couches and our bed just in case but my fiance and I are still getting bites.
Problem is we have searched exactly as described above and have found a single thing indication bed bugs! But the bites have been popping up for a couple weeks now?! Do you have any idea as to why we have the bites but can’t find the bugs? And anyway to treat the “invisible” ones?
We traveled out-of-town and stayed in a hotel two weeks ago. For about the past week I’ve been waking up with more and more red itchy welts, and eventually realized I was mostly getting attacked around dawn. I’m sure we brought home bed bugs and after calling our regular exterminator, have an “investigator” coming out today. My concern (well, one of many) is that after we arrived home we purchased (for the same room) a new mattress set which is to be delivered in two days. Now I’m afraid to have the new mattresses in the house yet. I don’t even know if the furniture company can hold them longer. Should I try to delay bringing them in? Put them in another part of the house? Wrap them in plastic? Thanks!
My husband and I have been travelling by car, staying in a different motel each night. I have waken up the last two or three mornings with welts/bites on hands, arms, ankle and back. My husband got bites/welts the day before I did but hasn’t had any since.
I’m wondering if we’re carrying bedbugs with us and what we can do to see if we are. We will be arriving at my son’s in a few days and I don’t want to bring bedbugs into his home. I’ve been hanging my clothes up on the clothes racks, my suitcase is always on the suitcase stand. I do have the bag for my c-pap machine (helps me breath at night), my day bag/purse and laptop on the floor near the night table by the bed.
i have spoted bed bugs on my bed and i though it out got a blow up bed slepping in my living room didnt get no bites ive been sleeping in the living room for 2 mon so finally i got a new bed and left the plastic on it but all of a sudden i got bites what do i do>>>>> i told my ladlord the ext came sprayed but iam still getting bed bugs bite what do i do now
me leaving the plastic on my bed will it help
tell my landlord agine
contact the lex 18 news
call the boss thats over the manager
what do i do!!!!!!!!!!
The problem is not identifying the bites I know they are from bed bug but the problem is that there is no evidence at all of the bugs. We have done a top to bottom fron to back room to room search and can’t find any trace of them. H E L P !!!!!
Can you send me pictures of the bed bugs? Send them to the email that’s located at the bottom of this page.
Thanks!
Okay I woke up this morning and i found brown things in my bed. I’m not sure on what they are. They look like seimi seeds. I’m only 13. So should i get a new mattress?
I posted pictures of my bed bug bites and story on this site and wanted to share what management told me to do to get ready for the pest control treatment. I guess the list is more of the same usual tips but the manager went through the list with me over the phone & then went over each point & gave me some additional tips:
1. Discard all infested mattresses, box-springs & any couches, chairs, if those are in the room, if I can afford to. If I want to keep the mattress they told me to get the mattress & box spring covers, good quality ones, not the cheap stuff. I was planning on getting a new mattress anyway before this all started so I’m just going to throw it out. He told me in that case to purchase a really cheap cover & then discard the mattress. He said I can get a cheap one for about $10, it’s not as secure as the more pricey one but it will stop me from spreading any bugs throughout the apartment as we move the mattress out of the apartment to the garbage etc.
2. Empty all drawers in the room. I have 2 nightstands, entertainment center, a desk, bookshelf, and computer desk in my room. He said to empty anything inside the drawers, papers, dvd’s etc & to put them in double plastic bags, etc. but I can’t put anything back into the drawers yet
3. Wash all clothes & linens (curtains, floor rugs) in hot water & then place in plastic bags, doubled preferably. Those items also can’t go back into the room so he recommended that I get some of those big plastic bins to put my stuff into after doing laundry & just keep them there until the whole process is done
4. Remove all picture frames from the walls
5. All carpets & floors must be vacuumed & washed before treatment
6. The treatment will be done in 2 stages, two weeks apart. The first stage will be the guy coming to spray the infected room, they need all the drawers etc emptied so that he can move them to spray behind them, walls, baseboards, nooks & crannies etc. he also told me that I can’t put any of my clothes or items back in the room until the guy comes for the 2nd part so I’ll be living out of boxes in my living room. However by that time it will be almost time to move so again I guess this couldn’t have happened at a “better” time.
Also at my job they have the bed bug guy come out once a month, with a bed bug sniffing dog also. My workmate told me what the guy should do once he gets here. My friend said that they are supposed to check & spray everything, electrical outlets with a different type of dry spray I guess? & a whole bunch of other stuff, lol. My friend said they are supposed to have a black box with them for electronics. In case any of the buggers have crawled into the back of the electronics vents etc this black box cooks them in about 5 minutes, doesn’t harm the device or memory etc. my friend said if they don’t have it to just bring my electronics to work & she’ll have the guys do it for me.
It has been over two months since i found out that my apartment was infested with bed bugs. I had to move in with my parents for three weeks before my apartment was finally treated. They treated it again just to make sure they all died, but guess what they didn’t. I am so frustrated. There are dead ones outside of my door and in front of the apartment across the hall. I am ready to move but my lease isn’t up until December. Does anyone know if there is a way for me to get out of my lease because of this? Any advice would be appreciated.
Dear Sheree,
I reviewed several online databases and did not find any reports of bedbugs at the Comfort Suites 1590 N Central Expressway, McKinney, TX, US, 75070.
Thanks, Bed Bug Girl
Whenever i sleep over to my bf’s house i notice alot of bite marks in one area at a time… its been so bad one night my hand was so bit up my entire hand was swollen. i have seen the bed bugs and being worried with me being pregnant i wanted to o know for sure so i looked it up to know for sure. i am 100% positive he has them but he is in such denial he wont admit it and has pegged me as a liar. i dnt know what to do i dnt want to keep getting bit up this badly but he wont listen me…. Signed need some advice :(
Because all other hotels were full, in June we stayed at the Luxury Inn on 23rd Street in Fremont, NE. I did check the mattress seams and found no signs of bugs. We stayed there 5 nights. Three days after we returned home, I found between 50-75 what looked like blood pinprick places on my legs. About a day later, they started itching intensely and itched for probably 5 days more. I have contacted the hotel several times and they assure me they have checked and find no bedbugs. However, there is no other explanation for the bites. We were in Room 203. I am paranoid about what I should be doing to keep from getting them in my home. I have sprayed the luggage and sealed it, washed all of the clothing we took in hot water and dried in a HOT dryer. What more should I be doing. Will you check this hotel for me and see if there is cause for me to worry?
I bought some diatomaceous earth based on the many recommendations posted. So how do I apply it? I bought a spray bottle, so do I just try to get it as deep into the crevasses, like between the carpet and floorboards, as I can? Do you also cover your bedframe with it? Please give more information. Thank you!
Hi Sonia,
Putting the cloths in a dryer or having her change in the garage would do the trick! Suggest to her to get some food grade diatomaceous earth and spread it around at her place (you can do this as well) – read the suggestions on this page for details.
My friend who has recently found bedbugs in her apt (and is currently treating them) is coming to sleep over at my (bed bug free) apt. What precautions need to be taken so that she does not bring any bedbugs into my apt? Should she change her clothing before she comes into my apt and put everything she’s wearing (including her backpack) into the dryer? Take a hot shower? I assume I should get a mattress cover for my bed just in case? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!
I didn’t even notice them in my other apartment. I moved about 4 months ago so not sure if maybe i messed with their hiding place but now they are really bad on my couch and my bed. I have been using a lint roller to get up the ones i see and then i pull the rest of the square and fold it over so the bugs are covered into it. Then i crush them with my nails making sure the the blood is confined in the roller. So now here i go as most of you are doing spraying and washing everything. i will keep u posted as to weather or not it has helped.
Dear Janet,
I found no reports of bedbugs at the Surrey Beach House, 109 South Surrey Ave., Ventnor City, NJ 08406.
Thanks, BBG
Dear Ashley,
There is not much info out there for the Minowukaw Lodge & Joe’s Cabins Resort, Candle Lake, SK S0J 3E0, Canada. However, what I did find did not have any bedbug reports.
Thanks, BBG
Dear imelda,
I reviewed several online databases and found mixed reviews at the Rodeway Inn Convention Center, 1904 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90006. Some had problems with bedbugs and some did not find any. Nobody wants their kids to have a bad vacation – if you choose to stay here I would speak with management and inspect the room thoroughly.
