Bedbugs - Watch out, they bite!

They're itchy, scratchy and nasty and most travelers have to deal with them at some time or another. They are, of course, bedbugs.

Bedbugs have gotten a lot of press recently as numerous hostels in Sydney Australia have been accused of hosting the little critters, especially in illicit and run-down backpackers hostels Sydney owners don't spend the time cleaning.

Bedbugs are nocturnal insects feed on human blood - sleeping during the day and coming out at night to feast on their prey. They are attracted to heat, with shoulders and arms being common targets. The bugs take 5-10 minutes to get their fill. Blood spots on the bed and small bumps on your skin are good indications of bedbugs, as well as orderly rows of bites.

If you should get a bedbug bite, resist the urge to itch and apply anti-itching creams. If you are staying in a hostel, inform the owners and request a change of rooms or possibly stay in other accommodations. Thoroughly launder all your clothes in hot water as you do not want to carry the bugs with you.

Check for bedbugs by looking at cracks in furniture, wallpaper, bedding and other surfaces. Upon your return home, make sure to thoroughly inspect any luggage. The best way to prevent bedbug bites is to stay in clean accommodations. However, this is not always an indicator that the room in bug free.

Bedbugs are not known to carry blood borne diseases from one human to another.

Article added on October 17, 2005

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