Bed bugs

Well I have stayed in all manner of places during my life, including youth hostels (with the children) and never even thought about bed bugs, never mind picked any up. Is this something that has increased in recent years?

Yes there were bed bugs walking across our pillow cases when we checked into the bedroom one time in London.
Decent hotel and the room was spotless. Thank goodness I spotted them before we had opened the suitcase.
I had hung my coat in the wardrobe though but the environment agency advised putting the coat in the freezer when we got home.
The problem is you could take the eggs back to your home and create a major problem there.
I always check the bedding in any hotel we visit now.

I brought one home after staying in an hotel near Gatwick.
Now I am very careful where I put my case in any hotel room (as others have mentioned) or when I get home. I unpack in the utility room and store the cases in the attic.
I did catch mine thank goodness. I had visions of fumigating the whole house and paying Rentokil a fortune.

If in doubt red raid it. I swear by the stuff. Though remove animals ( and humans if you like them ! ) from the room for a couple of hours and when you re-enter, I'd open windows. It kills everything. Says cockroaches I think but if I'm concerned I spray mattresses then remake the bed after a period of time, if you've fleas or basically anything. Sometimes creatures are laying upside down when I go back in I didn't even know were in there.
I'm not suggesting you go round spraying hotel beds and floors mind, it's just if in doubt.

Terrible spelling sorry. Where are my glasses

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

That's OK ExDancer just my imagination running riot

ExDancer

Sorry sodapop!

Now you mention them Mamacaz I bet they were harvest mites, not bedbugs, and she'd got it wrong.

Are harvest mites the same as thunder bugs?

No. Harvest mites are so small that I've never actually seen one, even though I get badly bitten by them every summer.

robertsaunders.org.uk/flies-and-bikes/2010/08/13/neotrombicula-autumnalis-aka-the-berry-bug-or-harvest-mite/

Thunder bugs are bigger and also their wriggling on my skin also makes me itch like mad, but they don't bite.

If the poster you mention was bitten in a hotel, it could certainly have been bed bugs. It does happen, even in good hotels. However, unless she actually saw them (or evidence of them such as specks of blood on the sheets), it could have been something else such as harvest mites, or maybe even midges, that had bitten her during the daytime.

Sorry sodapop!

Now you mention them Mamacaz I bet they were harvest mites, not bedbugs, and she'd got it wrong.

Are harvest mites the same as thunder bugs?

chelseababy

Don't put your cases on the floor or bed

Pack your clothes in vac pack bags which are airtight?

Whitewavemark2

Oooh I’m having trouble with harvest mites! That’s enough for the time.?

When I first started being eaten by harvest mites (eleven years ago), I actually thought for quite a while that it must be bed bugs, even though I could never see any sign of them in the bed!

As chelseababy advised, do not put your bags on the floor or bed. Particularly if you are using fabric type back packs or cases. Same goes for your clothes. If you think there's evidence of bed bugs then get a bar of wet soap, turn out the lights but have a lit torch handy. Pull back the bed covers sharply and slam the soap down onto the wee buggers. I spent a futile couple of hours doing this in Mexico as I was convinced I'd been bitten - turns out I had chicken pox!
I've only ever experienced bed bugs once and that was on an Air India flight from Mandalay to Delhi - the plane was heaving with them.

I know all that BlueBelle but the idea just got in my head, I'll try thinking of the nicer aspects of my holiday

?have you ever stayed in a hotel or B and B before ?
Have you ever had bed bugs before?
Why would you now just because you ve read about it?
They ve been on earth a long time

Don't put your cases on the floor or bed

Eeeek ExDancer we are going on holiday at the weekend now I'm getting the heebie jeebies about bedbugs

Bed bugs are terrible to be rid of and they can take over very quickly. When there is an infestation the bed has to be steamed or strong chemicals used. They can be carried in clothing. Horrid things.

Oooh I’m having trouble with harvest mites! That’s enough for the time.?