Thanks, BBG
Dear Beth,
No reports of bedbugs at the Silver Cloud Inn NW Portland, 2426 N.W. Vaughn St., Portland, OR 97210.
Thanks, Bed Bug Girl
Dear Deborah Spittel,
I reviewed a number of online databases and did find reports of bedbugs at the Rio Suite Hotel and Casino, 3700 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89103. From Vida _nk, on5-23-11, “BED BUGS ! end of our trip we saw bed bugs in our bed”; Anonymous, on 6-1-11, “came home with bites. sooooo pissed.”; LollysF, on 1-13-11, “Brought home infestation of bed bugs.”.
Thanks, BBG
Dear Tony Golato,
I reviewed several online databases and did not find any reports of bedbugs at the Hampton Inn & Suites – San Marcos, 106 IH – 35 North, San Marcos, TX 78666. If you have been itching and scratching since 11-2010 you should seriously get that checked out.
Thanks, BBG
Hi, and thank you in advance for your assistance! My 91-yr-old mother and I will be staying at the Surrey Beach House (109 South Surrey Avenue, Ventnor, NJ) upcoming in June, and I was wondering if there were any reports of BB at this unhosted bed and breakfast.
key west duval st. area
I brought these little blood suckers home with me about a week ago.
I was talking to the locals there and most told me that about 50% of the motels/hotels have bed bugs.
when booking a hotel in key west it goes a long way to pay a little extra and stay in the Hyatt where they steam clean once a month to keep the bugs at bay.
Dear Bob,
I reviewed a number of online databases and did not find any reports of bedbugs at the Westin Fort Lauderdale, 400 Corporate Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334. NOTE: This was the only address close to what you gave me.
Thanks, BBG
My husband stayed at the Quality Inn University, in Louisville, KY this past weekend. The day after he returned we found one bed bug on a piece of clothing from his luggage (he had already washed everything else on hot water). We have since washed everything and removed the luggage from our apartment. We searched and could find no other signs of bugs. We are washing everything in hot water, using the vacuum, etc. Could this have been a single stow-away? Or should we have a professional pest company come in? I’m 32 weeks pregnant, and while I’m terrified of having bugs in my apartment while we are getting ready for a baby, I am also afraid of the treatment options. Any suggestions?
It does not sound like a bed bug OS. I wish I had a picture and I could tell you for sure!
Hi BBG,
I found this bug crawling on my pillow this morning and am a little bit paranoid about whether it is a bed bug or not. I’m hoping you can reassure me that it’s not. I think it may be a carpet beetle because it would retract its legs in self defence when I touched it and it was black in colour.
What do you think?
Meaghan,
It sounds like you have them to me. I thought that I was getting mosquito bites too, until I found that first bug and then the pictures on this site. I also changed my sheets but it didnt help. I suggest that you get a matress cover just to be safe. I got mine at Wal Mart the full size one was about $35 and the queen was about $40. It says its for bed bugs right one the box.
After getting bit for about two and a half weeks, I found out this week that I have bed bugs. I found the first one on the back of my couch and tried to kill it without any luck, finaly I burned it with a lighter. I have killed close to ten of them now. Luckily to company that manages my appartment complex is paying for the treatment, but I have to wait for them to approve the bid. So in the mean time I am now without a couch. The pest control company said that they don’t treat furniture, and even though I put a matress cover made specificly for bed bugs on my bed they still keep finding me although not as much. I have no idea where I got them, but I am VERY ready for them to leave. It sucks not feeling comfortable in my own home and having to check my cloths before I put them on and leave the house so I dont give them to anyone else.
Can you please tell me if there have been any reports at the Westin at 3400 West Commercial Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL? I just got home today and have bites (dust mites?) and am extremely itchy. I did not bring my luggage in and washed my clothes in hot water.
I am leaving in a couple days for Cozumel, Mexico staying at the Barracuda Hotel. I was reading recent reviews of the hotel, which are all fine, except one written a week ago stating the hotel was infested by bed bugs. They said it was the talk around the pool and several guests also had bed bugs in their rooms. My room in non-refundable and I cannot afford to go elsewhere. do you know of any way to find out if the hotel has been treated by now??? Thank you for your help.
For the past 2 or 3 weeks, I have been noticing bug bites in the morning on my arms and legs. It’s usually only 2-3 bites, in a line, but they look a lot like mosquito bites. It has happened both at my dorm and at my house. The bites itch so much, but I haven’t noticed any bugs and have washed my sheets in the last couple weeks… Could they be bed bugs?
Dear Jacki Catour,
I did not find any reports of bedbugs at the Pin Oak Pub and Motel, 1200 Pin Oak Road, Carterville IL 62918.
Thanks, BBG
Can you tell me if you have any information on Pin Oak Pub and Motel, 1200 Pin Oak Road, Carterville IL 62918 (618)985-4834 as far as bed bugs is concerned? Thank you!
Dear Whitemice,
I found one report from 2009 for the Hotel Kabuki, a Joie de Vivre hotel, 1625 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115. Does that qualify as a purported bedbug infestation? I don’t think so. You decide for yourself and inspect your room thoroughly wherever you may decide to stay.
Thanks, BBG
I recently returned from college and as I entered my old room I found a small, orange colored beetle-like bug crawling slowly accross the top of my bed. I have since slept in my bed dismissing the bug as just a normal beetle. (It had thin horizonatal stripes accross its back, I don’t remember how many legs..) And I haven’t had any signs of being bitten, however after looking up what bed bugs look like, I am quite sure that I had found one. I am a little freaked out, but wondering if I should even be worried since I have no signs of being bit.
Yes, they do inside the binding of the book, a great hideout!
I have bed bugs my super told me to put my books away I don’t see anything about them getting into books, do they do that too?
I have found that if you were just bitten by a bed bug, a way you can tell is when you were bitten more than once in the same area then it could be the beginning of you having them. When you are sure that you have them then start right away in getting rid of them even if you don’t see any other signs.
I remember as a teenager in my parents house waking up with what I now know was a bed bug on me. I don’t remember being bitten hardly at all while I lived there nor do I remember seeing but one more. I had a dog and lived in the south and at the time thought it was a tick. I have moved several places since then with that mattress and have never seen another. My sister lives in that room now and has never seen one. Is it possible it hitched a ride or they went away on their own?
Contact the local health department if you find bed bugs, they will send a team over to check out your hotel room, or after you leave….i know because i have seen them come to my hotel to check out a false claim. but the health department is your best bet!!!
I have been getting bites at night. A canine inspection found traces of bedbugs but a visual inspection by another firm found nothing. And I can see nothing. I’m completely confused about what to do. Is there something besides bedbugs that can cause those little bites. (It’s definitely not fleas.)
I was recently somewhere that has since called and told me an exterminator had told them they had minor infestation of bedbugs. I have checked my mattresses thoroughly. When I came home all clothes were washed and then dried on the dryer for over 45minutes. I wake in the morning with 2-3 bite like marks in a different location but they don’t usually itch unless I start thinking about it.
My question is if absolutely no signs are seen (and i have been checking nightly and every day during day time on headboard, seems of mattress on box spring)
1) then would these marks be one of my stress reactions (I do have eczema and other health issues) and
2) is it true that the fecal matter will not just come off the mattress, that if I can pick it up without pulling at it then it is not fecal matter but just regular dirt from everyday activity etc.
3) how long should I keep looking to make sure not infected with them
I had asked another *professional* and when told the entire story, she felt strongly it was not bedbugs.
Thank you
I am a house cleaner and took on clean clothes and bedding for a client that has bed bugs. I changed my clothes before I got in my car. Put exposed clothes in a plastic bag, including shoes. Should I just throw them away? The only thing I could not protect totally is my hair. Can they travel in my hair? Thanks
Now you got me scared..I was about to lay in bed when I saw this little creature right under my pillow.. I came online and saw all the pictures and what not..and thats the exact same bug.. Now I cant sleep..Darn what should I do? Im honestly too freaked out to even walk in my room right now..nor touch anything in there..
I’ve been working for this couple and I think I found white eggs looks like rice.
I need help I’m unsure. I don’t want to bring them home. What do I do?
I took a picture which you can see posted to the left.
Hi Candida,
Is there any way you can send me some pictures? I’ll be able to tell you exactly what it is when I see it. My email is at the bottom of this page.
