I spent a couple of days at a Renaissance hotel (4 star) for a conference in DC. Great accommodations and such, but something is "bugging" me. I woke up after the first night with a couple of what appeared to be some sort of really itchy bug bites on my foot and ankle. Then after the second night a couple of more little welts appeared.

I checked the bed for bed bugs, but didn't see anything (not that I've ever seen a bed bug, so I'm not really sure what to look for). For full disclosure, I spent very little time outside those couple of days, and had on pants and socks so I know they really couldn't be mosquito bites...and they didn't feel quite like mosquito bites usually feel.

I didn't feel like accusing the hotel of having bedbugs when I don't have any proof other than suspicion, but the more I think about it the more I wonder if I should say something. Any advice? Thanks!

Others may offer more practical advice, but I'll simply warn you that if you write you might get a bedbug letter in return.

Cheers,
Fredd

If I were you I would go seek expert advice. From what I have heard they will infest your place of residence. They will be very difficult to get rid of. Most people resort to fumigation. However if you live in a building you should fumigate the apartments on top of, below and to the sides of your apartment as they will go into the crevises and migrate to your neighbours. When they then fumigate they will return. It is very hard to get rid of these pests from what I have heard. And yes, write the hotel and send them copies of your bills.

Good Luck,
SC

Oh great, Shane. Now I'm really not going to sleep well. %$!@#&!!!!!

Think alternative critters. Did you do any walking through grass?

First of all, if you haven't already, throw everything you took with you (clotheswise) in the washing machine pronto. If you haven't & the clothes are on the laundry pile, wash everything in the laundry pile & seriously deep clean the area around it. If you can, top that off with some household insecticide & pray for the best.

Did the welts just appear on your lower legs & feet? Probably not bed bugs. The lil critters usually bite you on your upper body. I say usually because I got one on my foot a few weeks ago during my trip to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain. All my other bites were on my upper body. I didn't stop getting bitten until I had washed everything (sleeping bag included) in a washing machine & dried it all in a dryer.

Sorry freckles. Didn't mean to upset you but the faster you deal with it the easier it is to get rid of them (if it is bed bugs).

SC

Are your bites in rows? Like 3-7 in a row?

My suggestion....Lots and lots of hydrocortizone.

I recently read somewhere if you turn out the lights and use a flashlight under the covers, you can actually see the the little critters......

Something to do when you #*&#*$%#@ can not sleep!

SC

I didn't walk through any grass, just across a couple of city sidewalks. Everything I have read here and on other websites tells me that it isn't likely to be bed bugs. I did kill a spider in the hotel bathroom.......these bites are probably spider bites. Still, ick. You don't expect to get peppered with spider bites at a four star hotel.

Fleas will usually live in the carpets and not in the bedding. If the guest before you brought their pet (regardless of whether the Renaissance in DC allows this) and Fluffy had fleas, the fleas could now be in the carpet. Unless the hotel treats the room with flea bombs that fumigate the entire room which kills the fleas, they jump from the carpet to your legs and will bite your legs around the ankle area. Wash everything when you get home in hot water. Contact the hotel and let them know that you are covered in flea bites and not happy.

RIP...

Sounds like Renaissance is having some bug issues lately - I stayed in the Austin Ren and we had crickets in our room every day...
Noisey!

I always check where the sides of the mattress meet and you will usually see theire droppings. If the bumps are in a row that would be indicative of scabies.

For more info, this website is very informative:

http://bedbugger.com/2007/01/20/faq-...dos-and-donts/