# Help!!! Bedbugs in our unit!!!



## 1songbird (Sep 15, 2016)

Please help!
We are at Ocean Boulevard. Yesterday I had a bug crawling on me and flicked it off because it startled me. I told my husband it looked like a bedbug but we couldn't find it. I was sitting in the same place again today (sofa) and there it was crawling beside me. I screamed and my husband killed it. It was definitely a LIVE bedbug! Who do I call? What do I do? I don't want to stay here another minute even though I have an Oceanfront room.

Melody


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## DeniseM (Sep 15, 2016)

You walk to the front desk and ask to speak to the *manager*, and ask to be moved to a different unit.  You don't want an adjacent unit - you want to be farther away.

***Take a picture of the bed bugs with your phone, or take a bedbug with you, to show the front desk.

Bed bugs have been found in even the most exclusive hotels.  This is because PEOPLE carry bedbugs, and they can go for months without food, so it isn't a matter of the resort's lack of sanitation.

Do you really scream just because you see a bug?


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## Passepartout (Sep 15, 2016)

Call the office, contact housekeeping. Demand to be moved to a different, freshly cleaned/fumigated unit. Rip the sheets off the bed and look around the beading/seams around the edges for the brownish/reddish signs of the critters to show them.

I don't think I'd be wasting time posting about this until those who can actually do something are alerted.

Good luck!


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## DeniseM (Sep 15, 2016)

Please note that cleaning and fumigation don't kill bed bugs.  The best method is heat.


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## 1songbird (Sep 15, 2016)

No I don't scream when I see garden variety bugs but I recognized this as a BEDBUG!!! Thank you for your advice. My plan was to call a manager but yes, in person would be better. I am getting off here to do that and immediately pack my bags!

Thank you all again!!! I will update later.

Melody


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## 1songbird (Sep 15, 2016)

I forgot to mention that I will be presenting them with the dead, bloody, body!


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## Jan M. (Sep 15, 2016)

Be careful you don't bring them with you to the next unit. I'd leave your bags out on the balcony and wash everything in hot water and dry on high heat. Put your suitcase in a garbage bag and seal it so it doesn't get wet and leave it out on the balcony. 

Fun story. One resort we stayed at through RCI had a guy with a little terrier type dog that was trained to sniff out bedbugs come through all the units while we were there. He demonstrated how the dog was trained for me by hiding a little container of them while the dog and I waited in another room. When the dog found the container he got a treat. He had contracts with a lot or resorts and rental properties in that area. Said the resort we were staying at hadn't had any but that with people coming and going it is easy to get them.

If you have bites keep an eye on them. Make very sure it is in fact a bed bug and not a tick. Lyme disease can be debilitating and deadly if not caught and treated in time.


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## davidvel (Sep 15, 2016)

1songbird said:


> Please help!
> We are at Ocean Boulevard. Yesterday I had a bug crawling on me and flicked it off because it startled me. I told my husband it looked like a bedbug but we couldn't find it. I was sitting in the same place again today (sofa) and there it was crawling beside me. I screamed and my husband killed it. It was definitely a LIVE bedbug! Who do I call? What do I do? I don't want to stay here another minute even though I have an Oceanfront room.
> 
> Melody


Those are some hungry bedbugs. Typically they hide in the day and come out at night to secretly feed on you!

Also, while they're are very gross, and can be infected with at least 28 human pathogens, no studies have found that the insects are capable of transmitting any of these to humans. So actually, they're not as bad as mosquitos.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 15, 2016)

davidvel said:


> Those are some hungry bedbugs. Typically they hide in the day and come out at night to secretly feed on you!
> 
> Also, while they're are very gross, and can be infected with at least 28 human pathogens, no studies have found that the insects are capable of transmitting any of these to humans. So actually, they're not as bad as mosquitos.



Unless you bring the bedbugs home with you. 

I have dealt with bedbugs and the way to rid your home and possessions of them is EXTREMELY expensive. 

DeniseM comment on HEAT extermination is correct ... the COST for a small home or apartment in my area is $4500 and UP ... plus a 3+ day locked out as your place has to BAKE that long plus the preparation time.

