NonnaT
Well-Known Member
Always, in all ways!!! No hotel/resort/inn is safe!
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Bed Bug run ins?
- Thread starter Rachel S1321
- Start date
KDM31091
Well-Known Member
As someone who once got bedbugs from a stay in Wildwood NJ I can vouch that they are a horrible thing to go through. I don't like bugs in general but you just feel so violated that you can't sleep in your own bed without being bitten! Although they are harmless.
Even WDW could have bed bugs. I think the best bet is to check the room thoroughly. The other advice I have heeded ever since my experience is - never leave luggage on floor or bed. Keep it either in the bathroom (they're unlikely to be in a bathroom), on a counter, etc. While it's not 100% foolproof it is much less likely they will make it home with you this way.
The other best thing to do is as soon as you arrive home, take all the clothes from the trip whether worn or not and immediately wash and dry them all. A few simple precautions is far better than ending up with bed bugs which are very expensive and annoying to eliminate - I had to basically put all my belongings in bags for 4-6 weeks while they continually treated my house and I had a so called "mild" infestation! (I caught it probably a month after getting them)
Even WDW could have bed bugs. I think the best bet is to check the room thoroughly. The other advice I have heeded ever since my experience is - never leave luggage on floor or bed. Keep it either in the bathroom (they're unlikely to be in a bathroom), on a counter, etc. While it's not 100% foolproof it is much less likely they will make it home with you this way.
The other best thing to do is as soon as you arrive home, take all the clothes from the trip whether worn or not and immediately wash and dry them all. A few simple precautions is far better than ending up with bed bugs which are very expensive and annoying to eliminate - I had to basically put all my belongings in bags for 4-6 weeks while they continually treated my house and I had a so called "mild" infestation! (I caught it probably a month after getting them)
Arthur Wellesley
Well-Known Member
For now.
Scientists are observing their slow, progressive developments of immunity to some diseases. (Source: A classmate I graduated H.S. with who now works for the C.D.C. in Atlanta). While no cause for alarm at this point, they are certainly watching with a tad of concern. *If* they eventually become a hazard, it certainly wouldn't be in the next decade or so, and would have to take countless careless people just allowing them to dwell & populate. But thankfully most people are like you who take prompt action to resolve the problem, rather than letting the "harmless" critters continue to occupy a residency and breed generations. If more people & hotels treat them as a big problem today, they may hopefully become a small problem tomorrow.
LowesChevy
Well-Known Member
I check every room thoroughly since our experience at BLT in 2012. The 2nd bedroom of the villa had been infested for a while and unfortunately until the rest of our guests arrived we didn't notice it for a couple of days until we rotated rooms. The room manager brought the dogs to sniff them out and it was confirmed. All of our belongings like clothing and anything cloth had to be bagged and taken to the textile building to be cleaned, even our suitcases. We ended up not getting our belongings till the next day, which was incredible frustrating, but we were reimbursed for some items we bought.
We were moved to a suite at the Polynesian, which was amazing, but still being without your things was dreadful. It was a stay on points on BLT so getting refunded for that took time and I really didn't think we were compensated for the points fairly. I think we should have been given back the entire stays points back considering the bed bugs were cohabiting then.
It was an awful experience and it was horrible at the time, but we joke about it now. My best advice believe it can happen ANYWHERE and read up on how to check for them. Also act immediately if you detect your room may have an infestation.
We were moved to a suite at the Polynesian, which was amazing, but still being without your things was dreadful. It was a stay on points on BLT so getting refunded for that took time and I really didn't think we were compensated for the points fairly. I think we should have been given back the entire stays points back considering the bed bugs were cohabiting then.
It was an awful experience and it was horrible at the time, but we joke about it now. My best advice believe it can happen ANYWHERE and read up on how to check for them. Also act immediately if you detect your room may have an infestation.
why
ItlngrlBella
Well-Known Member
When I recruited for the UW I lived out of hotels M-F from Sept-Nov and Feb-Apr.
My routine - put my suitcase/purse in the bathroom (bedbugs are never/rarely found in tiled spaces).
I'd close curtains/make room dark and I'd check with my LED flashlight that I kept on my keychain.
Never had problems but checked out of a a few hotels several times (these were larger hotels that did conventions often).
I had better luck staying at Holiday Inn Expresses outside of the larger cities - that were out in "the country."
I had colleagues from other schools that were bitten and one brought them home in their luggage - she had to fumigate her apartment and they had to take out the carpets - it was thousands of dollars in nightmares and costs.
My routine - put my suitcase/purse in the bathroom (bedbugs are never/rarely found in tiled spaces).
I'd close curtains/make room dark and I'd check with my LED flashlight that I kept on my keychain.
Never had problems but checked out of a a few hotels several times (these were larger hotels that did conventions often).