Thanks!
Hi I have a tempurpedic bed and when I bought it they told me that bed bugs could not live in the mattress because of the material that it was made of, but for about the last 3 months I have been getting several bites. I searched my bed and I found a rice-size black bug. When I squished it blood came out. I also found a red bug about the same size but they looked very different. I have not found anymore except those two and I didn’t find any dark spots either. What kind of bugs could these be? What should I do? And how can I know that there are no eggs? Thank you for reading this. And this is a very helpful site. Thanks.
I have small flea like bites on my forearms or lower legs, when I wake up only occasionally not nightly. Are these the bugs? They do itch, I’m starting 2 get worried, think I’m gonna check things out!!
Hi! Was wondering if someone could give me some advice-My son was at a friends house and he asked his friend why his mattress had a cover on it. The friend told him that he had bedbugs but the exterminator had come and placed a mattress cover on his mattress. The friend also rode in my sons car. How worried should I be about the friend being in the car, and my son in his house? What should I look for first? we are so scared that my son may have brought them home from the friends house, or, they may have gotten in our car from the friend being in it. Thanks for any advice.
I’m in hell. In nyc, have had 4 cryonite+pesticide treatments following a positive dog alert for bedbugs. The past 3 treatments the PCO has found no trace of any bugs, but I keep getting bitten at night (and once during the day while napping). We have no beds, no sofa, only wood furniture now and clothing in bags.
I’ve sealed up as many cracks and crevices as I can, but there are too many little cracks to count, they’ve been filled with pesticide many times, and the building won’t help.
1. Could something else be biting me?
2. Is cryonite effective?
3. What more can I do with the tiny cracks and crevices? Powder? I’m stumped at this point (and itchy|
i have bedbugs i really dont like them i just moved into this place i guess ill have to move :(
My husband’s friend visited our house 2 weeks ago and today he sent my husband an email stating that he has bed bugs. Could they be in our house? They were in our family room in the basement and not upstairs near the bedrooms. Should I be concerned?
INFECTED AND A TRIP TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM! So to make a long story short…my boyfriend and I were having a romantic time one Friday evening curled up watching a movie in the dark across his futon. Half way thru the movie, I began to scratch my elbow but thought nothing of it. Turned the lights on and there were three bite marks in the shape of a triangle if you connected the dots.
The bites immediately swelled up and thought at first I was allergic to something. Two days later from the intense itching, my scratching here and there cause such a HUGE and I MEAN huge swelling issue that I could BARELY BEND MY ELBOW. The swelling continued so much so that I went to the emergency room. They said it was bed bug bite from the pattern and that my scratching lead to an INFECTION in my arm!
The swelling, pain and redness even traveled underneath my arm pits!!!! So after receiving an IV of CLINDAMYCIN and being on a ten day, 2 pills every six hours regimen, I made a full recovery. Now, the only issue I have is to finally tell my boyfriend the REAL reason I haven’t been to his apartment! GEEZ!
Ok it all started when I found a bed bug on my pants in my gym bag. I have a 3 year old daughter and she goes to her dads when I work. I had heard that they had bed bugs but when I confronted him he kept telling me they didn’t. So i continued to bring her there as I worked. I looked it up online and saw the pictures of them and confirmed it was definitely a bed bug.
Some time when by and I was at home and found one crawling on my pants leg. The next day I took out my couch, chair and mattress/box spring. Did not see any more bugs for a long time. I covered my couch and chair with the bed bug powder aka food grade diatomaceous earth and left in my garage for at least two months. I have been so embarrassed to tell anyone about this so I have pretty much kept it to myself.
I had cleaned my furniture and brought it back in bc I figured it had been enough time. And I needed it for my daughters bday party. The very next day we saw a bed bug so we took the furniture back out a couple days later. I know I am rambling, this is important though! I have no money but I can self treat. I don’t know what to do cause I have no signs of them in my house, my furniture is outside in my detached garage. We have never been bitten what so ever. And that’s me, my brother and my daughter.
I didn’t know if it was bc we didn’t react to the bites though. I just don’t know if I should treat my house or not? I thought about getting a free inspection. Also I wanted to mention all the bugs we have ever seen were small like in there first and second stage. If they are not biting us then they can not keep getting bigger right? And I wanted to mention that we have only seen like 6 total since this all started and my daughter is no longer going to that bed bug infested house.
Hi Ari,
Make sure that’s ‘Food Grade’ Diatomaceous Earth you’re using to kill bed bugs…
I came back from Chicago last week and stayed at Embassy Suites. Me and my friend both got bites ( i have about 16 and my friend has over 20). The bites didn’t appear until a week after i came home, but hers started appearing while we were there. I was so paranoid after they appeared I cleaned my room upside down, inside out. I hope i didn’t bring them back and that these bites are only a delayed reaction!
I’ve been a housekeeper at a high end hotel for years and was shocked to hear we had a room with bedbugs! We were all filed in one at a time and shown what to look for. We then left, and that room and all the rooms beside, above and below were treated. This was months ago and there has been no further sign of bugs. I mention this because our rooms let to VIPs and are not only meticulously cleaned ( under the bed, in the closets, behind the nightstands, etc ) , but also inspected by two different managers; so this isn’t about cleanliness! Those beasties will hitch a ride anywhere with anyone.
It’s hard to tell without pictures Amy, it could be a number of things. If you haven’t seen any other bites and don’t for a month or so, then you’re safe. Best thing to do is run through this checklist before you stay anywhere – I’d make a checklist for the hotels to post free of charge, but something tells me that’s just not going to happen :)
If you do see more bites now that you’re home, then it’s time to start checking everywhere – and take pictures to send to me so we’ll have a better idea of what they look like.
I bought a (fabric, not vinyl) bean bag chair a few days ago and just found out that the store I bought it from has bed bugs. Eeeek! We haven’t seen any signs of bugs or bites, but I’m going to put the bean bag in the drier and I’m wondering what else I should do, and how likely it is that we have/will have a problem.
I heard that if you spray rubbing alcohol on the rug or (potentially) affected area it will help. If there were eggs in the bean bag, how long would it take before bugs would appear? And would the bugs or eggs be hanging out in the carpet? And would they have gotten onto my baby’s clothes when he was hanging out on the carpet very near by the chair?
You could, but I’d make sure to follow our bedbug checklist to make sure you do everything right, such as keeping your cloths up, checking the bed and surrounding areas BEFORE getting settled, etc. Best bet, do both! You DO NOT want to bring a bed bugs infestation home with you!!!
Bed Bug Girl says:
October 19, 2010 at 4:11 pm
The following is a recent response:
Bed Bug Girl says:
October 7, 2010 at 4:08 pm (Edit)
I searched for reports of bedbugs on many online databases for the Las Vegas Hilton, 3000 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89109 , and found one report since 12-09 out of over 260 comments. It was from Raquelita27, on 4-8-10 “Dont recommend to stay here at all.They charge for water, no coffee or tea. Bed Bugs, leaky faucet in bathroom, Sink plugger would not hold up with the lever so we took it out to lay on the counter. Was not worth staying if you want to enjoy your Las Vegas trip. Complained about our room and supervisor didnt want to help with any of the issues. Wasnt close to the strip, and there was nothing I liked at all about this hotel.”
Sometimes, you just don’t know how credible these reports are. I’m not saying they’re not being truthful but you never know good or bad. I would always suggest inspecting your room and seeing the bedbug checklist page on this site.
Thanks,
Bed Bug Girl
We are planning a trip to S. California in early Nov. My husband will be making reservations at 2 motels in each direction . Rather than trying to find a “clean” motel, could I just get some diatomaceous earth and treat the rooms myself?
can you tell me of any recent reports at the las vegas hilton
3000 Paradise Road, Las Vegas NV 89109.
thanks
I moved in to a new place a few months ago and started getting bites went to the doctor and he told me what they was. My landlord had the place checked out b4 i moved in and we bombed and sprayed didnt help that much. Then they got a portable steam cleaner and i started steaming the bed,couch,chairs and all the little places they hide and it seems to be working only been a few days but it seems heat does kill them just have to keep at it not gonna be an overnight fix also keep bombing n spraying..and seen on another website dryer sheets under ur matteress at the corners and under the coushions on couch and chairs don’t know if this but heck at this point i will try anything.