Look at stripping your home of all bedding, soft goods (mattresses, rugs & padding), electronics (computers, TV, radios, microwaves, refrigerators, phones) and washing everything in the washer & drying at the highest setting. You will be investing in a heavy duty trash bags and duct tape ... once cleaned, you seal it up & transport to a clean place in a different vehicle. (ie I suggest a large coin operated laundry). It is recommended that ALL cover plates on electrical outlets be opened up for extermination ... those bugs like anything warm.

Then, you will have a winkle in your life .. paranoid to extremes, that they will come back. 

PS Your home owner's insurance does not cover bedbug damage (due to infestation) or removal.


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## Kozman (Sep 15, 2016)

The Health Dept. may be interested in hearing from you if you don't get satisfaction.


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## rleigh (Sep 15, 2016)

DeniseM said:


> You walk to the front desk and ask to speak to the *manager*, and ask to be moved to a different unit.  You don't want an adjacent unit - you want to be farther away.
> 
> ***Take a picture of the bed bugs with your phone, or take a bedbug with you, to show the front desk.
> 
> ...



Great advice but that last part, ouch.

We're human. Not all our reactions to any one thing will be exactly alike. I'm sure there are things that bother you that other people would shrug at.

We all have our things. And a million different reasons why.


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## Jan M. (Sep 15, 2016)

Am curious to know if they really are bedbugs. 

OP posted that you don't usually see bedbugs during the day. They hide from the light and come out to feed at night.

We live in Florida now and warm, humid climates tend to have more bugs. When we lived up north in Pennsylvania as Fall approached bugs would start appearing in the house.


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## Ty1on (Sep 15, 2016)

DeniseM said:


> You walk to the front desk and ask to speak to the *manager*, and ask to be moved to a different unit.  You don't want an adjacent unit - you want to be farther away.



This is true, and the resort is in a Catch 22 in this regard.  They can't not move you, and when they do move you, it has a high risk of spreading the bedbugs to another part of the resort.  Diligent resorts would put both rooms Out of Order until they could be inspected, treated, and re-inspected, but every resort and hotel, unfortunately, isn't diligent.


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## 1songbird (Sep 15, 2016)

Just wanted to update everybody. We went in person to the front desk and asked for a manager. Never got to speak to one but we were told to leave everything in place. Too late, we had already packed and put the stuff in our car. After presenting them with the bloody bug on a napkin they had maintenance go and inspect our unit. I asked if they were educated and knew what they were looking for. They assured me they had received classes and knew. After waiting for about 35 minutes they claim they found nothing. The bug was crawling ON Me so I got a close up and personal look at it. When my husband smashed it dead it was full of blood. There was also a rusty red looking spot that was on the sofa when we sat on it. Didn't think much about it at the time. Our daughter is a flight attendant and has practically lived in hotels for 13 years and she educated me about what they look like and I have seen dead ones so I am 99.99 percent sure that the two I saw were indeed bedbugs. They agreed to move us. We are now in tower 2, not 1. View is not as good but it will have to suffice. Interesting that we got a call last night that pest exterminators are here today. It burned through a few hours of our vacation time.


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## EvelynK72 (Sep 15, 2016)

And don't forget to report these bedbugs at bedbugregistry.com

If you are staying is Wyndham Ocean Boulevard in North Myrtle Beach SC, then they have had reports of bedbugs in the past (see link below).  A report from 2016 would show others that the problem has been an ongoing one since 2011.  

http://bedbugregistry.com/hotel/SC/North-Myrtle-Beach/Wyndham%25252DOcean-Boulevard


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## Sandy VDH (Sep 15, 2016)

What unit are you in.  I have friends going there next month.


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## DeniseM (Sep 15, 2016)

EvelynK72 said:


> And don't forget to report these bedbugs at bedbugregistry.com
> 
> If you are staying is Wyndham Ocean Boulevard in North Myrtle Beach SC, then they have had reports of bedbugs in the past (see link below).  A report from 2016 would show others that the problem has been an ongoing one since 2011.



