Bed bug paranoia

[ButtercupsBluebellsHellebores]

All the news and threads about bed bugs has made me a bit anxious. I have always been quite careful when travelling, after reading an article about them a few years ago. But I'm starting to worry about where I put my bag whilst out and about, I'm worried that the DC might bring them home from school, and I don't fancy a trip to the cinema ever again!

I know this all sounds a bit hysterical, but I can't imagine how stressful it must be to deal with these bugs! Has anyone else been feeling like this?

Never crossed my mind Before but now I'm going to France in half term staying in several places I'm worried yes.

Me too! I travel a lot for work, stay in a lot of hotels and I've never thought about it before but now I'm really anxious about bringing them home.

I'd like to know if it's being over-hyped or not.

Even the Guardian (crap paper but not a sensationalist tabloid) has had multiple reports about these bloody bugs.

Here's today's:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/07/france-closes-seven-schools-over-bedbug-infestations

I’ve been thinking the same. Worried about bringing them home and infesting my own house 🤢😭

Apprently take huge bin bags, keep suitcases in bin bags and dirty washing in sealed bags, freeze at home or put in dryer at home before boil wash, keep everything outside wash humans etc.

If it helps at all I don’t think it’s actually that easy to bring them back from somewhere - I stayed in a bed bug infested room overseas once (you will definitely know, the bites are the itchiest thing I’ve ever experienced) but they certainly didn’t come with us anywhere, it was just getting bitten that one night.

The thing is, even if it's not being over-hyped, even a tiny chance of catching them is enough for me 😫

My relative has just brought them back from a holiday abroad, it's horrible.

Don't sweat it buttercups, seriously, like goldfish41 I've stayed in bug infested hostels, and whilst I've been bitten, they didn't continue on my travels with me...now stepping on cockroaches 🪳 at 4am with them crunching underfoot, that's a whole other ballgame, and made me much more 'urgh' than bedbugs, especially when one hitchhiked in my rucksack...although they are kinda cool with their hugely long antennae!