Bed bugs in motels?

[Sailorlite]

Evidently bed bugs are making a comeback in hotels/motels. I'm thinking that packing some kind of b.b. killer spray might be smart. In fact, I'm off on a 4-night ride next week and think I'll check around to see what anti-b.b. sprays are available.

 

Does anyone have any experience with bed bugs in motels? How common is it? In addition to being personally bitten, it's possible that my luggage might get infested too - so I'd bring the little critters home.

[chrisd]

In the past year and a half I stayed in 20-25 hotels in about 15 states in the southwest, south and central USA, and I didn't see any bedbugs. And I looked for them.

 

Good luck on the ride.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

I average over 240 nights a year in hotels and have done so for the last 20 years or so. Never a problem.

 

[VinnyR11]

I have to agree with Ed and Chris. We've stayed in many hotels over the past year and never even gave it a thought.

 

I believe this is the result of the media overblowing a perhaps non-existent problem. Many of our friends and relatives travel a lot. Never heard anyone come back with a bedbug horror story.

[Twisties]

I have to agree with Ed and Chris. We've stayed in many hotels over the past year and never even gave it a thought.

 

I believe this is the result of the media overblowing a perhaps non-existent problem. Many of our friends and relatives travel a lot. Never heard anyone come back with a bedbug horror story.

 

I'm with you all... but then there is my aunt...

 

She's been having bed bug dogs out to the house repeatedly, and when she travels all her items have to be completely sealed in heavy black plastic bags. Don't know how she gets anything in and out of them? I guess she reseals them at night?

 

Now she has decided that she has green carpet beetles.

[Bronx Cheer]

I guess if you are worried about it you could get yourself a silk sleeping bag liner and sleep in it. I have seen them advertised in travel magazines. Sorry I can't remember which one.

[Bob Palin]

Now she has decided that she has green carpet beetles.

Beetles that only live in green carpets - isn't nature wonderful!

[upflying]

Maybe the RV industry will rebound over this news.

[David13]

I have seen them on tv, but not in person, and I stay in the cheapest flea bag hotels and motels that I can find.

I haven't seen any fleas, either.

dc

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Daughter had them in barracks in boot camp or A-school. I don't put luggage on the floor when I travel anymore. Use the rack.

I haven't seen them either though.

 

ebay, sierra designs and campmoor should have best prices on bag liners. We picked up a couple last summer.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Evidently bed bugs are making a comeback in hotels/motels. I'm thinking that packing some kind of b.b. killer spray might be smart. In fact, I'm off on a 4-night ride next week and think I'll check around to see what anti-b.b. sprays are available.

 

Does anyone have any experience with bed bugs in motels? How common is it? In addition to being personally bitten, it's possible that my luggage might get infested too - so I'd bring the little critters home.

 

I have plenty of experience with hotels/motels (~4 weeks over the past year), but none with bedbugs. Although the media lately has been trumpeting the fact that there are "more than there used to be," this is not the same as "a lot."

 

You can decide what odds you're comfortable with, but to me, packing sprays and sleep sacks for a hotel stay seems akin to packing a parachute for a commercial plane flight.

[upflying]

Perhaps travelers should flip open the sheets when first checking in. If you see critters, ask for another room. I'm sure the hotel/motel would be more than helpful to accommodate your request and for giving warning of the infestation.

[Powers77]

Travel a lot and have not had them or seen them.

Having said that I do believe they are on the upswing. I now check bedbugregistry.com prior to making a reservation. Not perfect, but at least a little piece of mind.

I did find one on a recent trip that had popped on between the time I made the reservation (3 weeks out) and the time of my stay and made alternate plans last minute for that night.

My understanding is that you DO NOT want these little buggers. Treatment to get rid of them can be thousands of dollars is what I hear. Worth a little effort to avoid.

 

I also check my room when I check in. Look under the mattress, behind the curtains etc... looking for evidence of them.

[Hermes]

I have plenty of experience with hotels/motels (~4 weeks over the past year), but none with bedbugs. Although the media lately has been trumpeting the fact that there are "more than there used to be," this is not the same as "a lot."

 

You can decide what odds you're comfortable with, but to me, packing sprays and sleep sacks for a hotel stay seems akin to packing a parachute for a commercial plane flight.

 

 

.........besides, spray doesn't get them. They hide in little crevasses in the mattress or, behind the baseboards etc, and they don't come out until all is quiet and dark. Then they seek out the source of warmth (bodyheat) and do their ghastly deads. Spraying is next to ineffectice. If there is an infestation a very effective method for the owner is to hire a professional and heat the room (I believe to 60 C) to cook the adult and the eggs. Of course all this is for nought if the next room/apartment/duplex is infested.