Bedbugs travel on people and their stuff.  A report in the past and a report today really doesn't mean it is _on-going._  It could mean that the last person who stayed in the unit before the OP brought them in - especially since the  infestation seems to be very minor.


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## alwysonvac (Sep 15, 2016)

EvelynK72 said:


> And don't forget to report these bedbugs at bedbugregistry.com
> 
> If you are staying is Wyndham Ocean Boulevard in North Myrtle Beach SC, then they have had reports of bedbugs in the past (see link below).  A report from 2016 would show others that the problem has been an ongoing one since 2011.
> 
> http://bedbugregistry.com/hotel/SC/North-Myrtle-Beach/Wyndham%25252DOcean-Boulevard



Omg.. Thanks for the link 



> Quote from the link Bedbug registry link above
> 
> _Anonymous on 05/23/2011
> I work in the housekeeping dept. and I am aware of at least 50 rooms that have had bed bugs. The staff at the front desk have been told to deny this problem, but don't believe it._


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## Ty1on (Sep 16, 2016)

DeniseM said:


> Bedbugs travel on people and their stuff.  A report in the past and a report today really doesn't mean it is _on-going._  It could mean that the last person who stayed in the unit before the OP brought them in - especially since the  infestation seems to be very minor.



Agree 100%, and this reporting is unfair to the many resorts and hotels that work hard to keep their properties bug-free.


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## 1songbird (Sep 16, 2016)

We were staying in Room 355, Tower 1.


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## Egret1986 (Sep 16, 2016)

*This is scary stuff, Linda.*



vacationhopeful said:


> Unless you bring the bedbugs home with you.
> 
> I have dealt with bedbugs and the way to rid your home and possessions of them is EXTREMELY expensive.
> 
> ...




My gosh.  I'm going to try and not be paranoid now about potentially bringing something back from my stays away from home.


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## falmouth3 (Sep 16, 2016)

Egret1986 said:


> My gosh.  I'm going to try and not be paranoid now about potentially bringing something back from my stays away from home.



Keep your luggage off the beds and upholstered furniture.  
That should cut down on the likelihood of cross contamination.


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## Egret1986 (Sep 16, 2016)

*Yep, that's where we usually place the suitcase when we're unpacking.*



falmouth3 said:


> Keep your luggage off the beds and upholstered furniture.
> That should cut down on the likelihood of cross contamination.



Right on top of the bed.  When we're packing up, we place the suitcase on the bed.  Wow, we're a disaster waiting to happen.


Thank you for that info.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 16, 2016)

falmouth3 said:


> Keep your luggage off the beds and upholstered furniture.
> That should cut down on the likelihood of cross contamination.



And off the rugs or any other fabric coverings. Hard and cold surfaces the bugs don't like unless WARMED up with high watt light bulbs.


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## Egret1986 (Sep 16, 2016)

*Ignorance is bliss*



vacationhopeful said:


> And off the rugs or any other fabric coverings. Hard and cold surfaces the bugs don't like unless WARMED up with high watt light bulbs.



Helpful thread and posts.  Thanks.


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## Luanne (Sep 16, 2016)

vacationhopeful said:


> And off the rugs or any other fabric coverings. Hard and cold surfaces the bugs don't like unless WARMED up with high watt light bulbs.



So exactly where do you suggest unpacking, and packing, in a resort or hotel room?


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## CruiseGuy (Sep 16, 2016)

The suggestions I've heard are to place your luggage on tile floors (bathroom, kitchen, entry), counters, and the folding luggage rack.  Not on beds, upholstered furniture, or carpeting.

And when you get home to place your luggage in the garage and unpack directly into your washing machine.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 16, 2016)

Luanne said:


> So exactly where do you suggest unpacking, and packing, in a resort or hotel room?



Bathroom sink or tub to hold your suitcase. 

Use the metal luggage rack to HOLD your luggage and hang up your clothes. Or turn the plastic trashcan upside down as a luggage rack. Hang pocketbooks up.

Do not throw clothes on the beds or floor ... hang everything UP. Keep the towels off the rugs & soft furniture.

