Bedbugs 101

[herfluvr]

saw the post about the bedbugs and will relate what our family has learned since sister got them in Columbus OH

Go to www.bedbugregistry.com to see if the hotel you are booked in has had a reported case.  Had she done this she would have moved hotels.

Check the room before you unpack.
Pull back the mattress from the wall and look in the seams and folds.  If there are bedbugs there will be little dark spots that look like fly poop. 
If there are covers on the mattress look inside the cover to the actual mattress and look at the pillows and on the backs of the curtains and under seat cushions for spots

They are about the size of a tick and come out at night to feed on any exposed flesh leaving what looks like mosquito bites but itch way worse and will welt up pretty bad

DO NOT put luggage, blankets or pillows from home on the floor.  Use the luggage rack and pull it away from the wall.  This includes your purse and dirty clothes.  They love to bury themselves in bags and clothes and you will take them home.

There is not a good insecticide on the market that kills them.  This is the reason they are so hard to get rid of.  Heat above 125 degrees F kills them.  This is how most hotels treat rooms.  They heat them up with a portable heater and kill them that way but they only treat the room not the hallway or the adjoining rooms.

Extreme cold will kill them also. Below freezing.

So if you think you have been in a room with them, you can put what you can in the dryer and heat the clothes on high heat cycle or can put them outside if you live where it is cold enough or you can put the items in trash bags and place in a deep freeze.

These are  nasty little bugs.  I have seen the bites first hand,  They are bad, will scar and will last about 2 weeks.  Sister threw away her luggage and some clothes and we are all very wary of hotels.  CHECK THE ROOM BEFORE YOU EVEN BRING ANYTHING IN AND TELL THE FRONT DESK YOU ARE CHECKING THE ROOM FOR BUGS AND WILL NEED TO CHANGE ROOMS IF YOU FIND ANYTHING .

Now that I have grossed you out, know that this is not a clean or dirty issue.  They are everywhere

 

[Diamond]

aww gross, I look forward to ohio beef expo every year but now...

 

[herfluvr]

aww gross, I look forward to ohio beef expo every year but now...

Stay far enough away from the fairgrounds too.  The crime was bad also during Congress in October. 

Guy from North Dakota went to truck to get baby bottle for his daughter from his dually.  Now he was a big guy and had his rock grinder spurs on his boots.  Thieves approached him as he was leaning into his back seat standing on the side step.  They tried to grab him and he started kicking and kicked one guy under his chin with his spur.  The spur went through his chin, his tongue and into his palate.  He got an infection(duh) and was found in the emergency room a few days later.  So scary this year!  Stay up by Worthington.  Good places and good restaurants.

 

[hntwhitetail]

Yep, Columbus is bad for Bed Bugs and bad on Crime.  I think the homicide tally in Columbus was 117 for the year.  Looks like the total is upto 6 think for this year so far............ too many thugs running around, especially around the fairground area....   

Maybe just 105, but a few others are suspected:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/01/01/columbus-tallies-105-homicides-for-2010.html

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/databases/crime/homicide.html

Something needs to be done!

 

[herfluvr]

Link to Denver and surrounding areas with reports.

http://www.bedbugregistry.com/location/CO/

 

[M Bar Girl]

Leave your suitcases in the trailer on the way home... that should do it @ 15 for a high Monday-Wendsday.

 

[Davis Shorthorns]

looks like the hotel I am in is safe... for now.

 

[OH Breeder]

1- I live in downtown Columbus and am about 2 exits from the fairgrounds. Lots of people make the mistake of staying close to the fairgrounds. There are lots of nice places brand names Marriott, Hilton etc away from Fairgrounds. There are a lot of hotels downtown that are nice and not that far from fairgrounds. Anyone feel free to email or pm me if you have questions about a property here in town. I will be happy to tell you about the area.

2- I buy this spray as I travel for a living. It doesn't matter the quality the hotel. I stayed a 5 star resort and we all were contacted a week a later one of my coworkers got bed bugs. Lots of the bugs are coming in from foreign countries. I check the linens and spray if they look suspect. Also, never sit your stuff on the floor -carpet. I also remove the bed cover. You can also buy a silk sleeping bag that you get into so the covers don't touch your skin. Also carry Lysol it kills lots of stuff. From the time I walk in the room I spray everything, remote control, phone handles in the bathroom and the shower. Crossing my fingers I have been traveling for 8 years and haven't got the little buggers yet. KNOCK on wood. I hope I didn't just jinx myself.

http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/shop_product_detail.jsp?filterBy=&skuId=574954&productId=574954&navAction=push&navCount=1&no_new_crumb=true

Crime in general is bad everywhere. Not just Columbus. It is a sign of the times.In economic downturn things tend to get more violent. People out of work etc. You just have to be smart and not travel alone to your vehicle and be aware at all times. Know your surroundings. Check your car before you get out and in. I also keep my keys in hand with the point out. If someone approaches you can stab them in the face and get away. For women, I would carry mace or you can buy hornet spray that shoots alot farther than mace and has the same effect.

 

[dogger]

I think the most danger I ever felt at a show was Jackson, MS.  It was not safe to walk across the fairgrounds alone and there was a killing at the mini mart next to fair while we were there showing.  That was about 10 years ago so hopefully it has improved.

 

[Diamond]

The crime is bad there, we usually buy a few heifers outta there every year. Well a few years ago my brother, his gf, and I where eating at waffle house when a bunch of gangsters started attempting to break into the car right in front of the restaurant thankfully they where to dumb to figure out how to get into it. Not a pleasant night... but they built an area with all new hotels one of them is gorgeous and we stay there evey year now....oh and that same year we have a hotel manager threaten us, I mean literally, had thisbig guy standing behind her and ran het finger across her throat.

 

[herfluvr]

I think the most danger I ever felt at a show was Jackson, MS.  It was not safe to walk across the fairgrounds alone and there was a killing at the mini mart next to fair while we were there showing.  That was about 10 years ago so hopefully it has improved.

Been to Jackson the last 2 years to show horses.  They have improved the safety .  Rode bikes around the grounds and stayed at the Hampton Suites there.  Would compare it to many state fair grounds for feeling safe.  Still bars on the windows of most shops and need to be aware.  And the catfish frys are awesome!  And the Waffle house across the street is still a greasy spoon but it is the best when done showing.