Tips on avoiding bedbugs at home and on trips

Don't let the bedbugs bite:
• Bed Bug Infestations in an Urban Environment
• EPA's National Bedbug Summitt
• Home and Yard Insect Control
• Control of Bedbugs in Hotel Rooms

Q: I was about to make a hotel reservation when I went online to read travel reviews. One person who had stayed at the hotel referred to the place as a "bedbug castle." Is there any way to know ahead of time if bedbugs are a problem at a facility?

Answer: Bedbugs are becoming such a problem that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in April held a bedbug summit in Washington.

Bedbugs are tiny blood-sucking insects that hide in dark places such as the crevices and seams of mattress binding. When you get in bed, they come out and bite, leaving small, itchy reddish bumps or welts. They are increasingly becoming a problem for the hotel industry, for college dorms, homeless shelters, nursing homes and homeowners who bring home bedbug-infested items from hotel stays.

The Virginia Department of Health does not keep any kind of statewide registry of bedbug infestations, said David Gaines, a public-health scientist who studies bugs.

He said local health departments deal with hotel and motel bedbug problems.

The national summit produced a list of recommendations, including possibly bringing back older, more effective pesticides, stronger integrated pest-management efforts such as what's used to control cockroach infestations, and more research on potential health effects of bedbug bites. As it stands now, bedbugs are considered more a public-health nuisance than a health threat.

You can always call a facility and ask about bedbugs or go to the online travel review sites to see what others report. One site, bedbugregistry.com, collects consumer complaints about bedbug experiences but makes no claims of accuracy.

Virginia Tech entomologists have produced a publication on controlling bat bugs, bedbugs, silverfish and various other pests. Some of the suggestions for bedbug control include:

• Always inspect the mattress in your room for signs of bedbug infestation (bugs or blood speckles in the mattress seams and tufts) before unpacking or sleeping in the bed.

• At home, remove clutter to make the environment less hospitable for bedbugs and easier to treat with insecticides.

• Don't move furniture, clothing, boxes, etc. from an infested location to an uninfested area. It will simply spread the infestation.

Don't bring other people's furniture or belongings into your home unless you know they are bedbug-free.

Contact Tammie Smith at (804) 649-6572 or .