Bed Bugs

[Jacqui Harvey]

I watched a programme last week about Bed Bugs and how travellers bring them to hotels in their clothes and luggage.  I was suprised to hear that when the Pest Control people come in, they look in the furniture and carpets and said that the bed was not the most popular place the bugs lived in.  Also it was said, do not go into an Hotel and put your suitcase on the floor in your bedroom.
I was really surprised to hear that there are now dogs that sniff out bed bugs and they work regularly on Airlines as the seats can get infestations.   
After watching this, I got really itchy.   

[KKOB]

It's not just the bed bugs that should worry you. The amount of "residual bodily fluid" should also be a cause for concern.

[Toky]

We go away to hotels regulary for shorrt breaks. I have to focus my mind elsewhere re bugs and body stuff. My stomach is easily turned, so if the sheets are spotless and the toilet is clean, I try not to think of previous guests or their goings on! I would end up giving myselg "the boak". 

[KKOB]

"the boak". 

I bet I'm not the only one who had to Google it.
 

[Jacqui Harvey]

Yes, I had the boak (I know what this means) when I watched this, as it started with a family in England hiring a "pod" on a campsite.  The place was crawling with bed bugs and they were badly bitten, unfortunately they had a duvet with them for their young son.  When they got back into their  car the next morning, they took the bed bugs with them and had a bad time when they got home trying it eradicate them.  The pest control guy who looked at the video said that the Bed Bugs infestation had been in that pod for around 6 months as he could see how many there were in all different sizes from the baby ones to the adults.

We had this problem in New York.  Woke up with bites and the reception told us it was mosquitos as we had a window open.   We went to a chemist who confirmed they were bed bug bites and told us there were lots of Hotels in New York suffering from them at that time.  We went back and complained and the Hotel changed our room and took our clothes away to be cleaned.    The next room was fine and we noted our old room was closed off and being cleaned out by pest control guys.