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imsoconfused

Dr.Oz/bedbugs/decorating....be careful!

imsoconfused
14 years ago

I hesitated whether to post this or not, but in the end decided I really needed to because it was an eye opener to me!

I have never watched the new Dr. Oz show but somehow yesterday it was on the tv and the first part of the show was about the bed bug epidemic across the country! They had a "hotel" room set up on the stage and they took apart the room and showed all the places that bed bugs would like to hide. ugh! They said when you go into a hotel room, DON'T put your luggage on the floor, keep it as far away from the bed and near the door as you can. Bedbugs like to hide where it's nice and dark, so they would be on the undersides and backsides of bedframes, nightstands, pictures on the walls even behind a hole in the wallpaper. Talk about being grossed out.

Anyway, I was feeling all educated and smart and THEN...they talked about homes and apartments, and how they get spread that way. They talked about old mattresses or furniture being put out for the trash and people "curbside shopping" which I have done LOTS of in the past! Never in a million years thought to really "check" it out that thoroughly before throwing it in my car...I was too much in a hurry to get it and run before getting seen...lol So please all you curbside shoppers and Craigslist shoppers and garage sale shoppers...start checking your "possible purchases" really thoroughly before you bring them home!

Comments (11)

  • emagineer
    14 years ago

    I saw this too and considered posting. Specifically about all the CL finds. A used mattress would never be part of my wants, but upholstered furniture could be.

    My biggest surprise was every other piece of furniture possibly holding these "guests"....as you mentioned And they didn't really say how to get rid of them. The whole topic churns my insides.

    What about visitors who show up with luggage? Or now a next door neighbor? The story about the guy who passed them on just visiting different people? Is this really that bad? Ugh, tis' more than I wanted to know.

  • dilly_dally
    14 years ago

    "And they didn't really say how to get rid of them."


    Heat.

    These bedbugs that are sweeping the nation are resistant to pesticides and DDT can no longer be used to control them.

    There are services that will tent items or even entire homes and use heat to kill the bedbugs, larvae and eggs.

    It is the upscale hotels that are being hit the hardest by bedbug infestations not the discount hotels. They are more likely to get international travelers and 'frequent travelers'.

    Bedbugs like to hide in seams and crevices so you are just as likely to get them from wood pieces as an upholstered piece.

    They will also move from 'room to room' in dorms, apartments and hotels. They don't travel from 'house to house' like roaches. They can hitch a ride on luggage or anything else you are transporting.

    Bedbugs can live for months without feeding so you can get them in your furniture when you move into a new home, even if it has been vacant for a long time.

  • dilly_dally
    14 years ago

    I just checked the Dr. Oz website and I see that Dr. Oz recommends the Pack Tite to treat shoes and clothing after traveling.

    I know that one recommendation for luggage on may sites is to put them in a closed up car and park it in the sun for a day or two.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Pack Tite

  • Sheeisback_GW
    14 years ago

    Ewwww... thanks for sharing this!

  • pmartin
    14 years ago

    This grossness of bedbugs is really putting a damper on my high of buying used furniture .... especially all the chairs I've been bringing home. Oh gosh, I hope I haven't infested my new house. Going to to do a google search now to see what I pull up! ICK!

  • mjsee
    14 years ago

    It's not that difficult to kill them...if it's summertime. Wrap everything in big ol' black plastic trash bags...let sit in the summer sun for a few hours. No more Bed Bugs.

  • gracie-2006
    14 years ago

    We were just having this conversation at a dinner party- wonderful subject! Anyways I went out and bought pillow covers from BB&B for our pillows. But now we will need one when we get a new mattress. I did not see Dr.Oz on this topic- but think we should all be OK- we have lived with them this long! IMO- there is no way to totally get rid of them in your house unless you invest a bunch of money into coverings, etc. What did he suggest?

  • jlc712
    14 years ago

    YUCK. I can't even stand to think about this. Just talking about bedbugs/lice gives me the creepy crawly feeling.
    I have many things from Craigslist, Ebay and antique stores. I guess I would know by now if there was a problem. I hope.

    Hotels-ick. It makes me never want to leave my home again.

    Can extreme cold kill them?

  • dilly_dally
    14 years ago

    "Can extreme cold kill them?"

    Yes, of course.

    Extreme heat or extreme cold.

    There are services springing up all over that use temperature to kill insect critters. Some come to your place for whole home treatment and some have you bring items to them.

    So many people think that bedbugs became extinct in the 20th century due to zealous pesticide use, but they are on the rebound.

    Research your area. This does not guarantee that you will not rent a place, or buy an item that does not have bedbugs but there are some buildings KNOWN to be infested and I would stay away.

    I was really shocked when I looked at one of the registry sites to see that one of the towers of thee luxury apartment complexes downtown is said to be infested on many floors, along with one listed for an apartment in one of the other towers (which means they are spreading maybe through the on site health club or pool locker room).

    The bedbug problem is HUGE in New York.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Bed Bugs in Your City

  • dilly_dally
    14 years ago

    Also try using Diatomaceous Earth as a preemptive measure.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth

    More bed bug talk here:

    http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/decor/con040851059159.html

    Here is a link that might be useful: More Talk

  • nhb22
    14 years ago

    OK, that's it for me. No more furniture buying off CL for me! Can the bugs hide in wood furniture, or just stuffed furniture? I know that there are wood boring bugs.