Dear Lorrie Car,
I checked on several online databases for reports of bed bugs at the Island Seas Resort, PO Box F44735, Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, and I did find two since January 2010. It is important to always inspect your room no matter where you stay. Please review our bedbug checklist page for more information.
Thanks,
Bed Bug Girl
Please check Island Seas in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island. Thank you
Hi All: A bit of information that you might like to know about. We have friends here in our community and one of their sons is an entomologist (insect expert), and has been telling them that there is an epidemic of bed bugs now occurring in America. Recently I have heard on the news that several stores in NYC have had to close due to bed bug problems, as well as a complete mall in New Jersey.
He says that since much of our clothing, sheets, towels, etc. now comes from companies outside of America, (sad but true), even the most expensive stores sell foreign clothing from China, Indonesia, etc. The bed bugs are coming in on the clothing as these countries do not consider them a problem. He recommends that if you buy any new clothing, even underwear and socks, sheets, towels, etc. that you bring them into the house and put them in your clothes dryer for at least 20 minutes. The heat will kill them and their eggs. DO NOT PURCHASE CLOTHES AND HANG THEM IN THE CLOSET FIRST. It does not matter what the price range is of the clothing, or if the outfit comes from the most expensive store known in the U.S. They still get shipments from these countries and the bugs can come in a box of scarves or anything else for that matter. That is the reason why so many stores, many of them clothing stores have had to shut down in NYC and other places. All you need is to bring one item into the house that has bugs or eggs and you will go to hell and back trying to get rid of them. He travels all over the country as an advisor to many of these stores, as prevention and after they have the problem.
And excellent addition to your checklist when buying cloths!
I have recently been getting some red itchy spots that are like bug bites, but I haven’t been outside enough to be getting bug bites. Then the other day as I was lying in bed I saw this red-ish brown bug, but it didn’t look like the pictures you have here because it was a solid color and was really small maybe 1-2 mm in size and this is the only one i have seen could this be the beginning of bed bugs?
I’m in Chicago and woke up today with a funny mark on my arm. It’s not itchy or anything but I have heard about bed bug bites. Then I started moving things around and saw a bug run. I squished it and it was oval shaped and black.
Ah, so I do have bed bugs. I guess this is the start of a long battle. I live in a studio so I have a lot of junk, it’ll be hard to remove the clutter. It’s clean but I have to store stuff in boxes. I got DE from the store and tomorrow will buy a steamer. My bed has a metal frame so maybe that’ll help.
I can’t afford a new mattress so I don’t know what I’m gonna do if I can’t kill them all. I live in a very cheap building with other low income people, I have never had bed bug problems before. I’ve been here 17 years. I think it’s the new crop of people coming in and buying their stuff from thrift stores. I know second hand helps poor people but with this epidemic it strongly needs to be looked at by the government.
To all those here who don’t know what to do: Simply follow this checklist then read the page on how to treat bed bug bites. If you stay on top of this, you can beat it! I travel internationally so I am a bit paranoid about bringing the little buggers home.
I have never been so happier, i looked up the diatomaceous earth aka silicon powder and it also kills roaches, centipedes, silverfish, millipedes, earwigs…to mention a few!!! i am ecstatic because i noticed bed bugs on MY mattress, i believe it was brought over from a relative who was battling the problem, but was able to afford an exterminator.
I being of humbler means was desperate to look for a solution, but knew from other people that the sprays seldom worked. Suffice to say that Friday on payday i will truly be thanking God because my very first stop of the day will be to SEARS or Home Depot for a 4.5 lb bag of diatomaceous earth.
Its reported to kill them, all within 48 HOURS!!!!!! oh so worth it. I will be putting it on door freezes, window sills and frames, and yes i will be singing as i do it! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!
Good question fearful friend, and how do you do it without offending her?
You could always buy some food grade diatomaceous earth and dust the seats and floor – it won’t hurt anything except the bugs!
Now that I think about it… here is the plan…
Get clean cloths that can be washed in hot water and dried on high heat, a plastic bag and set them in your garage. Tell your friend the car is having problems but not to worry, you’re calling a cab to take both of you to the hospital. When you are all done, go directly to the garage, change, put the dirty cloths in the plastic bag and wash them in hot water and dry on high heat.
This way you’re being a good friend by being there for her and playing it safe at the same time :)
When you get home
A friend just called to ask if i could give her a ride to the hospital in the morning because she hurt her back and thinks she should have an xray.This friend has fallen on very hard times so of course I said yes. But a little later I remembered that she has been battling with bed bugs and I am so afraid of bringing them home to my family if I take her in my car. How can I get her to the hospital in my car without contacting the bugs?
To Heather,
In reply to your August 10, 2010 posting. It sounds like you are describing Molluscum Contagiosum. It is a very common wart-like infection that kids get. Looks like a bite, has a white head. Your pediatrician can confirm this, or google pictures.
So im freaking out!! Basically all summer ive been noticing bites all over me, on my stomach, legs, arms, face, etc. I work outside i assumed they were mosquito bites. But the other night i woke up around 3 am and there was a bug crawling on my pillow!! Some family of mine had them which is where my daughter stays when im at work. Ive also seen them on couches at my college. Im guessing they hitched a ride into my place, but im not sure exactly what to look for. Ive checked all the seams and the box spring and havent seen anything. my boyfriend said we had little mold looking spots on our mattress which means we have them. what should i do?!?! Should i throw my bed away?? My daughter sleeps in a toddler bed with a plastic mattress cover, is that why shes not getting bitten?
they can also be in your laptop, purse, wallet, diaper bag…
I live in a high rise, For disabled people, I got a letter the other day saying they had found bedbugs in the building. I want to know the chances of getting them? They said they have treated the 3 apt. And to let them know if anyone else has them. The thing is most of these people do nothing about their apt, They dont report anything. So not sure what to do.
my mom just found out she had bed bugs and the pest control place made her burn all her furniture and pillows… is this normal???
hi there!!
hope you are all doing well, Of course I know that you are probably experiencing the same thing that I, along with my fiancee, have been going through for a few months now. Actually about 2 months ago , not quite sure as I personally have not encountered bedbugs, although, if you ever leave Canada or Northern United states, you may just encounter some of the biggest, deadliest, ugliest, disease carrying insects in your life. Especially when you reach the sub tropic line, this is Perfect climate for the unwanted pests which are uncountable, are at their peak.
I have described my experience as living in probably 20 different places over my 40 + yrs, but the past 2 months have been totally inconceivable. My fiancee mentioned to me he had a couple unusual bite areas on his body. He is from the Caribbean Island, Dominican Republic. I am from upstate NY about 20 minutes to lake Ontario.
When moving to SW FL, I had to really get adapted to the HUGE bugs that run rampant everywhere. The condition of most of the hotels and rapidly spreading to the apartment complexes in the Naples & FT, Myers areas. Travelers getting attacked at night at different hotels can be seen on the web google bedbugs Naples, Fl or Ft Myers, SW FL,
My immediate post of this type is because I am currently going through the physical and psychological effects an infestation of bed bugs, will create on each individual in a different negative way. There will never be a positive effect on anyone, I want to clarify that first off. Lying in bed covered in 100 + degree heat you cover your body with thick clothing pull your socks over you pants you pull your sheet over your face and you put on insect repellent b4 you go to bed, I bet that sounds like a beautiful peaceful nights sleep right?? You have got to be kidding me.
When anything reaches epidemic proportions and will harm so many people no matter your race, age, religious beliefs, income level etc. When w/ our government step in and provide the necessary prevention and treatment methods that we all need desperately believe me These little blood suckers can live a year without feeding at all. They lay at least 300 eggs at one time which is like once a week, You can’t most of the time see them ever or feel them ever when you bite, the two times I distinctly remember is waking up at 7am when the sun rose, I’m disabled trying to get out of bed my ankle stung , i looked down and blood was dripping down my ankle and foot, then found a couple of tiny things that i’m sure were bed bugs.
I am not a crazy person I’m sane clean and caring. Please take precautions and reactions all it takes is for you to go to the mall, or a store like walmart, these little things will jump from the rack of shoes, or shirts right onto you. Or from someone’s purse or backpack onto your shoe,, on planes be super careful.. in hotels be ON top watch.. be careful avoid using those rolling carts that the hired help uses to assist carrying your belongings to your room .. bb love those things they are just waiting to get on your brand new designer luggage asap.
