Bed Bugs

[Tinkerfreak]

It isn't bad enough that you have to deal with the bugs on vacation but if you end up bringing them home to your house it is a nightmare to try and get rid of them and very expensive. My friend just went on a school trip where the class traveled up and down the east coast on april vacation and they encountered bed bugs in 3 of the hotels they stayed in. They had to check the rooms of 80 kids every night before they allowed any of them to bring their stuff into the room. One room had 2 beds but only bugs in one bed not the other so make sure to check all beds. She said it really took away from the enjoyment of the trip because the adults were so worried about bed bugs. If even one kid got them in their luggage and it was piled on top of other luggage on the bus they could spread.
Anyone traveling make sure when you come home you wash and dry anything you can on high heat and never bring your suitcases into the house right away.

[crltkcagle]

I

Remember just because its the happiest place on earth doesn't mean this stuff can't happen here.

I agree but at the same time when your spending a mini fortune to go to Disney World you would expect for them to not have bed bugs. And if they do to nip the problem in the bud very quickly. I am reading horror stories about the situation and apparently this has been gone on for a few years now.

[tcswife]

Some were asking what building we stayed in. We were in the 80's building 8246 and 8247!

I called and reported a claim this morning and was told someone would get back to me at the first of next week......we'll see what happens and I will keep you guys updated!

[Mackflava99]

i am packing a flashlight too

[Poohshoneypot]

i am packing a flashlight too

It needs to be a ultraviolet flashlight.

I'm staying at POP in Oct. and I'm worried to death about it. I'm thinking about changing my location.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I wouldn't change your location ... they can be anywhere.

All you can do is check carefully!

[tcswife]

UPDATE:

I was called back today by a Disney insurance adjuster. She ask a million times had I stayed at any other hotel before arriving at Disney and also ask where we stopped on the way down there. She told me that pest control was supposed to be checking the rooms today and that she would contact me tomorrow or Friday with the results. Something tells me that there miraculously will not be any thing found.....What do you think?? Unfortunately for them, my mother has doctors notes that stated otherwise. I will keep you all updated with the outcome.

[MNNHFLTX]

It needs to be a ultraviolet flashlight.

Based on what I have read, it does not need to be an ultraviolet light--a simple flashlight will do if you are checking the beds at nighttime. You can even check during the day with natural light but they might be harder to see.

However, the ultraviolet might show other things on the bed or bedspread!

[Tink#64]

Thanks tcswife, and I hope you hear positive news back from WDW!

We arrive in 2+ weeks & I have to be honest, I'm really concerned about this! We'll be checking the beds & room very carefully.

Let us know what you hear, hope your DM is doing ok.

[tcswife]

Funny coincidence....As I scrolled back to the top of this page, I was greeted with an advertisement from a pest control company about getting rid of bed bugs.....LOL!!!

[Tink#64]

tcswife - Oh my gosh! How ironic is that?

[Loves the Mouse]

Nevermind...went to the doctor and I have shingles. I kind of wish it were bedbugs after all.

oh I feel bad for you. I hope you are feeling better !!! I know what you are going threw my daughter just got over having shingles. Now it's waiting till the scabs heal over. She was in agony. My daughter would hit the ground even if you just touch or brush against her !!!

[Loves the Mouse]

I'm also worried about beg bugs. We are staying at the All Star family suites. I requested the Calypso building, after hearing about bed bugs in the Jazz section. But what I'm really worried about is that we are going to Universal for two nights and have to get a roll away bed. I will do a check of the room before we go in but if they bring the roll away to the room after I checked it, there might be a problem. What if the roll away has bed bugs !!! And we have all our personal things already in the room. What would you guys do ? Tell the front desk not to bring the bed in till I check it ?

[tcswife]

Still waiting on that call!!!

[dizneydeb22]

The best kind of flash light to use is a blue illumination flash light, per my better half. He is an Orkin Tech.

The thought of bed bugs freaks me out. We are going in Oct....and he'll be inspecting the room, like always.

My husband also works for Orkin and he said the same thing. We have had 10+ trips and he has never found anything. And he checks thoroughly!!

[Kathy Jetson]

I just got back from POP. I was there from 6/5-6/11. We stayed in the 70's room 6419. We pulled all the sheets off the bed and removed the mattress's and am happy to report everything was very clean. Good luck to everyone else

[Tink#64]

OK, tonight was talking with a DGF & she's also travelling this month & we're both really concerned about bed bugs & have been reading these posts & other info. I have a couple of questions we're both pondering.

1) After carefully checking with flashlights, room seems free of bed bugs, and safe to bring in our luggage, would it be over the top OCD & useless to bring our own hypo allergenic, zipping mattress covers?

2) After thinking that the room is free of bed bugs, and then possibly finding ourselves with bites, in an attempt not to bring the dreaded critters home with us, what precautions would one take with their luggage?

DGF, read a suggestion of sealing luggage in black plastic garbage bags! (She meant for the entire trip, only opening to get what you need & then closing them up again!) At first I was thinking WOW! Over the top, but is it? I'm not so worried about being bitten, it's gross, but I know harmless, but it sounds like the real problem is bringing them home with you. So in the event that you realized too late that your room in fact had bedbugs, could you seal off the luggage in this way, & say empty the contents into a washer in a laundromat? Does wahing & drying kill the creatures? How would you fumigate your luggage?

As I'm typing this, I feel like I sound completely neurotic, but I know that bedbugs are a very real situation & concern & sounds like a horribly expensive, exhausting problem to deal with once you have them!

Is anyone else taking any other precautions besides looking for them with a flashlight? Are we completely nuts about this?

[BelleBeauty]

2) After thinking that the room is free of bed bugs, and then possibly finding ourselves with bites, in an attempt not to bring the dreaded critters home with us, what precautions would one take with their luggage?

Tink, if for some reason you think that you have been exposed to bed bugs, drop off every article of clothing at the dry cleaners (that high heat will kill bugs or eggs), then to be safe, I would throw out your suitcase. Don't bring any of it back with you until you know it has been cleaned.

I travel a lot and always like to check. However, I find that a lot of it is in my head. If I start to obsess over it too much I will find myself scratching in bed freaking out that I will end up with bed bugs. I haven't yet! Be cautious, but remember that hotels do really check things thoroughly because an epidemic in their hotel is really worse for them that it would be for us in our homes.

[seanyred]

I think people should remember that bed bugs can happen anywhere. In any hotel room, airplane or any public place with fabric seats/couches. All it takes is one person who doesn't know or doesn't care that they are infested and then spreading begins. So remember just check your room before you bring your stuff in and you should be fine.

[Jillirose]

10 trips in 10 years, no bed bugs ever!