One Boston hotel broke out the big guns and bought a bedbug-sniffing dog, the Globe reported on Thursday. The Jurys Boston Hotel frightens the bedbugs with a bark and a bite. Ditto the Omni Parker House. Whenever the dog barks, the hotel goes scorched-earth on the bedbugs' collective ass, fumigates, and burns the mattresses.
The Boston Public Health Commission has some suggestions if you're prole like most of us and can't afford a bedbug-sniffing dog:
How can you prevent bed bugs?Preventing bed bugs can be difficult, especially in homes that have many cracks and crevices, or loose wallpaper. Indirect measures can go a long way in controlling bed bugs: wash bedding and mattress pads, steam-clean mattresses, and clean furnishings. Prevent bed bugs from getting into homes by removing debris from around the house, repairing cracks in walls, and caulking windows and doors. Simple methods include coating the legs of beds with petroleum jelly or double-sided tape so bed bugs will not be able to climb onto the bed. Putting the legs of the bed frame in empty cans or glass jars also help since bed bugs cannot fly and have difficulty climbing vertical surfaces.
The Harvard School of Public Health has more advice on how to avoid bedbugs. The Mayo Clinic advises that travelers should inspect their luggage once they get home so they don't get any unwelcome buggy guests.
Bedbug image from Wikipedia.
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