Listen, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are a things you
all need to know about bedbugs, and you are not going to like what I am
about to tell you.

First thing is first, it is an indisputable fact, that no pesticide of
any type can kill bedbugs. Please do not let exterminators, etc tell
you otherwise (they just want the paycheck) Only heat will kill them.
Only a home treated with heat raised to a specific temperature by a
professional can completely kill all bedbugs, larvae, and eggs. The
bedbug problem across the nation has been on the news and in several
stories on the Discovery channels. Some may not know about it yet as
its only at an epidemic level in 15 states so far. It is huge news
because this new generation of bugs is completely unresponsive to
chemicals. It has everyone baffled and running around in a frenzy.
There are now specialists in bedbug extermination who have special
machines that can raise the temperature of the home (in every crevice)
high and safely enough to kill bed bugs.

This is FAST becoming a hideous problem in the states. So much so there
is an official bed bug registry online that you should always check
right before checking into a hotel/motel. Personally I'm wigged out
because it just hit our city this summer. There is a sickening case
where an apt complex is infested and has been infested for a couple
months now. The tenants, shown on TV, have so many bites they have
SCARS from it. It got out of hand because the landlord has been
ignorant in kept trying to use typical exterminators to kill them off.
It doesn't work. So of course the tenants had to finally turn to the
news to get anything done.

There are special precautions that experts are telling ALL citizens to
take now when they travel. One is to check the online national bedbug
registry. Two is there are certain ways you should check your room.
There are signs to look for that would indicate if there are bedbugs in
the room. Under NO circumstances should you stay somewhere if you think
there may be bugs. Get your money back, leave, and report it to the
online registry. When you do stay somewhere safe, they are asking us to
please not take any clothes out of your suitcases. And even further, to
please put all suitcases in the bathtub. Further, after you get home,
they suggest sticking your suitcases out in the heat (during warm
weather) for a few hours or longer to kill anything that could have
hitched a ride. Lastly they tell you to stick all clothes in a dryer
on high for a specific amount of time when you get home.

Yes its "that" bad right now. And they say if we listen and practice
everything they are saying to do when we travel, we could possibly
avert this problem from spreading further. I never thought about it
affecting ferrets or about them biting them. Wow. ::shiver::

Wolfy
::itch itch itch::

[Posted in FML 7194]