Bed Bugs are small, parasitic insects that love to feed on human blood. Their name comes from their most common habitat – beds and other bedroom locations – but they love any location that's warm and keeps them close to their host, like sofas. Due to their tiny size – 4-5 millimetres – and nocturnal habits, Bed Bugs can be difficult to spot. No place is completely immune from the threat of Bed Bugs.Checkout article about bed bugs for more info. Even the Waldorf-Astoria has been sued by a family that claims they were infected by bed bugs, which they then brought home with them after visiting the landmark hotel. The Waldorf-Astoria denies the claims.
Bed Bugs can be very hard to kill. Immature Bed Bugs can live for two years without feeding and adults can last a year. One method is to put pillows and bed linens in a hot dryer for at least 30 minutes – but, obviously, this doesn't work with sofas and mattresses. Bed Bug bites can trigger skin rashes, blisters and allergic reactions. While they used to be common, incidents greatly diminished in the 1940s until a resurgence in the mid-'90s.
How to spot Bed Bugs:
-Check the most obvious place first – the bed. Remove the sheets so you can check the mattress. Make sure you run your fingers along both the upper and lower seams as well as along the mattress tags – Bed Bugs love to hide there.
-Look for black spots the size of poppy seeds or smaller. Gross as it sounds, it's Bed Bug fecal matter. If it falls off the surface when you brush though, it's something else. If it sticks to the material or smears when wiped with a damp cloth, it's Bed Bug faecal matter. Actual Bed Bugs or bedbug skins, which look like Bed Bugs, are also signs of infestation.
-Check under and in furniture, along seams, and other areas on the possible infestation list. Bed Bugs like darkness. Foul smells can also indicate Bed Bug infestation. Some people have described the smell as being akin to spoiled raw meat, mustiness or sweet like raspberries
-If you're travelling, follow all of the steps above but also use the luggage stand in your hotel room. It makes it harder for Bed Bugs to climb from the floor into your luggage and go home with you.
-Check your luggage and personal items before leaving the hotel just to be sure. When in doubt, wash clothing in hot water when you go home and then put in the dryer for at least 45 minutes to kill any bed Bugs.
Bed Bugs can be very hard to kill. Immature Bed Bugs can live for two years without feeding and adults can last a year. One method is to put pillows and bed linens in a hot dryer for at least 30 minutes – but, obviously, this doesn't work with sofas and mattresses. Bed Bug bites can trigger skin rashes, blisters and allergic reactions. While they used to be common, incidents greatly diminished in the 1940s until a resurgence in the mid-'90s.
How to spot Bed Bugs:
-Check the most obvious place first – the bed. Remove the sheets so you can check the mattress. Make sure you run your fingers along both the upper and lower seams as well as along the mattress tags – Bed Bugs love to hide there.
-Look for black spots the size of poppy seeds or smaller. Gross as it sounds, it's Bed Bug fecal matter. If it falls off the surface when you brush though, it's something else. If it sticks to the material or smears when wiped with a damp cloth, it's Bed Bug faecal matter. Actual Bed Bugs or bedbug skins, which look like Bed Bugs, are also signs of infestation.
-Check under and in furniture, along seams, and other areas on the possible infestation list. Bed Bugs like darkness. Foul smells can also indicate Bed Bug infestation. Some people have described the smell as being akin to spoiled raw meat, mustiness or sweet like raspberries
-If you're travelling, follow all of the steps above but also use the luggage stand in your hotel room. It makes it harder for Bed Bugs to climb from the floor into your luggage and go home with you.
-Check your luggage and personal items before leaving the hotel just to be sure. When in doubt, wash clothing in hot water when you go home and then put in the dryer for at least 45 minutes to kill any bed Bugs.
