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It Came From Behind the Headboard | |
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COOL TRAVEL MAIL'S
TRAVEL TIPS
Tips & Advice for the Seasoned and Armchair Traveler Alike!
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http://www.CoolTravelMail.com
March 18, 2008
We use a lot of silly, traditional rhymes with our kids
without ever thinking about their historical origins,
which are often very dark and - if you think about it -
very inappropriate for nightmare-prone youngsters.
Would we really singsong "ring around the rosies, a
pocketful of posies" if we consciously thought it was
referring to the great plague that swept across London
in the 1600s and the flowers used to dull the stink of
rotting corpses?
And would we really recount the tale of Jack and Jill's
ill-fated trip up the hill is we realized it was a
reference to the beheadings of France's King Louis XVI
and Marie Antoinette?
So what does all this have to do with travel tips?
How about the goodnight rhyme, 'Sleep tight, don't let
the bedbugs bite'?
This week's topics include:
* BEDBUGS: MORE THAN JUST A NURSERY RHYME
* NIGHT OF THE ICKY, BLOODSUCKING CREEPY CRAWLER
* IT CAME FROM BEHIND THE HEADBOARD
P.S. If you're interested you can now post comments on this
and recent issues on our forum at... Travel Tips Forum
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BEDBUGS: MORE THAN JUST A NURSERY RHYME
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Bedbugs, in the minds of most western travelers, are a
concern that went away about the time that straw mattresses
disappeared and lodging houses stopped putting multiple
guests in the same bed.
But these apple seed-sized vampires never really went
away.
Although they were virtually eradicated in America and
most of western Europe for most of the 20th century, the
bloodthirsty bugs were active all along in less developed
parts of Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
And in recent years, they've made a big comeback,
surprising guests both motel chains and five-star hotels
in America, Europe and Australia.
The Orkin Pest Control company says that after 50 years
more or less without them, it's now treated bed bugs in
all but three states. And, according to the National
Pest Management Association, bed bug complaints have
increased 50-fold over the last five years. They've
popped up in apartments, mansions or dormitories in
nearly every corner of the country.
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NIGHT OF THE ICKY, BLOODSUCKING CREEPY CRAWLER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So just what are bed bugs, anyway?
Basically, they are skittering, six-legged, brown, flat,
teardrop-shaped monsters about a 1/4 inch long. They search
for blood vessels beneath your skin, inject you with
natural anesthesia so you don't wake up, and drill into
your circulatory system.
They drink their fill, which swells them to about 3/8 of
an inch long - essentially giving them a "blood belly" -
and turn a dark red color. Then they waddle off into a
dark crevice to digest their meal for a few days. Or
weeks. Or months. These insects, engineered for survival,
can go for as long as a year without food.
The tell-tale signs are very itchy red marks, often in a
straight line that follows a blood stream. Victims have
different sensitivity to bed bug saliva. Some may blow up
with huge, miserable welts, others will show no signs of
attack at all.
It's tough to spot the wingless critters. They can slip
into cracks you can't even see, and their eggs are so
very small and translucent that they're virtually
invisible against a white sheet.
But there is some good news. Unlike mosquitoes and some
other plasma-thirsty pests, bed bugs are not known to
carry or transmit any diseases.
Still, that's little help in getting a good night's sleep
when all you can think about is being trapped in some
bizarre 'Fear Factor' episode where thousands of mite-
sized, biting animals are allowed to use your slumbering
body as an all-night buffet.
So, here are some tips, many of which I got from MSNBC
in articles related to the 'Dateline' bed bug segment.
* Before booking a hotel room, read user reviews of the
particular hotel and location. Frequently, guests who've
had bug problems report them online.
Bear in mind that a report about one hotel does not mean
the issue wasn't isolated to one room, or that hotel
management hasn't since exterminated.
A great place to start is the search page at
TripAdvisor.com. Click on http://www.tripadvisor.com/Search
and plug in your hotel for user reviews that could give you
a lead on possible infestation problems.
To get an idea of how widespread a problem it is, try
searching for "bed bugs" on the site. When I did that
this week, I got 250 results in the Website's traveler
review section and 198 results in the traveler forum.
Another place to check is HotelChatter.com.
(http://www.hotelchatter.com). A bed bug search there
turns up tons of comments and harrowing tales of bed bug
attacks.
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IT CAME FROM BEHIND THE HEADBOARD
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* Peel back the bed sheets and check the mattress, running
your fingers along the upper and lower seams. Make sure to
check the mattress tag, bed bugs often hide there.
* Experts recommend removing and examining the headboard
if possible. Believe it or not, most slide off really
easily. This is a key place to check because it's the one
spot that remains undisturbed when the housekeeper makes
the bed.
* Check for tiny black spots (excrement) that are smaller
than poppy seeds. You may also see translucent light brown
skins or, in the case of an infestation— live bugs.
* Check the bedside table. Look for signs of bed bugs in
the drawers and along the wall on the side of the bed that
is less likely to be disturbed by cleaning staff and
guests. You may want to elevate suitcases and keep them
off the floor, like on a luggage stand.
* If you see powder in the drawers or on the headboard,
it is likely that the room has already been treated for
bed bugs by an exterminator.
* If bed bugs are detected, travelers should request for
another room. Be sure to inform hotel management.
* Just moving to a different room may not be the total
answer. You should repeat the thorough inspection of any
new or different room you are offered.
* When you pack to leave, inspect your luggage carefully
first, and inspect every item as you pack to help detect
any bugs or their signs.
* Laundering most cloth items with typical hot water and
detergent followed by drying on low heat for at least 20
minutes should kill all bed bugs in or on such items.
* Sealing freshly-laundered items inside a plastic bag
should help keep any more bed bugs from getting in those
items later to hide and be carried back home with you.
Well, that's it for this week, group. Thanks again for
reading, and please keep those comments, complaints and
questions coming in.
You can send me an e-mail message at: Email Pierce
Until next week, thanks for reading.
Your Tipmeister,
Pierce
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