Where do you put your jacket/belongings if you must visit an infested suite?

My usual advice is do not visit people who have bed bugs. Rather invite your friend for coffee in a public place. But there are times when you can not avoid going to an infested apartment. What do you do with your jacket, shoes, purse, laptop, etc.?

When visiting a home with bed bugs always avoid sitting on the most comfortable chairs and couches. Pick a hardest (most uncomfortable) chair as this piece of furniture is least likely to be used by your host. A chair that is not used very often is less likely to have bugs. Then move the chair away from any couch, bed, easy chair or any other comfortable spot. The more distance you put between yourself and any popular piece of furniture the better.

Keep your purse, jacket, and any other item you brought with you far away from sleeping surfaces or comfortable chairs. Perhaps hang your jacket up over the back of your uncomfortable chair. When I treat suites in winter I hang my jacket on a hallway closet door knob or even on the fire extinguisher box in the public hallway. I used to open a kitchen cabinet door and hang my jacket on the open door but the recent explosion of cockroaches has forced me to reconsider that option. My basic rule of thumb is to put my stuff in odd locations that your host would seldom use and far away from potential bed bug harbourages. Sometimes you have to be creative when picking that spot. If all else fails try the bathtub though I have found live bed bugs in the tub on occasion.

I follow the same protocols in public areas as well. If I go to a movie theatre I pick the unpopular seats at the bottom – less likely to have bugs. Or if I go to the library I never sit on the soft couches. Pick the worst chair in the place.

To minimize risks entirely you can bring a bag of clean clothing with you and change into the clean clothes just before you exit the suite. Put the clothing you were wearing in the bag and launder when you get home. It is important that you perform this operation before you enter your car.

Some people have suggested that shaking your body and stomping your feet will dislodge the bugs. They are mistaken as bed bugs can cling to cloth tenaciously . If you think you have bugs on you you must change your clothing.

Previous Post

Air movement and bed bugs

Next Post

An Attempt to Prevent Bed Bug Spread by Sealing an Apartment Block