REMEMBER THEY CAN LIVE 1 YEAR PROVEN FACT WITHOUT ANY FEEDING. LEAVING BEHIND 300 OR MORE BABIES THAT WILL BITE YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES AND DRIVE YOU INSANE.. sorry to write graphically , I did try to control my descriptions, as pictures and more adjectives could prove to be psychologically impairing the reader in to frightened paranoia..
I found 20 bugs looking like bedbugs in my son’s room, crawling on the floor in daylight! No one had slept in his room for a month – at which point I had a visitor who first stayed in a NYC hotel slept there for several days. I had Terminix come look at the sample I took, they say it is bedbugs.
However, no other sign, the mattress is as clean as anything, no spots, nothing in creases. And this was daytime, and they were crawling on the floor !!! (my son had spilled some sugary thing on a table – could this be a bug going for the sweet, and not a bedbug? Should I pay a fortune to have them come eliminate or should I wait and see if anyone gets bitten or see any???
It is sooo expensive !!!!! But they are a serious company no? and if they it is bedbugs I guess they are right???? However, the guy said it was bedbugs even before getting here and that makes me worried. Advise anyone??
For A while now ive felt sharp stinging on my skin at night and in the morning i have another bump on my arm chest or back i have a box spring mattress and it smells bad but ive constantly washed the sheets but i still feel the stinging like somethings bitting me could it be a bed bug
Hi, I’m Alisha,
I’m pretty sure I have bedbugs I seen one on a pillow underneath my chair and it had blood oozing from it when I killed it I have about 14 large bites on my leg and I’m guessing their bedbug bites please please please help me PLEASE!
Hi Heather, I don’t have the pictures up yet, but they look more like mosquito bites or basic spider bites (see BadSpiderBites.com).
My 5 month old had these same bites on her. They look like pimples with a white head on them, She has about 7 on her leg that are now healing. I gave my 4 year old a bath and noticed she has about 5 on her back and 1 really red one on her shoulder. I have searched my house high and low for bed bugs or ants and I can not find anything. Can someone tell me what this could be if these look like bed bug bites
I “THINK” I may have a couple of bed bug bites. But they don’t itch. Is this a BB BIte? I have washed my Sheets in Hot water and dried in a hot dryer. Also I have vaccumed my matress and I have always had a matress cover over my matress.
How do you know if they are gone?
Two months ago, I was getting several bites a night and finally I found a few bugs hiding on my bed. After a good search, I found about 5-8 total live bugs. Vacuumed everything, bought the mattress bags, and put diatemaceous earth EVERYWHERE.
I had still been getting 1 or 2 bites every couple of days but that seems to have stopped. I check the bed every day and was seeing an occasional black spot but I haven’t seen any of those this week either.
Are they gone?
I work somewhere where that is infested. If I’m not “sleeping” here and not spending time in the bedrooms, what are the odds that one will hitchhike home with me? I work 9AM-5PM – is that helpful since they’re more active at night? I try to stick to my office and out of the common areas.
PLEASE any reply would help. I’m a mess over this.
Seal the mattress. I bought a matress cover made for bed bugs. Once you cover the bed, the bed bugs can’t get out, they die inside. Seal them inside. They also have couch covers. Vacuum! Always., I have had bird mites infest in my apartment. These critters don’t like certain things. Bed bugs don’t bite what is covered. Wear covered clothing.
Mary -
Earline– VERY IMPORTANT thing for you to do– first and MOST IMPORTANT– have someone come into the new apartment and STEAM every crack, crevice, electrical outlet, baseboard, cabinet, around all drawers and inside of all closets. Steam kills the bugs and their eggs, and it is easiest to do this when a home is empty. It took me 10 months to get rid of the bugs in the home that I purchased. I was unable to get to all of the cracks and crevices with steam, but where steam used was the most effective…
PLEASE HELP ME!!!! OK I never had bedbugs in 61 yrs of my life.. BUT I am moving to an apt. and found out the Tenant before me brought bed bugs to the building !!! No one knew it till the bugs found there way up to the second floor apt. they treated it one time and are doing so this weekend again.
I have no choice but to move into it this weekend. for I signed off on my home and have to be out in 30 days. so happens my 30 days are up Tuesday.. I am scared so much I am a nervous wreck. I have cats and a dog I am more scared for them than I am myself. my nerves are shot worrying about this problem. and don’t know how long it takes to get rid of these things and if my animals and I are safe to move in there.
I just bought brand new furniture this is to be my new life starting over not crazy about how it is starting out already I am really stupid when it comes to bedbugs can someone PLEASE help me and tell me what I can do to protect my animals and myself. not moving into the Apt. is not an option!!!
I have to visit an infested apt of an elderly person who is hospitalized to locate some important items. Can I get bed bugs on my clothing from just walking around and is there anything I can apply before going that may be a short term preventative while I’m there? What precautions should I take when leaving so I don’t bring any home?
I also have been dealing with a bedbug situation. I have steamed the boxspring and Mattress with fabric steamer (remove cloth liner under boxspring) and sprayed boxspring with Hotspot bedbug and flea spray. You have to do this several times. I also sprayed the baseboards window sills dresser drawer and removed carpet from the room. I was a feast to these things while my husband was not touched once. The doctor said it could be his blood chemistry due to medications. The one night during my infestation that I took ibuprofen, for a headache, I was not bitten.
I’m going through living hell. I thought I had Head Lice, but know I’m wondering if it’s Bed Bug’s . I can’t seem to get rid of what ever I have. I have treated myself with several over the counter medicines without prevail. I seem to still have it. I’ve been to several dermatologist about my hair and scalp. One Doctor told me I had dry scalp and the second Doctor I went to, I told him that I felt something crawling around in my hair. He would not examine me. He just stood back and said I don’t see anything. I am discouraged by Doctor ‘s now. I have been trying to deal with this nightmare on my own. “Please Help”.
I’ve been dealing with bedbugs and found them in the corner fold of my mattress cover. In the picture, you can see the bed bug and feces (dried blood). This is one of their favorite hiding spots, so when going through the bedbug checklist, make sure to check there!
Also, they don’t do well in water :) I placed the bed bugs that I caught in the sink and filled it with water and they drowned.
I included two pictures of bedbugs, simply click on them to see a closeup.
I have been seeing blood spots and spears on my sheets.They look just like the pictures of bed bug excrement on this site. I soaked the sheets in bleach and the stains did not come out. I bought new sheets and the same thing happened. Neither myself or my husband have been bitten. We had a pest control company come out and they could not find any evidence of bed bugs. Is it possible it could be something else?
hi, last week i woke up with a bit on my elbow. i just shrugged it off thinking it was a mosquito bite. today i woke up with two bites on my wrists, like the ones on my elbows. they wernt itchy but wont i started to rub at it, they became red and got bigger. i told my mom and she said it might be bed bugs because i always wake up finding the bites. i took off all my sheets and sprayed everything down. put clean sheets on and cleaned around the bed. i am 17 and i am kinda afraid to sleep in there now. i’m really paranoid about bugs and really don’t want to sleep in my bed haha. i don’t want to sleep on the couch either because its right by my deck door and i’m sure bugs can get in from there time to time. i never saw any bugs in my room but something keeps biting me. i dont know what to do because i cant figure out what is biting me. and i have no place to sleep lol. can someone give me any suggestions. also, can bed bugs harm you, or give you diseases? are they dangerous?
I recently stayed in a hotel for one night. I did not receive any signs of bites from the hotel. I returned home and 4 days later large welts/bites appeared on both forearms and across the back of my neck. During day 4-day 7 I received a few new bites. It is now day 11 and no new bites. I called the hotel and they did not seem surprised. I do not notice any signs of bugs in my home and have been washing sheets and checking daily.
Is it possible that the bugs were in the hotel and my bites appeared in a delayed response? Does this ever happen? I’m really hoping they did not come home with me!
Well we had, which we feel were bedbugs. we stayed at the Days Inn on levan and newburgh in Livonia Mi, this was the first and last time there.. we found them crawling on my friends mattress right by her bed!