A smart guest strips the bed first, checks under the sofa & chair cushions and around the drapes's seams near heat vents or sunlight hits. If all looks fine, just keep stuff from hitting the floor. I tend to strip the bedspread totally off the bed and throw it into a fall off corner.

I tend to NOT put any of my clothes in the dresser. I hang my pocketbook off a metal/plastic hanger. I leave my clean clothes in the suitcase (held off the floor as suggested above) and the used/dirty clothing goes into a plastic (for the laundry) bag. 

I personally first got attacked with bedbugs in Canada in 1976 (Quebec). A college girl friend and I had driven up for a 3 night stay. Riding back home in my car in upper NY state, I notice both of us were scratching our heads, esp around our ears. I pull the car off the highway, opened the truck, opened my suitcase, and SAW little dark round bugs crawling around inside our bags. Without any other prior knowledge, I thought BED BUGS. We continued driving to my house, brought bug spray listed as killing bed bugs, went to the laundry mat, sprayed the car, ourselves, our luggage, showered, changed into clean clothes and REPEATED all again. 

I swear we had fathom itching for days ... but saw no more critters. Got no more red welts behind our ears.


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## Luanne (Sep 16, 2016)

CruiseGuy said:


> The suggestions I've heard are to place your luggage on tile floors (bathroom, kitchen, entry), counters, and the folding luggage rack.  Not on beds, upholstered furniture, or carpeting.
> 
> And when you get home to place your luggage in the garage and unpack directly into your washing machine.



Well, that works if your washing machine is in the garage........mine isn't.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 16, 2016)

Luanne said:


> Well, that works if your washing machine is in the garage........mine isn't.



Laundry Mat ... get all the wash done in ONE cycle. Tag team with your spouse .. you start the wash, he goes home and changes his clothes in the garage, sprays the inside of the car down and replaces you at the laundry for you to go home. You change in your garage and bag the trip clothes ... spray down the interior of the car and back to the laundry... with YOUR bagged clothing.


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## Luanne (Sep 16, 2016)

You know, in all of the years we've vacationed we've never done any of these precautionary measures.  We unpack on the beds, come home, bring our suitcases in, unpack on our beds and take the stuff into the laundry room.  And in all that time we have had not one problem.  So, at this point I think I'll continue to take my chances.  Of course all it will take is one time and then I'll probably become a fanatic too.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 16, 2016)

Luanne said:


> You know, in all of the years we've vacationed we've never done any of these precautionary measures.  We unpack on the beds, come home, bring our suitcases in, unpack on our beds and take the stuff into the laundry room.  <snip>



Luanne,

Just a do a few things different at each timeshare. Walk into the unit with nothing in your hands. Leave everything in the car. 

Inspect first: Turn up the bedding and look at the seams each bed ... headboard and foot area. Check under the sofa cushions ... in the back edges and corners where the cushions sit. 

If all is clear: Use those metal/plastic luggage holders to keep clothes in the suitcases and off the floor. Throw the bedspreads in the corner .. don't use or remake the beds with them.


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## Luanne (Sep 16, 2016)

vacationhopeful said:


> Luanne,
> 
> Just a do a few things different at each timeshare. Walk into the unit with nothing in your hands. Leave everything in the car.
> 
> ...



Too lazy.

As I said, if something happens at some point we may start doing this.


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## 1songbird (Sep 16, 2016)

Thank you Linda for all these important reminders! Our daughter, the flight attendant, has been taught all the things you pointed out. We have done some but not all of them. After this experience we will certainly be more diligent. We were told we have been moved into a room they use for emergencies since they are at 99 percent occupancy. The sofa and other items look cleaner and we haven't seen any sign of bedbugs. We left our luggage in the bathtubs overnight as a precaution. Praying we don't take anything home but plan to use some of this advice when we do get home. We got a card slipped under our door today from Wyndham saying "Thinking of You" and following up to see if we are doing ok after our "incident".

Thanks to all of you who followed up with excellent advice. TUG members are awesome!

Melody


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## Jan M. (Sep 16, 2016)

vacationhopeful said:


> Bathroom sink or tub to hold your suitcase.
> 
> Use the metal luggage rack to HOLD your luggage and hang up your clothes. Or turn the plastic trashcan upside down as a luggage rack. Hang pocketbooks up.
> 
> ...




