If you live in New York or New Jersey, you have likely heard about the unfortunate bed bug infestation problems that have been popping up in upscale retail establishments in Manhattan lately. Abercrombie & Fitch Co closed a store in the South Street Seaport and on Fifth Avenue because of bed bug infestations.  Preppy teen clothing store Hollister was hit and had to shut their doors due to an infestation.  Just this past week, Victoria’s Secret discovered that they too had bed bugs at one of their New York City locations.

Each of the stores treated their respected bed bug infestations in different ways; but it makes you wonder if it is safe to shop at any store because of the potential of bringing bed bugs home.  As a great customer service gesture, Hollister offered bed bug sniffing dog services to their customers.  Most people checked out fine, but some Hollister customers did indeed test positive for bed bug infestations.

Some pest control experts have gone on the record and said that the stores in question have reopened too quickly and that customers are still at risk of bringing home the creepy blood suckers.  Bed bugs are difficult to eradicate in a building, and the infestation could still be looming, despite the fact that the merchandise in question was removed and gas fumigation was used on the clothing.  It should be noted that Victoria’s Secret decided to destroy all of their affected merchandise rather than put it through the fumigation process.

People used to just be concerned about bed bugs when they travel to hotels and motels because bed bugs are known to be problematic occurrences.  These recent retail bed bug incidents make you worried to shop, as it brings to light the fact that bed bugs could be anywhere at any moment in time.  If you think you have encountered bed bugs in New York or New Jersey, contact a bed bug expert today!

In continuation from Wednesday…

Horrified, the hotel’s executive manager asked if I was there to investigate the hotel for a story.  I told no, that in fact I was in town for the singing convention.  I did tell her that I found something terrible in my hotel room that needed addressed immediately.  I then opened up the folded cardboard that I was carrying and explained to her that they were Cimex Lectularius, otherwise known as bed bugs!  I told her that I would require a new room; far away from the room I had been assigned.  I also asked if my new room could be sprayed for bed bugs since I knew that that hotel had an infestation problem.  The executive manager quickly agreed to my request and assigned me a fabulous suite far away from the bed bug nightmare in room 2112…hopefully!

I was assured that pest control would be called immediately and that the room, along with the rooms on either side of 2112, would be in quarantine while the “situation” was being handled. I did ask the hotel if they ever used a bed bug sniffing dog at their establishment.  I explained how dogs are far more accurate at finding infestations than humans are.  She said that their pest control company employs a beagle.

I arrived at my new suite and spent the next hour inspecting for bed bugs.  This room appeared to be in the clear, but as long as pest control was paying a visit, I would sleep better knowing that my new room was treated for bed bugs too!

Upon inspecting my new room, I did find something under the head board that I was not anticipating seeing…a mouse trap!  When I left the hotel later that day to head over to the convention, I asked the executive manager if they were having a mice infestation problem.  She looked terrified as she asked if my new room had a mouse in it.  I then asked if it was customary to leave mice traps in the guest rooms.  She of course said “no” and hung her head in disgust…first bed bugs and now a mouse trap!  When I arrived back at my suite, the mouse trap was removed.  Left on the granite bar was a huge gift bag filled with scrumptious chocolates, candy, drinks, delicious snacks, and a note of apology for the “incident in room 2112”.

Stay tuned for more bed bug adventures in Philadelphia! There’s more than just one hotel in Philadelphia with bed bugs!

Continuing from Monday…

I took note of the fact that the hotel did not use a Climbup Insect Interceptor or a Mattress Encasement, both of which could help protect customers from bed bugs.

It was then time to tackle the bed.  It was a beautiful pillow top bed, covered in a white goose down comforter and white sheets.  I flipped all of the bedding to the center of the bed and began my inspection.  I quickly realized that I was in trouble…there was a suspicious pile of black pepper like debris sandwiched in between the pillow top layers near the foot of the bed.