She happened to get that nasty thing. We caught it and put it in some paper (tissue) from the bathroom, then a few seconds later there was another one on the other bed heading for his back… The Hotel did nothing they were suppose to calll her manger but we never heard from the ………DON’T EVER STAY THERE EVER…. UPON LEAVING WE DID SHAKE EVERYTHING .
I’m currently house-sitting for my grandparents, I know they had bed bugs a few months ago and had their house fumigated but I’ve been sleeping on the couch every night and been waking up with bites and welts and itching like crazy. Is it possible they didn’t all die the first time.
Ive been to Singapore and got bed bugs bite there. i have roommates but wondering why they didn’t get any single bite… now I’m in Qatar and same as before.. I’ve got bed bugs bite… everyone is sleeping well except me. every morning i got new bites that makes my skin looks so dirty… is there any cream or ointment that i can use to get rid of these black mark that causes by bed bugs bite….
Hi Jim,
I’m very paranoid because I had bed bugs about 8 months ago. I was treated, but wasn’t convinced, so I threw out everything I owned and moved out. This past week or two I have been feeling very itchy, and searching religiously to see anything. Twice at night I noted two small bites, once on my face, and another time 2 small ones on my elbow, and one on my knee.
I went to bed and the next morning they were gone. The bites did not itch when I had them either. When I was infected with bed bugs before they were extremely itchy and didn’t go away for weeks and were much larger. I do have sensitive skin though and am prone to hives, however I now take zyrtec for that every night.
Do you think it is bed bugs? Do bed bugs bites usually disappear? I’ve tried checking my sheets and it is very difficult to tell since I have a cat and he sleeps in the bed with me. I do however have plastic mattress protectors on all beds and pillows in apartment. There is a couch though that is close to where I sleep.
Please Write me back! Scared and paranoid!!!!
If you find 1 – 2 bedbugs, does it mean you’re infested?
What is that smell? Yes from the BB, but what is causing it?e.g. eggs hatching, feces etc.
The odor that I get comes and goes through out the day and even, it is not constant.
I may have bedbugs? But I’m not sure yet.
My boyfriend is out of town for work and is living in a converted motel. Last week when he came down for a visit (Dec 11) I noticed 1 welt on his back. With 3 dots in a triangular shape.
He calls me tonight and says he has bedbugs. His landlord is spraying his place and most of his stuff and he’s taking his clothes to get them all hot water washed and dried.
Anyway. My question is, if its only been 1 week how can I be sure or not if I’m going to get them in my room? He did lay in my bed (can they carry on bare skin?) and if I am going to get them, when will I notice it?
I’ve started washing all my bedding and I tried to vaccum the bed as best I could. I’m going to scout out the rest of the bedroom for signs of the little buggers but I don’t know if its too soon or not. Is there a safe time to figure they weren’t transferred here?
Unfortunately, bed bugs can be in any hotel, any town or city or state, at your neighbors, in the staff room at work; you name it they may be there. High end hotels, low end hotels, they travel just like we do and are showing up in most areas.
With the amount of travel these days, I am sure that most of us will be in contact with the little suckers at some point. You can get them off other peoples clothing in the store, at the movies, on the bus, in a taxi…..Don’t fret and worry, just live life and deal with it if you have to, but don’t stop living, thinking that you can avoid it.
Bed bugs are like the flu….you never know where you might pick them up. The best you can do is go through the bedbug checklist to prevent the problem in the first place.
MY friend gave me a brand new couch 2500 he paid for it. I slept on it one night woke up with bites on my body. I put it outside 1 day later. Will the cold if its below zero kill them what ever it is i will put that diatomaceous on it as well thanks for your input
I just got back from a trip to Cuba at a Hotel called Tryp Peninsula in Varedero. When I entered the room I noticed a smell but once the air conditioner’s filter was changed the smell was gone. When I examined the bed sheets I saw what appeared to be a blood spot and asked the maid to change the sheets which she did.
When I slept in the bed I NEVER had any issues of waking up due to itching. About 4 days into my vacation I noticed insect bites on my skin, they were small pink and round and not too itchy. I thought they were mosquito bites and so continued to sleep in the bed. Again I’d like to stress that I never had disturbed sleep.
Another interesting factor is the bites only occurred on exposed skin while I was outside. I never got bites on my chest or back despite the fact that I slept with these parts exposed; only my arms and feet got bit. When I got back I had my clothes washed and dried before using them. I became paranoid when I saw a customer review for that Hotel which said they had bed bugs. There was a response to that customer from Hotel management which said they have investigated and found no signs of bed bugs and that these must be “no see ums”(sand flies).
I am now paranoid, I never had the opportunity to examine the bed in the Hotel thoroughly because I never suspected the bites to have been due to bed bugs. I’ve been examining my bed at home and found no sign of them. I have had no fresh bites for 3 days at home, but on the 4th day I had a bite on my neck which was more painful than itchy and did not resemble the previous bites. Which means it could just be a mosquito. Of the 44 bites I have only 3 triplets resemble a bed bug 3 bite formation the rest are random. From what you all have experienced would you say these are bed bugs, or am I just being paranoid?
Remember the smell immediately disappeared after the filter change. The bites are mostly random with the exception of 3 triplets. The bites only occurred on skin that was exposed when I was outside the room, never on exposed parts when I was in bed. I never had restless nights. I have yet to see a single bed bug at home despite a thorough search at day and at dawn.
My problem has been going on since August 09- the exterminator has come 4 times. My clothes are in bags and i am still getting bites. i can’t sleep, I can’t think, everywhere i look i think i see a bug. This is the worst thing that i have ever experienced. I have thrown out furniture, clothes, books, etc I feel like this is ruining my life. It is a never ending saga that i am at a loss for how to treat.
I have covered my mattress and pillows with ordinary,cheap protective covers and feel a difference since but the insects seem to crawl up to my bed from elsewhere. I assume that they are hiding in the base of my bed (divan) which has no cover what so ever or in the carpet.
I need to find out if i could stop these insects crawling to my bed by covering the divan completely with plastic covers.Also can bed bugs crawl into a wooden crib?concerned as i have a new born whose crib is next to my bed. If so, will it help if I use plastic covers to cover the stand / legs of the crib? appreciate some good responses.
Thanking you in advance – Zs
While I was sitting on my couch watching TV my skin start to itch, I looked down and saw an open wound; I was scratching it doing more damage and hear I’m thinking maybe It was a mosquito bite. I decided to get up an look in the couch and found a big black bug. I brought to my friends and they said it was a bed bug. I didn’t think much of it, went home, treated my wound and figured it was a one time thing. A few weeks later my apart started smelling funny. I felt so uncomfortable at night I would itch to the point that I couldn’t sleep. I started getting light headed, so I went to live with my mom. I went to the apartment office and reported the bed bugs to the office. They came and treated the apartment. I threw away my furniture and started all over again. I need a second opinion on how to get rid of bedbugs for good.
My boyfriend and I just moved into an apartment that was vacant for a few months. After our first month here our landlord comes up to say that they found bedbugs in the building. Since our apartment is on the edge of the building there only spraying that one side.
We have never seen anything but I did have real itchy, red welts. Of course not thinking bedbugs. I’ve never had a issue with them before. I don’t understand how only spraying 3 units out of a 12 unit building will fix the problem. Shouldn’t it have been the whole building??
After he sprayed we did come across a few dead bed bugs on the floor. We took all the measures we were supposed to. Washed EVERYTHING, kept it stored in bags for days and days. When we wore something it went into one sealed bag. Our “Clean” clothes came from another bag.
Everything was fine for a few weeks. After we took everything out of the bags to “live” again a few days later a live bug was found on a shirt of mine. We talked to the landlord and he said that the bug should go through the spay that was around the edging of our place and the chemical there will kill him off. I haven’t seen any bugs as I’ve been looking and I have been getting the itchy welts again. I’m assuming it is the bed bugs (makes sense).
I was wondering what rights do I have as a tenant if any?? I am pissed to have to wash EVERYTHING again when we have to pay to do our laundry here. This was a infestation I moved into. If I would I known I wouldn’t have moved in. Shouldn’t he have sprayed the WHOLE building as well?? And if he said about finding a live one a few weeks after it was sprayed here if it can still die off?? WHAT CAN I DO? this isn’t fair!
A couple of things to add to the “Things I have learned from Entomology!”
