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Viewing Be on the Alert for this Most Unwelcome Travel Companion!Be on the Alert for this Most Unwelcome Travel Companion!
By Kathy Steinemann
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You are all ready to settle into your hotel room. You pull back the bedspread and notice that the sheets and pillowcases have a few rust-colored areas. The next morning you have dozens of itchy little red bumps all over your body ... You are all ready to settle into your hotel room. You pull back the bedspread and notice that the sheets and pillowcases have a few rust-colored areas. You call the front desk and a maid changes the sheets for you. The next morning you have dozens of itchy little red bumps all over your body. Guess what - you have been the delicious treat for a hoard of bedbugs! Unfortunately, these horrendous tiny vampires are no longer just a plague of dingy third-world establishments. Today's jet travel offers rapid global access. Bedbugs can now be found in the cleanest of environments. Maternity wards, quality hotels, and well-known department stores have not remained unscathed. These little critters scamper easily from surface to surface. Luggage compartments, airline upholstery, bus seats, and restaurant booths may harbor pests. A delivery truck used to transport contaminated furniture may still provide refuge for a few bugs after everything is unloaded. The next shipment of furniture can quickly become a bedbug haven. When the furniture is unloaded at the hospital, hotel, or retail establishment, the bugs go along quite happily. Regrettably, bedbugs can survive for over a year without human blood if necessary. A cozy cabin in the country may even have an infestation of genera that normally live on bats, birds, squirrels, or mice. These bugs will also feast on humans if given the opportunity. What does this mean for you? If you know how to recognize bedbug signs, you may save yourself a lot of frustration (and hefty extermination fees). Bedbugs are about 1/4-inch (.6 cm.) in size. They are nocturnal, coming out only at night to feast on their human hosts. This means that they are difficult to spot during daylight hours. However, there are some things to be on the lookout for. Small rust-colored stains are caused by human hosts rolling over on engorged bedbugs during the night. The 'rust' is actually bedbug blood. Blood doesn't wash out easily, and will stay on the bedding unless special care is taken when laundering. Another telltale sign of bedbugs is little reddish or black dots. These dots are bedbug fecal matter. Bedding is not the only place these parasites inhabit. You can find them under carpeting, along drapery folds, in floor cracks, in box-spring tufts, inside headboard creases, in corners of dresser drawers - and the list continues. A magnifying glass will make it easier to spot fecal material. You might catch sight of a few scampering bugs as you invade one of their hiding places with a flashlight. Check every dark crevice and crack of a suspicious-looking room. A Google image search for 'bedbug' will produce page after page of photos for your scrutiny. Bedbugs are not known for spreading serious disease, although research is being conducted on this point. The itchy red bumps are caused by a numbing agent that is injected by a bedbug as it bites. If you are slightly allergic to the substance, your body will react by producing something similar to a hive. If you suspect that your room is hiding bedbugs, ask the hotel for a different room - or switch hotels! As an added safety precaution, you might want to pack some large lawn-and-leaf garden bags. Place your luggage inside the bags while in your hotel room. This makes it more difficult for bugs to migrate into your personal belongings. Once you have encountered bedbugs on your travels, there is a distinct possibility that you might carry some home with you. Before you take your luggage inside, vacuum everything thoroughly. Dispose of vacuum-cleaner bags in an outside garbage receptacle. Spray baggage and contents with a commercial bedbug extermination spray. There are environmentally-safe enzyme products available. Wait for the specified time, then launder clothing. There is no reason to avoid travel because you are worried about bedbugs. Just be aware of what to look for - and enjoy your next trip! (c) Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author's note below (with active links) are included. About the Author: Searching for a bed and breakfast, hotel, or hostel? Visit 111 Travel Directory. Trying to find some great travel tips? Surf over to 1000 Tips 4 Trips. Seeking romantic getaway resources? Adult Escapes can help! Article source: 111 Travel Directory: Triple1.com (triple one dot com) More free articles: 1st Rate Articles - 1stRateArticles.com |
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