Excellent advise. Even the minimal measures you suggested in a later post are great for people wanting to start being more careful. I was reading your posts to my husband as we travel a fair amount and are going away again soon. We will be leaving our stuff on the luggage cart until we inspect all the beds and sofa. We never use the bedspreads but I usually fold them up and put them in the closet where our clothes are hanging so I will start leaving them on the floor as far away from the bed as possible. A couple of heavy duty trash bags take up next to no room so they will go in the suitcase to use for dirty clothes.

In one of my earlier posts I recounted meeting the man with the bedbug sniffing dog when we stayed a resort that employes his services. Talking with him was very interesting and quite an eye opener. I have no desire to go through the headache, work, time and expense involved with getting rid of them! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Thanks.


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## WinniWoman (Sep 16, 2016)

There really isn;t anywhere to lay your suitcases- most timeshares have rugs, I guess you could put them on the kitchen or bathroom floors or the kitchen table. 

We always put them on the bed to empty or get into them. We usually lock stuff in our suitcases when we leave the room so we are constantly taking them on and off the bed. Then we put them in the bedroom closets which are also carpeted.


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## whitewater (Sep 16, 2016)

unpack outside

boil clothes in water.

Put shoes in back bag in sun they heat up and kill bugs - them boil in water (1 week of sun/heat/no air)

put suit cases in back trash bags - leave in sunshine so the heat up and kill bugs.  (1 week of sun/heat/no air)

my parents got BB and this worked for them.  Other than the head-ache it caused.  


overkill maybe but do you really want them in YOUR house????


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## Lisa P (Sep 17, 2016)

vacationhopeful said:


> Walk into the unit with nothing in your hands. Leave everything in the car. ... Inspect first: Turn up the bedding and look at the seams each bed ... headboard and foot area. Check under the sofa cushions ... in the back edges and corners where the cushions sit. ... If all is clear: Use those metal/plastic luggage holders to keep clothes in the suitcases and off the floor. Throw the bedspreads in the corner





CruiseGuy said:


> place your luggage on tile floors (bathroom, kitchen, entry), counters, and the folding luggage rack. ... And when you get home to place your luggage in the garage and unpack directly into your washing machine.





whitewater said:


> Put ... in [black] trash bags - leave in sunshine so the heat up and kill bugs.  (1 week of sun/heat/no air)





1songbird said:


> Thank you... We have done some but not all of them. After this experience we will certainly be more diligent.


Our DIL's college roommates brought in bed bugs to their apartment from a vacation trip.  They had to launder and high-heat dry all their clothes, throw out some furnishings and put the rest of their belongings into a van parked in the hot Carolina sun for a couple weeks (hot car!) before moving in to a new apartment, then spray down the van.  It was a terrible ordeal since DIL turned out to be highly allergic to the bites, requiring a visit to the ER.  So we started taking all these (above) precautions and have been now, for years.  But we've gotten a bit slack recently.  So I'm thankful for this reminder.  



1songbird said:


> We got a card slipped under our door today from Wyndham saying "Thinking of You" and following up to see if we are doing ok after our "incident".


I'm very glad to read this.  At least they are showing that they recognize the problem.  Hopefully, it will be addressed.  If you take the above precautions, you (and your home) should be fine.  I hope you are able to enjoy the rest of your trip now.


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## baf99 (Sep 17, 2016)

I have been traveling a fair amount on business for the last 8 or so years. I have been fortunate that I haven't run into this problem (yet). I have worried about all the hotel stays, so I searched for prevention information online. I found a lot of useful information at this site:
http://www.bedbugs.umn.edu/
the hotel specific page is here:
http://www.bedbugs.umn.edu/travelers/inspecting-your-hotel-room-for-bed-bugs/
A lot of this information has been covered in previous posts, but just in case someone else would find the University of Minnesota site useful I thought I would share.


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## T-Dot-Traveller (Sep 22, 2016)

*BUGS are also in Wyndham's computer system*

Lots of computer bugs - according to current threads 

.