Once I learned my plight went beyond lice (which reinfest quite easily), I began voraciously vaccuuming with my new Kirby. I sat down on the settee and was bit in the bum all to heck, but could only see little flecks of straw on the brown slip cover. Wellllll, I learned the hard way that these are “Masked Hunters” or Assassin Bugs and their cuisine du jour are — bedbugs by preference. They are relatively benign when left alone, but when you start interfering with their food chain, they will bite and swarm to defend their cafeteria. Alas, they are outside insects, but are attracted to light and, of course, bedbugs!
Mattress covers: They ideally are left on undisturbed for 2 years, until the life span of any residual bedbugs is securely over. However, do NOT forget to cover the box springs, as well, as that is where the wood and joints are.
My pest control adds a chemical that “sterilizes” the females as they spray, so inquire as to that when you sink your life savings into this enterprise. Whether or not it is 100%, I find that even a 50% success rate is appealing, and the minimum number of sprays is 4 total; however, I shall continue throughout the year+ on a bi-monthly basis.
I only found Diamotaceous Earth, food grade, at a pet store for around $20/gal.Splurge and use it all over the place. Windowsills, vent screen tops, esp. wall plates! Pull them off and “puff” some into them since you cannot induce liquid into electrics. This will help take care of that, hopefully. I know know that the bedbugs when minute look like tiny black seeds, I know what I am also looking at and havecleaned my bathroom floor with alchohol after each shower, collecting these things.
FYI, a bedbug “drinks” from you before laying eggs then converts the blood into a type of water, wherein they go into hibernation for around 1 1/2 years, so do not feel fooled that you have resolved your plight. Mainly, you are really after the newbies. Be vigilent.
Well, FINALLY a site that is of great help! The blogs are answering some mysteries and never before has “misery loved company”.
Bedbugs are making an appearance in Denver for the first time in my 66 years that I can bring to mind. As with Mara Dumont, I can echo her plight, since July, and am suffering recurring bouts of severe sleep deprivation. Never fail to have the utmost compassion for POWS, as this is a favorite torture method as it ultimately collapses the nervous system.
I want to help people find just about the best mattress cover on the market, which is certifiable. I purchased 4 at Bed, Bath and Beyond and had to toss 2 of them as they are woefully incorrect.
I am being “bombed”, sprayed, have used every recipe I have found and the best has not even done it. Be aware that even though I have jacked up the water heater to steaming and drying everything in this house in the hot dryer, it is dubious that it is doing all it is reputed to do. I have about 5 spray bottles that are filled with different hi-potency household things and have gone through about 35 bottles (lg.) of rubbing alcohol (will kill them if you get a direct hit) doing sprays and alcohol baths. Still they come and appear to be getting smaller since the pest control has come. THANK GOD I do not live in a multi-family dwelling, although my neighbors are horrified.
Whether laundered or not, EVERYTHING goes into black plastic bags, secured at the tie beyond belief and are presently in my front driveway being “Solar Cooked” and have been there for about 2 weeks. I rotate about 3 pathetic outfits, sleep between a folded sheet on top of my new Mattress Cover for as long as the vermin allow, and use a paper towel roll for a pillow, besides using them to dry off with after one of my 6 showers. I sleep in my olive oil formula in my hair and Vaseline to trap and smother them. I have a new $2,000 vacuum which almost sucks up the concrete slab and use it twice a day and as needed.
My little 10-year old guest of a month in June brought them and one other “gift that keeps on giving” — biting lice. I am on a first-name basis with the consulting entomologist at Colorado State University. Like Maura, I am a font of knowledge — suffering knowledge.
Due diligence is the only thing that will resolve it and pest control. Diatomacious earth can be chemically induced, so be careful, and add it to your new vacuum bag, which has to be destroyed in a plastic bag after use.
I hope my epistle helps out there. Beyond that, you have all made it to my prayer list! God Bless and PEACE be with you.
About 3 weeks ago I found an adult sized bed bug in a book within my room. The following days I found about 4-5 smaller, so I’m guessing non adult, bedbugs under a picture frame above my bed. For about a week I continually found more. ALL were smaller than the adult at different life cycle stages I guess. I began spraying everything around my bed, dumped clothing in hot water etc etc. For the past week I have only found one extremely tiny bed bug. Do you think that I really could have killed them all? Is it possible to stop an infestation like so? My guess is that the one adult only resided in my room for maybe two weeks or so and could only lay a specific number of eggs. I cannot sleep, I ran out of spray and have literally just been spraying bleach containing cleaning products all over my mattress, headboard etc I really don’t care about the damage anymore. I just want to know if it really is possible to kill all of them as such? If I killed the only adult 3 weeks ago and have since sprayed and sprayed and sprayed could I have eradicated all of the offspring?
I’ve read many websites about bed bugs and still cannot decide if that is what I have.
Here’s my situation: For the past year and a half I have woken up regularly with bites, but they are in no way as severe as the ones other people upload. Right now, I get about 1 bite every other day although sometimes it’s a few more, and for a while, about 4 months, I didn’t get any. My partner doesn’t seem to get bitten although I’ve read that some people don’t show signs that they have been. Still, he has pretty much stopped sleeping in the bed because he feels things crawling on him.
When I first noticed the bites, I covered my mattress and box springs, made my bed an island, tried putting the bed legs in yogurt cups filled with water, put vaseline/double-sided tape on the bed legs, etc. and I still get the bites. I have never seen one, any feces or stains.
I live in a small apartment complex with a dog living in the unit above me so for a bit I thought they might be fleas, but again, I’m not sure.
I was convinced they were bed bugs, but the fact that they don’t seem to have reproduced makes me second guess that.
What do you think?
I think i am having a problem with bed bugs but i am not sure. i haven’t seen them but my daughter has some bites on her and every morning when she gets up she has more. her bites look like the bites on the site.
I am just going to start treating for them. i have a swimming pool that i use diatomite earth for is this pretty much the same as diatomaceous earth or different? another thing do i have to treat my whole house or just her room? there is also a closet in her room which has the water pipes that go to my bathroom i saw where they like to live near water pipes is there anything i can put in this closet and leave in there to prevent them?
Thanks so much for your help
I am from Singapore and is also experiencing bedbug situation at home. Tried to kill them using DIY method by using bedbug spray. Realized that after the 1st attempt, the bedbugs do return after ard 10 days and i just re-sprayed the whole bed and frame. Haiz… it is a no-ending battle
I realized that the easier way to ‘capture’ a bedbug without much hassle upon seeing it is to use SCOTCHTAPE!!! :P
Just a quick question.. I’m itching like crazy when I go to bed but not had any other ‘symptoms’. Part of me is wondering whether some of this isn’t psychosomatic paranoia about sleeping with a load of vampire bugs… Anyone else experiencing itching?
Cheers
Would like to know if bed bugs were
found in hotel bed or other locations
within the room.
BestWestern
3598 US 90 W
Lake City, FL 32055
Thank You,
Robert
Are you sure fog don’t help? Also, what i do for fur coats, blazer?
I recently sold 2 twin mattresses to a couple. 20 minutes after they bought it I get a call and they the beds have bed bugs. I am dumbfounded. I don’t know what one is, looks like etc. My daughter just got a new bed and they were stored in her room. She had been sleeping in that one bed for years and never had any problem. Never any bites etc. I immediately got online and what she tried to tell me was a bed bug looked like a dust mite. Very tiny.
Did I get duped? How would a bed bug get into our home when we don’t travel and the bed she got was still in the plastic. These were being sold on Craig’s list. I would never intentionally sell anything that could harm someone but am stumped here. Any ideas?
Hi all, I just recently found out that two of my coworkers(who just moved in to an apartment last week and now moved out a couple days after. One of them has numerous bites and they have found more in their belongs they took with them. I am freaked out and definitely have the heebeejeebies!!! I feel bad for them but they talking to lawyers to settle their lost assets. One remedy I was told that they used in the old days is that people would put tuna cans or small tin cans and put the bed post down in them and fill them with kerosene. Logically, that would work but you wouldn’t want any pets to be close by. However, it seems like a small sacrifice due to the nightmare of the situation. Thanks, Sarah from Stillwater, OK.
