Itchy And Stinky: Traveling With Bed Bugs

You've spent months planning your perfect vacation at a five-star hotel in a tropical paradise. You'll rest, relax, eat and shop for treasures. Souvenirs can be marvelous reminders of your dream vacation, if you're careful about what you're bringing back.

If travelers knew that there is a ninety percent chance that popular hotel chains, even presidential suites in five-star hotels are prone to bed bugs, there would be far fewer bodies lining the beaches. Your favorite hotel may have hosted a bed bug infestation, while patrons slept completely unaware.

What would you do if you found out that your hotel had bed bugs? Would you even know? If you enjoy traveling, you need to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of a bed bug infestation. It is essential in helping you to prevent these pests from following you home.

Getting Itchy

You will likely feel this sign before you see it. The itch of a bed bug bite is prevalent before the rash is even visible. Bed bug bites tend to be itchier than mosquito bites. When a mosquito bites, you are able to feel the sting of the bite and the sucking of blood. With bed bugs, it's quite different. First of all, the bugs only feed while their victims are fast asleep. Further, there are anesthetics in bed bug's saliva to dull the pain, and anticoagulants to prevent the blood from clotting. They are able to bite you without detection, and then leisurely feed until they can take no more.

In most cases, a bed bug bite will show as a rash about an hour after the skin is pierced. For others, the rash won't develop until several days after being bitten. This depends on an individual's reaction to the chemicals secreted by bed bugs.

Would you be able to spot a bed bug rash? The rash begins with a single, small, red, inflamed bump. It will appear more swollen than a mosquito rash. Initially, the rash will appear as a single, swollen spot. Days later, however, the bed bug rash will multiply. Of course, this means that the original bug has brought his friends back for another feast. People who move around a lot while they sleep may notice a rash of "in-line" bite marks. This formation takes place because the bed bugs feed quickly and return to their hiding places as soon as the host begins moving.

If you have a rash that you suspect may be the result of bed bugs, observe it for several days. Bed bug rashes remain itchy, even days after the rash first appears. The rash itself will not heal as fast as a mosquito bite mark, and may stay swollen for weeks.

Oooh, that Smell

Many rooms actually stink like bed bugs, although you may not recognize the odor.

Hotel rooms with heavy bed bug infestations will often have an offensive, sweet, and musty odor. This scent created by the urine and feces of the bed bugs. When you first enter your room, conduct a "sniff test". Pay close attention to the headboard, upholstered furniture, wood chairs and especially under the mattress. If you detect a strange odor that you think may indicate a presence of bed bugs, pick up your bags and keep traveling.

In hotels with light or minimal infestation, the bed bug odor is not so easily detectable.

Avoiding a Home Invasion

* On the night before you leave for home, take every item out of your suitcase. Bed bugs are very adept at hitchhiking. They can survive for months without food, and can very easily start an infestation in your home if they travel home in your luggage.

* Bed bugs are partial to things made of paper, cloth and wood. These are porous materials in which they can easily hide and create a habitat. Carefully inspect any and all items made of these materials.

* A water-based insect killer should be sprayed in and around your suitcase.

* Shake out your clothes to remove any bed bugs.

* Wipe your bathtub dry, and put your clothing and travel items in the tub. Bed bugs won't stay on marble or ceramic tub surfaces, as these offer no comfort to the pests and usually gets wet.

* Wash all of your laundry before returning home.

This can all seem like a lot of work, but it's nothing compared the trouble you'll face if you need to exterminate your home. Once your bedroom has been infested with bed bugs, the insects will quickly spread to neighboring rooms. Getting rid of bed bugs is a very difficult job, and you may be forced to throw away your bed and sofa to completely rid your home of bed bugs.

Taking a dream vacation is even more fun when you travel with a guest. But if you see signs of Itchy and Stinky in your hotel room, send them packing right away. You'll be much better off traveling solo.