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## WinniWoman (Sep 22, 2016)

Luanne said:


> You know, in all of the years we've vacationed we've never done any of these precautionary measures.  We unpack on the beds, come home, bring our suitcases in, unpack on our beds and take the stuff into the laundry room.  And in all that time we have had not one problem.  So, at this point I think I'll continue to take my chances.  Of course all it will take is one time and then I'll probably become a fanatic too.



Us, too. Never even think about it. Been lucky all these years I guess. Of course, after this thread now I will be a bit paranoid.


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## Luanne (Sep 22, 2016)

mpumilia said:


> Us, too. Never even think about it. Been lucky all these years I guess. Of course, after this thread now I will be a bit paranoid.



Not me.  I'm going to continue to live in ignorant bliss.


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## Panina (Sep 23, 2016)

Whereas the risk of bringing bedbugs home is greater in a hotel/Timehare, you can bring them home from anywhere. For example, you go to a restaurant, someone prior to you had one on their clothes and now you bring it home.  

Many pest control companies will sell you a bedbug Policy for a reasonable amount if you have another service contract with them.  

I have one and before they would approve me they brought the bedbug dog finder to my home.  I freaked out when the dog started barking and jumpin up next to my couch.  What I didn't know is the serviceman placed a closed container with a bedbug under the cushion, that's how sensitive the dog was to the scent.


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## JohnPaul (Jun 10, 2017)

Bed bugs are a royal pain.  We have dealt with them twice.  Once a tenant brought them into our rental trip-plex.  Once they showed up at home.  We travel a lot and probably picked them up somewhere on our travels.  It takes many treatments to rid yourself of them and lots of $$.  Harder to deal with but less scary than the poisonous snake that we apparently carried in our luggage from Acapulco to Mexico City.  

Nevertheless I still can't be bothered to inspect everywhere I go.  I guess if I really thought that would keep me from having them at home again I would but I doubt I'd be thorough enough to find them.  They hide very well.

So.  To each their own.  Not going to let it stop my travels.


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## Joe33426 (Jul 22, 2017)

vacationhopeful said:


> Just a do a few things different at each timeshare. Walk into the unit with nothing in your hands. Leave everything in the car.
> 
> Inspect first: Turn up the bedding and look at the seams each bed ... headboard and foot area. Check under the sofa cushions ... in the back edges and corners where the cushions sit.
> 
> If all is clear: Use those metal/plastic luggage holders to keep clothes in the suitcases and off the floor. Throw the bedspreads in the corner .. don't use or remake the beds with them.



I think this is great advice.  Although we always throw the bedspreads into the corners and never reuse, we usually rush to bring our stuff into the unit.   We do inspect the beds, use luggage racks, put luggage on hard surfaces, etc.  but that's after we've moved in all our stuff. 

Last week we decided no more.  We're going to thoroughly inspect our units before taking occupancy.  

We just came back from Ocean Ridge and the unit had a cockroach infestation.  We didn't realize this until our second night.  We killed a couple of cockroaches the first day and figured it was part of being in the "low country", but on the second night they all came out and it was pretty disgusting and I was up until 3:00 a.m. that night "fighting" the bugs.  My main concern was that we didn't take any of the cockroaches home.  We had to wash all our clothes before bringing them in the house and checked all our other supplies before putting them away in the house.  I'm still on edge....


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## pedro47 (Jul 22, 2017)

Suggestion only...Please store your luggage in the bathroom(on the tile floor or in the shower or bathtub). Bedbugs do not tile floors and bathrooms.  I do not want you to bring the bedbugs back to your home. Also, Home Deport  hardware store is selling a cans of bed bug spray.

Good luck. Please report this to mgt in writing and keep a copy for your record. Next time take some photos for your document proofs.


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## rapmarks (Jul 22, 2017)

We had a wasp infestation in our timeshare exchange in Wisconsin .  I had a hard time relaxing with them in the same room.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## vacationhopeful (Jul 22, 2017)

If my dad got stung by a wasp ... 15 minutes to ER or call the funeral pallor. None of us kids got _that_ gene...but we always figured we should respect that flying critter, too.