I have been getting bites at night when I’m sleeping. I can’t find any signs of bed bugs, as in blood spots, fecal matter, shedding. I have checked under the bed, in every crease, my sheets are white and they spotless. I’m confused! but every night I get more. They itch and can pass as spider bites. Can I have them without normal signs??
I wonder if I could ask for some advice?
I’m living in a shared flat at the moment. About 3 or 4 weeks ago I started noticing tiny, red, non-itchy bites. they are mostly confined to my lower right arm (I found one on my left arm) and I never get more than one or two per night. The bites don’t heal for ages and scar slightly. I went to London for a week and the biting stopped, and once I returned home they started again. No one else in my flat, nor my boyfriend, has been visibly affected.
I’ve done a fairly thorough visual check of my sheets and mattress – my sheets are white so I figure I’d see any blood spots or fecal matter fairly easily but not a thing! My carpets are brown (eugh!) which makes it difficult to see things there but I see nothing on the skirting either. However, it’s an old tenement flat so there’s masses of places for the bed bugs to hide!
Would you say I was being overly paranoid in suspecting bedbugs? In a way I’m desperate to see one because at least I would then know who the enemy is! Reading all these websites can give one the heebiejeebies…
just wondering, do bedbugs hide in electronics such as lcd tvs?
I would like to know if a bed bag would be advantageous to take to a hotel room. I am not too sure if they are washable when we get home; and, if we wash them do all the “bugs and stuff” go away? We will be going away on several trips and I always hate to sleep in the beds in hotel rooms due to all sorts of “stuff” being on the beds. What can I pack to make life a little simpler while we are in the hotel room?
I have stayed at a hotel this weekend. My husband woke up with a horrible rash and little boils all over his body. It itches very badly. I can only imagine its bedbugs. He did not eat anything different so I do not think its a food reaction.
I am washing and drying all the clothes that we had with us, as well as the ones we are wearing. Is there anything else I need to do to make sure I am not bringing any home with us?
I had a problem with bed bugs so I had a professional come in and spray. I was so terrified i threw out my bed my sofa. I’m moving and turned over one of my small tables and there were sooo many balls of dust is that bed bugs????
Thank you
My mattress is tufted. At the tufts there is what appears to be dust balls- could this be bed bug residue?
All your information on bedbugs is about hotels, what about just plain houses. They are hard to deal with and how can I get rid of them? Where do they come from in the first place? I have never had anything like this before. If spray and the people downstairs don’t spray will come back upstairs.
Please answer my question soon.
I work in a school. There is a child in my class that has a very bad case of bedbugs We have collected 13 bed bugs already. We put everything in bags and it drives us crazy.
His coat has a very bad infestation of bed bugs. The parents need this bedbug checklist and the school needs to make a rule that parents must take measures when a child has been reported as bringing in bugs!
I recently found some small shells approximately 1/16 on my bed sheets, no bites or spots or blood stains.
Can this be an early sign of bed bugs?
I just moved into an apartment 3 days ago, and just now a small bug that looks very similar to a bedbug climbed up next to my mouse. It is not as round as all the pictures on the net, and it has two little bumps on its end, as well it’s antennae don’t look segregated like the pictures, but other than that it looks like a 4th stage nymph. Are there different varieties of bedbugs? Thanks.
Hi Rachel,
If you check out this site, you’ll see a number of cases where one partner is bitten at night and not the other. In some cases, one partner simply does not react as strongly to the bed bug bite as the other.
Best regards,
Jim.
I have just been to Honduras and picked up bed bugs in a hotel. At least I think it’s bed bugs because I woke up covered in loads of really itchy bites. I’ve now back in London 5 days and I still feel that I’m waking up with fresh bites every morning.
My boyfriend believes I’m just discovering old bites that were there all along, but I fear I may have bought one home with me. The weird thing is is that my boyfriend never gets bitten even though we share a bed. Could it be something else I have? Or is there a reason why they wouldn’t bite us both?
Please help… this is all so new to me.
Hi Jim,
Many thanks for that reassurance. I didn’t stay there last night as my trip was cancelled but it means I’ll stay there when I go in three weeks, and I’ll let you know how I got on.
Regards,
Helen
Hello Lisa,
I don’t know of anything that works as a repellent to prevent bedbugs from getting into your clothing. You’re best bet to make sure your cloths are free from bugs is to dry them on high heat (assuming that the fabric can handle high heat).
Regards,
Jim.
Hello Helen,
If you are talking about the Tavistock Hotel London at Tavistock Sq, London, WC1H, 9EU, United Kingdom at +44 20 76368383, then it appears they are clean. I have checked the internet for any reference to bed bugs at Tavistock and didn’t find a thing.
Let us know how the stay goes!
Regards,
Jim.
Hello, anyone ever stay at the Tavistock Hotel, Tavistock Sq, Bloomsbury London? I’ve booked in but I’m worried about staying anywhere since friends picked up bed bugs in a London hotel
Is there anything I can spray on my clothes that will insure that they are not on my clothes anymore? Will simply washing my clothes in the washing machine and drying them in a regular dryer eliminate them from my clothes. I feel like throwing them all out. What can I do?
I’ve been suffering with bed bugs for almost 2 years .. Now .. I hope that bed bug powder will help .. Or else im going to have to burn down my house
Hi Ann,
I’m not sure exactly what will happen, if anything, but I do know it’s a BIG concern. If you search Google for exposed to ‘human blood.’, you’ll find a ton of information. For example, one page at MSU suggests washing and going straight to the hospital. I’m not a doctor, so I can’t explain all the risks associated with being exposed to human blood from a bed bug, but I know it’s something you want to avoid!
Best regards,
Jim.
“When a bedbug pops, it will splatter blood and you may be exposed!”
When you say “exposed” what does that mean exactly? What can happen to you if you are exposed?
Thanks – great website, I really enjoy reading the articles – very informative!
My ex husband and I have noticed small bites on my 5 yr old in the last month. We thought they were fire ants or spider bites, but reading about bed bugs, I think I have found the answer. They started small, but a few of them have gotten infected because my son will scratch them so much until they bleed.
I am so glad to have so much information available thru this site that now I know what to do next.
Is there any particular season for bed bugs or is it generally year round? Is there a certain climate they like because I live in south central Oklahoma?
Hi Jim, thank you for being there on this great bed bug web site. I’m new to all this new tech and just getting use to using to a computer. I’m in London UK and we have no Walmart here to buy a mattress cover for beg bugs but I will try a pet food store for diatomaceous earth. I have never heard of this stuff before so I do hope they sell it here in the UK.
Many thanks for all your help and it is nice to know I’m not alone with the bed bug saga! I will get onto the housing again regarding the flat above me as the old lady has been taken into a home and the flat is alive with them. I just hope when the pest control go in they don’t start running down to me again as all my new furniture is coming next week. I will keep in touch and thanks again for this wonderful web site!
M.Dumont
Hello Maura,
I’m sorry to hear about your bed bug infestation! Know that you are not alone! There are a ton of people going through the exact same thing (check out my Bed Bug Bite section).
You can buy the mattress covers from Walmart, check out this mattress cover for bed bugs.
Also, you can use Diatomaceous Earth to kill your bed bugs – it’s non toxic, natural and available at just about any pet supply store (used to kill fleas). I have a good explanation about this dust here:
http://www.badbedbugs.com/bed-bug-bites/ (see the last comment by Joyce)
Did the pest control company ever suggest using Diatomaceous Earth? You may have been able to save the expense of buying new furniture by dusting rather than tossing.
Keep us informed – there are a lot of people that would like to know how this works out for you Maura.
Best regards,
Jim.
Can anyone let me know where to buy bedding to help to prevent bed bugs coming back as I have been to hell with the little buggers since August! I’m getting a new bed and I would like to buy some mattress covers to help me as I have very bad condition when they bite.
I have now found out there are coming from the flat above me and it’s now getting sorted as I have had pest control companies out and they still come back; I pray that this time will be the last!
I have not slept in a bed since august only a couple nights last month when I went away for a break but its has turned my life up side down as I’ a clothes junkie and all my clothes had to go into deep freeze and the rest I just burned them which has cost a fortune. I also lost my business this year the bed bug saga has put me in hospital 3 times this year as it looked like I was in a fire with huge blisters and they treated me like I was in a fire and gave me burn pads and lots of pills.
I feel like a expert in these little bugs and London at the moment is alive with them I hear.