Despite what I saw, and all that I know about bed bugs, I was in denial about the fact that I was likely looking at a pile of bed bug excrement.  I took a piece of cardboard advertisement from the room and folded it up like a box and began to gather the pieces of my find with tweezers.  Still in denial, I tried to convince myself that what I was picking up was some sort of crumbs…only how could they have gotten under the sheet in between the pillow top?  Logic prevailed and I continued my search in hopes of finding an actual bed bug to confront the hotel management with.  It did not take long for me to unearth several bed bugs, in several different stages of their life cycle.  The bugs clearly had a face and legs.  One was dead, several were alive.  I folded up my evidence, gathered my belongings, and quickly exited the once pristine room.

On the way to the lobby a nice lady in a suit entered the elevator.  She asked me if I was leaving the hotel.  I said “no, I just arrived”.  Just then the doors opened and more people boarded the elevator.  She looked at me with a confused look and asked “Is there a problem with your room?” I told her “Yes, but you might want to speak to me in private.”  We silently rode to the bottom and she asked if I could follow her to a private location.  It was then that I told her that I worked in the pest control industry.  I also told her that I am a writer.

Please check back on Friday for the conclusion.

Despite being in the pest control industry and knowing all that I know about bed bugs; I have never actually encountered bed bugs in any of my traveling endeavors.  I must admit though, that I am extremely cautious and somewhat paranoid about bringing these blood sucking parasites home with me.  To continue on with my bed bug vacation adventure in the great city of Philadelphia…

Upon checking into my 5 star hotel room, I asked the reservation staff member point blank “Do you have bed bugs at this hotel?”  She looked me square in the eye and stated a resounding “No, we do not!”  Concierge was soon called to pick up my luggage and we headed up to what would be my new home for the next week.  Upon arriving in the room, the concierge began to take my luggage off his cart and place it on the luggage rack.  I quickly asked him to put it in the bathtub instead.  He of course thought I was completely nuts!

Here’s a travel tip for you…bed bugs have a difficult time walking on slick surfaces, so it is highly unlikely that they will be found in the bathtub.  When you arrive in your hotel room, put your luggage in the bathtub while you inspect the entire room for bed bugs!

After the concierge man left, I began my task of tearing apart the room looking for bed bugs.  I first removed all of the dresser drawers and looked carefully at the undersides and in the cracks for bed bugs, their skins, blood stains, or any excrement.  All clear!  I used my flashlight to check the entire perimeter of the room’s baseboards and wallpaper looking for the same tale-tell evidence.  All clear!  I banged on the phone, clock/Ipod docking station several times to see if bed bugs would drop out.  All clear!  I checked the curtains, luggage rack, and closet.  All clear!

Please check back on Wednesday.

In continuation from Wednesday…

Everything was going along quite nicely in my conversation with the staff member, so I decided to ask the dreaded question…”Do you have a bed bug infestation problem at your hotel?”  I really did not expect her to say, “well, yes Mrs. ‘C’ we do have bed bugs, come on down!”  As always, I was curious to see what her reaction to my question would be.  As is usually the case, she did not disappoint!  This kind woman spent five minutes telling me that they don’t have bed bugs because they are a very clean establishment and that they change their sheets and towels every day.  She said that they pride themselves on keeping the room dust free and clean the windows…and other nonsense that had nothing to do with a bed bug infestation.  So after she rambled on a bit, I politely told her that having bed bugs had nothing to do with being cleanly.  I told her that bed bugs were a blood sucking parasite that could be found in flea bag motels and 5 star hotels.  I then asked her if the cleaning staff was trained to look for bed bugs each time they cleaned the guest rooms.  After a long pause, she said “Mrs. C”, why exactly do they call them bed bugs; do they live in the bed?”  It was then that I knew I was in trouble.

I then spent the next 15 minutes educating the reservation staff member about bed bugs.  She was very thankful for the information that I gave her once I was done.  The last thing she asked me was “is it wrong for me to be itching right now?”  I responded by telling her “nope, bed bugs do that to a person!”  So beware; if you are traveling, your hotel staff might not even know what bed bugs are.  It’s up to you to ask the right questions and look for bed bugs yourself because you cannot be guaranteed that the staff has received the education they should have been given.

Stay tuned for more Vacation Follies.  Bed bugs are in Philadelphia, not just New York City!  It was a bed bug filled adventure!