Bed bugs ?

[isu22andy]

I’ve stayed a few real Jems over the last few years - 60 70 bucks a night and it’s never bothered me once . Hell few cigarette burns on the comforter just adds to the fishing and hunting stories . And honestly - they’ve all been fairly clean I always thought .. shit never bothered me any. I lived .

Anyway I stayed at hotel Wednesday night . A nice hotel … 150 bucks a night .. Thursday morning jumped on a plane and flew out to see some family down south . Thursday night my neck started itching . Friday morning I have bites all over my body in my new hotel but mainly neck and arms . I’m certain the bites came from Wednesday night hotel stay . I came from a cold snowy climate so no other bugs would be out right now outside . No plants grass ect … Haven’t been around any dead coyote or critters … My fiancé has nothing on her and slept in the same bed last few nights ??? This bed bugs or am I paranoid ? This is on a few other parts of my body . Arms and waistline as well .

 

[Washington Hunter]

Sure could be. Hopefully if it was, you didn't bring any with you in your luggage.

 

[isu22andy]

Sure could be. Hopefully if it was, you didn't bring any with you in your luggage.

That was my biggest fear . Could care less about a few bites . Get that every year from laying on the river bank from chiggars . Probably shouldn’t even worry till the fiancé gets a few bites .

 

[huntnpack]

I’ve stayed a few real Jems over the last few years - 60 70 bucks a night and it’s never bothered me once . Hell few cigarette burns on the comforter just adds to the fishing and hunting stories . And honestly - they’ve all been fairly clean I always thought .. shit never bothered me any. I lived .

Anyway I stayed at hotel Wednesday night . A nice hotel … 150 bucks a night .. Thursday morning jumped on a plane and flew out to see some family down south . Thursday night my neck started itching . Friday morning I have bites all over my body in my new hotel but mainly neck and arms . I’m certain the bites came from Wednesday night hotel stay . I came from a cold snowy climate so no other bugs would be out right now outside . No plants grass ect … Haven’t been around any dead coyote or critters … My fiancé has nothing on her and slept in the same bed last few nights ??? This bed bugs or am I paranoid ? This is on a few other parts of my body . Arms and waistline as well .

Some folks don't react to bed bug bites, so its plausible your wife was fed upon without evidence. Expensive hotels can have bed bug issues and their price isn't very predictive of the presence of infestations (although some likely have more resources to handle them when they are discovered).

The EPA and University of Kentucky have some pretty good resources. ISU extension is ok as well. There are a couple of registries where you can see if the hotels you stayed at have recently reported infestations.

 

[Gellar]

My wife is paranoid about bed bugs even though we’ve never had them. When we get home everything that was on the trip either stays in the garage or gets thrown in the dryer. Heat kills bed bugs.

 

[CUElk]

My wife has been in the hotel industry for years, high end hotels. The other responses are correct, all hotels get them. They are brought in by the guest. The hotels that are the busiest, have higher rates of infestation. Gellar is correct, heat will kill em. I would wash and dry everything on high heat for an extended period. Including the bedding you have slept on since being home. Btw, call the hotel where you stayed and let them know, they need to put that room out of service so it can be treated. They will likely refund you as well.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

That was my biggest fear . Could care less about a few bites . Get that every year from laying on the river bank from chiggars . Probably shouldn’t even worry till the fiancé gets a few bites .

Heat kills beg bugs, take all your clothes from the trip straight into your dryer on high for an hour.

Better to be safe boss

Edit: had them once while deer hunting in SD, bought the camper and have never stayed in a small town motel since....

 

[Elkoholic]

And to add, some people experience delayed reaction of up to 2wks, so your fiancé may fall into that category, which I did.
Buddy and myself stopped at a hotel in Nebraska, first thing the next morning he was covered with reaction welts, hives and he itched like crazy! Me zero, nothing, lucky I picked the correct bed in the room!
Until 11days later when my reaction signs started to show up, wasn't near as bad as my buddy's case, but it did suck.
As others said, it doesn't matter if it's a $60 dump or top dollar hotel, those little suckers don't care.

 

[isu22andy]

Will they just refund the room or can I get like a weeks free stay ? My wife reacts super crazy to mosquitos and me not at all . Worst part is now every night I sleep I swear I feel stuff crawling on me . No new bites this morning .

