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By Diane Griffith, HealthAtoZ writer
They're found in the most posh, upscale hotels; on cruise ships; in movie theaters; in bus and train stations; in restrooms and in college dorms. They're the tiny, wingless, bloodsucking parasites known as bedbugs.
Bedbugs are found throughout the world, from developing countries to modern cities. They come out at night and feed on human blood. For many people, this means irritating, itchy bites. Luckily, bedbugs don't transmit disease.
Traveling
How can you avoid bedbugs when traveling? Inspect the beds, headboards, bedding, carpet edges and furniture (including drawers) of your hotel room. Use a flashlight or aim a hot hair dryer into crevices to force out bedbugs. If signs of bedbugs are found, request a different room and follow the same procedure.
What to look for:
- Small bloodstains
- Dark spots from droppings
- Cast skin
- Eggs
- Eggshells
- Live, crawling bugs
- An unpleasant odor, which indicates infestation
Hiding places:
- Mattress seams
- Couches and chairs
- Picture frames
- Curtain seams
- Bed frames and box springs
- Behind headboards
- Baseboard crevices
- Inside and around nightstands
- Windows, doors, pictures, loosened wallpaper, and cracks in plaster and flooring
- In clutter near sleeping areas
Before going home
Inspect your suitcase and everything you pack. If you do laundry at the hotel, seal clothes in plastic bags. Otherwise, wash clothes immediately upon returning home.
If it's summer, leave your luggage in your closed, hot car for several hours. Once inside, carefully inspect, vacuum and scrub your suitcases.
Bedbugs at home
Bedbugs can live in used furniture, mattresses and box springs, so it's best not to bring those items home. If you do, inspect them carefully first and consider carefully before you decide to bring home someone else's discarded items.
If you find signs of bedbugs:
- Wash all bedding, linens, curtains, rugs and clothes in hot water. Dry on highest setting. Delicate items can be dry cleaned.
- Vacuum and steam clean mattresses and pillows. Scrub seams to dislodge bedbugs and their eggs.
- Remove drawers from furniture.
- Vacuum cracks and crevices.
- Caulk and seal holes in floor and baseboards.
- Repair cracks in plaster.
- Repair loosened wallpaper.
- Vacuum bed frame, furniture, floors and carpets.
- Enclose the mattress in a sealed mattress cover for at least a year to trap and kill bugs.
- Dispose of infested box springs.
- Pull the headboard away from the wall, tuck in bedclothes and place frame legs into containers filled with mineral oil or soapy water. Apply petroleum jelly or double-sided tape to bed legs.
- Place infested items - including vacuum cleaner bags - in tightly sealed plastic garbage bags. If you need to save something, keep it sealed for at least a year.
Why are they back?
Pesticides like DDT previously wiped out most bedbugs. Because of environmental concerns, such pesticides were later removed from the market. Today, specific pest control methods are designed to kill specific insects. Since bedbugs have only recently returned, treatment is complicated.
How to treat infestations
Clean and treat infested furniture. If you decide to discard it instead, attach a warning label before placing it at the curb.
It's best to hire a pest management professional (PMP) to treat an infestation. If you decide to forego a PMP, use EPA-approved products and follow all label directions.
What to do for bites:
- Avoid scratching. It can worsen irritation and cause a secondary infection.
- Wash the area with antibiotic soap.
- Apply an ice pack to relieve swelling. If you have diabetes, poor circulation, or blood vessel disorders, such as vasculitis or Raynaud's disease, talk with a health professional before using an ice pack.
- If infection develops, see your doctor, who may prescribe medication.
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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