I had better luck staying at Holiday Inn Expresses outside of the larger cities - that were out in "the country."
I had colleagues from other schools that were bitten and one brought them home in their luggage - she had to fumigate her apartment and they had to take out the carpets - it was thousands of dollars in nightmares and costs.
MickeyLuv'r
Well-Known Member
1.Sure, bed bugs can infest end or low end resorts, but I would like to think reputable places actively try to protect guests and their reputation. Whether that's a big name brand or a tiny B&B. I don't think any resort benefits from allowing infestations to spread.
2. Always a good idea to show/express appreciation to your hotel staff!
3. I would think, to really fully look for them in a mattress requires - more or less - completely pulling the bedding apart. I dunno, I'll maybe poke around an peek under a corner and a tag, but I'm not really interested in completely undoing the bedding.
That said, I DO take the precaution of not putting luggage on the floor.
One BIG thing I wish was that EVERY hotel did a better job of providing more luggage racks. There's never enough.
I don't want to hide my clothing in drawers, just a pull-down wall shelf or something of the like in the closet - so I can unzip and live out of my bag.
For that matter, what's with all the bedbug friendly carpeting? I'd love to see some tile!
2. Always a good idea to show/express appreciation to your hotel staff!
3. I would think, to really fully look for them in a mattress requires - more or less - completely pulling the bedding apart. I dunno, I'll maybe poke around an peek under a corner and a tag, but I'm not really interested in completely undoing the bedding.
That said, I DO take the precaution of not putting luggage on the floor.
One BIG thing I wish was that EVERY hotel did a better job of providing more luggage racks. There's never enough.
I don't want to hide my clothing in drawers, just a pull-down wall shelf or something of the like in the closet - so I can unzip and live out of my bag.
For that matter, what's with all the bedbug friendly carpeting? I'd love to see some tile!
sxeensweet
Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
Thanks again, I had been told pesticides won't but that is great to know they do. Still a mess if they are brought home with you and hope I personally never have to deal
With that, and do not wish that on anyone!
sxeensweet
Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
Unfortunately it happens at high end hotels and resorts as well. Like others said they do not discriminate! But yes higher end hotels should be checking more often and better than lower end hotels and resorts but sadly sometimes they miss them as well. I always do diligent research before staying anywhere eventhough we always pick 4 or 5 star hotels to see if any reports have been made about bed bugs etc and yes did see reports of some of those high end places in several larger cities that had before had an issue. So like mentioned still always important to check your rooms anywhere you go.
MickeyLuv'r
Well-Known Member
Has anyone here averted a bedbug problem by looking through their bedding before they experienced any bites?
I'm not being dismissive, just curious to hear from folks who have personal experience with them.
I'm not being dismissive, just curious to hear from folks who have personal experience with them.
JohnByers
Well-Known Member
Great question
KDM31091
Well-Known Member
I am also hoping that science comes up with better chemicals to use against them. While obviously we have effective chemicals, we need something that also works better at preventing them from wanting to be somewhere in the first place. To my knowledge, even regular "generic" extermination doesn't really prevent them at all -- you have to go in after the fact and treat very extensively (and for a lot of money).
Hopefully there will be ways to just eliminate them altogether -- they were nearly extinct with DDT back in the day. Since bedbugs are one of those pests that serve absolutely no useful purpose, I don't think anyone would care if they were extinct!
MickeyLuv'r
Well-Known Member
While part of me would like to agree, we don't know that for sure.
Not so long ago, doctors thought it was fine to destroy the bacteria in our gut with antibiotics.
Turns out that might not be so great for us.
Some of that stuff in our gut is essential, and others beneficial in the right quantity.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Well-Known Member
Thank you for providing this advice! I will definitely take these steps moving forward... *shivers*
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
The only bug issue I've had are those nasty roaches in the Magic Kingdom. Don't look down while you are waiting for Wishes!
bethymouse
Well-Known Member
Had a roach or two once on a balcony when we stayed at Myrtle Beach.
Never had a problem at Disney-Thank God!
@LowesChevy Wow! I am surprised that happened at BLT!
Never had a problem at Disney-Thank God!
@LowesChevy Wow! I am surprised that happened at BLT!
s&k'smom
Well-Known Member
Duke is right, a simple few moments of checking behind the bed board and the seems in the mattress will help. Bedbugs are brought in by someone not by the cleanliness of the hotel. So they are an equal opportunity pest. I work in a hotel so by force of habit when I go into a hotel I check.
JoeRohdesEarring
Well-Known Member
Having read this thread before bed last night, I definitely felt phantom crawling all over my skin before falling asleep. Yikes.
If I may expand on your suggestion, we use a website called bedbugregistry.com and while we have changed accommodations based on their results, we have never had problems at WDW.