 

Like anyone else on this board, I have overnighted in some unholy dives and can't recall ever having been bitten by BB. Fleas? oh yeah that's another story.

 

Btw, the quality of the room/hotel, is no guarantee for a BB free environment, the previous occupant of your room may have unwittingly brought in a sh**t load of them with their luggage.

[Bullett]

I've been wondering about this as well. One of my partners went to Mexico to take a deposition and apparently, brought bedbugs home with him. He never noticed any bites on himself. However, his wife was apparently much tastier to the bedbugs and she complained of bites. They ended up with exterminators and a new mattress. Was a great topic around the water cooler.

 

This link tells you what to look for to find bedbugs.

[flat_twin]

Had a bad experience in a motel three years ago. The wife and I stayed two nights, I had bites, she did not. When we got home I checked online and the bite pattern matched that of bedbugs. We hadn't unpacked yet so we washed everything in hot water and ran the clothes dryer on hot. I check everything we took in the motel room but found nothing. I called the motel to advise them they had a problem. I got a lackadaisical response from the girl at the front desk but I felt I owed them a call. I also called their local county health department for whatever good that might have done.

Since then I check a room over before we sign in. Lots of info online about what to look for so I won't go into that. They are out there and you don't want them. You especially don't want to bring them home with you!

[Skywagon]

I usually spend about 200 nights a year in hotels coast to coast...mostly Marriot. Never seen one. I do take some precautions anyway not to bring them home. I put my suitcase on the suitcase butler. I don't unpack, I work out of my suitcase. I put all my dirty close in trash bags.

 

Don't put your clothes in their dressers. Don't lay your clothes on the the bed.

 

Thats it for me. Never bitten, never brought them home. I guess over the last 10 years with 2000 nights in hotels it must work.

[marcopolo]

Woke up about two years ago with what I can only assume were bedbug bites on my side (I generally sleep on my side). This was at a major (and very new) chain motel in NY state on my way home from Torrey, or UnRally (can't remember now).

[upflying]

I would reckon avoiding motels that advertise hourly rates is another recommendation to avoid bugs.

[Paul Mihalka]

I would reckon avoiding motels that advertise hourly rates is another recommendation to avoid bugs.

I don't think many of us go to those motels, unless it IS for just a hour...

[enfoman]

Woke up about two years ago with what I can only assume were bedbug bites on my side (I generally sleep on my side). This was at a major (and very new) chain motel in NY state on my way home from Torrey, or UnRally (can't remember now).

 

There is always the possibility that it could of been fleas as some motel chains allow dogs. The only time I had a thought of bringing home Bed bugs was when I slept at a friend's house and he had a dog. I decided to deal with it when I got home and the itching went away a week later. If they were BB's, I think they would of hung around a bit longer.

[steve404]

I was once bitten awake in a hotel years ago, but I had no intent to return to Tehran anyway...

The trade magazines I get are full of the upsurge in cases and treatments in the pest control field.

A large hotel in the SF bay area was recently tented for them.

They tend to be in the better hotels (international travelers.) The cutting back of DDT type pesticide use in overseas hotels and airline luggage holds is considered a major factor in increased infestations.

I do now pull up the sheets and check the mattress seams.

 

[Rocer]

Not sure about bed bugs but it was rumoured that Marshall Dillon had Miss Kitty bites.

[yabadabapal]

I have an 80 Pound Bed Bug. My dog, and yes he snores.

[Jerry Johnston]

When I was in the Navy (1957) our ship the USS Los Angelas got bed bugs in all the hamocks. They had everyone remove the canvas and we each had to scrub the canvas with soap. One week later we had to remove all the canvases and toss them overboard and replaced them with new canvas. They looked exactly like those in the site that was given to you. When you looked for them in daylight it looked like the canvas had paint spots on it. They were so flat that you could barley scrape them with a finger nail. If you darkened the room then you could start to see a few of them move. Next we can start a thread on Cock Roaches - had a few of them also.

[Hermes]

.............. Next we can start a thread on Cock Roaches - had a few of them also.

 

Don't!

I spent 5 years in the Merchant Marine, we had cock roaches the size of Hummingbirds, everywhere. All the gassing in harbors such as Singapore and Bombay didn't make a wit of difference....oh yes, did you know cock roaches bite when it gets really hot and humid?

Sorry for the slight Hi-Jack.

[scout6]

The only time my dog got fleas was when we stayed in a low priced hotel!