 

[Appalachia]

I use to work in senior living and bed bugs are a real issue. Additionally, many of the most expensive hotels have bed bugs and they are only getting worst.

What I do now is check the mattress before I settle in at a hotel. Check all the corners. If there are black spots, that's an indication of bed bugs, even if you can't see any that are alive.

Also, if you think it is bed bugs you are better off just throwing away your clothes. It's almost impossible to get rid of them even with heat.

 

[isu22andy]

Yikes . My fiancé is still bite less . I don’t think I’ve gained any new bites in my new stay but closely monitoring them . They feel disgusting - almost like pimples . They are super puffed up. I feel like my skins crawling at night. Really putting a damper on my vacation . They don’t really bother me much throughout the day other than a few itches but I wouldn’t wish this on anyone . No word on the hotel yet . They gave me a 48 hour window to investigate . Going on hour 30 . I’m sure the corporate America move is to deny deny deny . Wouldn’t expect much less lol .

 

[isu22andy]

Well hotel confirmed it today . Bed bugs . Flew out to Texas so hopefully I didn’t bring them here . Flying home today so bagging all my clothes in the garage tonight and freezing everything for a week . What a god damn nightmare . IHG only comped us a free room which I thought was kinda weak ….

I just really hope we don’t bring any back to my house in Iowa

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Well hotel confirmed it today . Bed bugs . Flew out to Texas so hopefully I didn’t bring them here . Flying home today so bagging all my clothes in the garage tonight and freezing everything for a week . What a god damn nightmare . IHG only comped us a free room which I thought was kinda weak ….

I just really hope we don’t bring any back to my house in Iowa

From the U of M:

• Freezers set to 0°F are effective in killing bed bugs, but the things you are freezing must be left in the freezer for at least 4 days.

 

[MNElkNut]

Here is an example of society in general:

My buddy is a pest exterminator. We were talking about bed bugs. He asked me, "what is your tolerance for bed bugs?" I about came out of my shoes, "Tolerance???? Absolutely NONE!! What a stupid question!".

But he said, "no, it is not. because I have seen many, many people tolerate bed bugs for a long time before they called me."

Can you imagine??

 

[Gellar]

Here is an example of society in general:

My buddy is a pest exterminator. We were talking about bed bugs. He asked me, "what is your tolerance for bed bugs?" I about came out of my shoes, "Tolerance???? Absolutely NONE!! What a stupid question!".

But he said, "no, it is not. because I have seen many, many people tolerate bed bugs for a long time before they called me."

Can you imagine??

Probably because they are embarrassed and they think that other people will think they are poor, dirty people. Which is not true. Wealthy people who travel experience bed bugs just as often or even more so I bet.

 

[MarvB]

Tolerate?? F NO!

 

[isu22andy]

God damn this stuff is unbearable . Completely ruined my 5 days vacation . The itch is insane and I feel ashamed to be out in the hospital public . The paranoia is the worse part . I have everything I came home with in the freezer minus my shoes and phone .

 

[jabber]

We had bedbugs at our house about two years ago. Tracked it down to they came with the MIL. Luckily they were for the most part only on the couches in living room and in spare bedrooms. We were pretty much infested with them. Called the exterminator out, for a pretty penny, and either they didn't help or we got re-infested with them. What he did do was recommend a spray to use to get rid of them. After weekly spraying of couches and bedroom for a number of months we did it.

This is the spray they recommended to use. Also use it on luggage now before we leave on a trip.

 

[isu22andy]

Well the only thing we brought into our house was our naked bodies from the garage so hopefully we didn’t bring them in our home . Luggage wouldn’t fit in the deep freeze .

 

[Clam]

I work in the apartment business, and deal with them.

Yes, the exterminator is right. It is shocking how much of an infestation some people can tolerate.

It is a good idea to read up on bedbugs. Where to look for them, how to identify and of course, how to avoid. Clothes put in a dryer on hot will kill them, 40 minutes. 130 degrees f will kill them.

I would suggest, if you do get them in your home, don’t panic. They are a nuisance, but will not hurt you. There are a lot of businesses that utilize fear as a marketing tool, effectively. Don’t use raid or foggers on them, you need to use the good stuff. I have treated for them with chemicals successfully, hired a national exterminator company with marginal success and used a small exterminator company. The small exterminator company is most effective, and what I use now.