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## wjappraise (Jul 22, 2017)

Have you ever noticed that every unknown bug in a hotel is a "bedbug" and every unknown hair is a "pubic hair"?  


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Jan M. (Jul 22, 2017)

wjappraise said:


> Have you ever noticed that every unknown bug in a hotel is a "bedbug" and every unknown hair is a "pubic hair"?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk



Also many people call palmetto bugs GIANT ROACHES and totally flip out when they see one. I'm not unsympathetic because I knew about palmetto bugs before I saw my first one and for months afterwards I had to turn the lights on if I got up in the night to use the bathroom.


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## klpca (Jul 23, 2017)

Well, we've never had bedbugs but I usually do a quick check of the bed before we get unpacked. The mattress at the Springhill Suites in Phoenix looked pretty suspicious when we checked in over Memorial Day, plus the sheets were dirty, so we requested a room change. But nothing compares to the Tarantula Hawks we had in our room in Cabo last week. Google them. I'm not afraid of bugs at all, but these things were terrifying.


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## Jan M. (Jul 23, 2017)

klpca said:


> Well, we've never had bedbugs but I usually do a quick check of the bed before we get unpacked. The mattress at the Springhill Suites in Phoenix looked pretty suspicious when we checked in over Memorial Day, plus the sheets were dirty, so we requested a room change. But nothing compares to the Tarantula Hawks we had in our room in Cabo last week. Google them. I'm not afraid of bugs at all, but these things were terrifying.



Okay I just had to look up tarantula hawks after reading your post. This is what I read:

“There are some vivid descriptions of people getting stung by these things,” says invertebrate biologist Ben Hutchins of Texas Parks and Wildlife, “and their recommendation—and this was actually in a peer-reviewed journal—was to just lie down and start screaming, because few if any people could maintain verbal and physical coordination after getting stung by one of these things. You’re likely to just run off and hurt yourself. So just lie down and start yelling.”

If that wasn't enough it went on to explain that only the females sting and they need tarantulas as they lay their eggs in the spiders. If I saw tarantula hawk wasps which by the way are HUGE, since there aren't flowers growing in the unit for them to feed on the logical conclusion in my mind would be that there are TARANTULAS in the unit. Yes I am that paranoid when it comes to spiders the size of a man's hand! 

PS: I just read this whole thing to my husband and when he quit laughing he said to tell everyone that he wouldn't get between me and the door! Feet don't fail me now is how fast he would describe me getting out of there.


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## klpca (Jul 23, 2017)

Jan M. said:


> Okay I just had to look up tarantula hawks after reading your post. This is what I read:
> 
> “There are some vivid descriptions of people getting stung by these things,” says invertebrate biologist Ben Hutchins of Texas Parks and Wildlife, “and their recommendation—and this was actually in a peer-reviewed journal—was to just lie down and start screaming, because few if any people could maintain verbal and physical coordination after getting stung by one of these things. You’re likely to just run off and hurt yourself. So just lie down and start yelling.”
> 
> ...


Trust me, I was moving pretty fast! It hovered, like a drone. We had one on Friday and another on Saturday. My husband had to use a shoe to kill them, and they were angry about being chased. It was a little too much excitement for me!


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## iaminak (Jul 24, 2017)

wow. just wow. I never knew such a thing existed and I could have handled not knowing about these beasts...


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## VegasBella (Jul 25, 2017)

I heard about tarantula hawks on a podcast about pain. There's this rather wacky entomologist who has purposely gotten himself bitten or stung by a wide variety of insects and has charted the level of pain for each. Tarantula hawk stings are among the highest, most painful. Bullet ants are up there too in the pain Dept. 

Now I'm afraid of Cabo. Great, thank you very much. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## pedro47 (Sep 2, 2022)

iaminak said:


> wow. just wow. I never knew such a thing existed and I could have handled not knowing about these beasts...


Wow! that is one big bug.


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## alwysonvac (Sep 2, 2022)

* 2016 thread*


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## dioxide45 (Sep 2, 2022)

I think we had a spammer whose posts were deleted. I have seen a few threads that look like they were dug up by regulars.


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