# What do I do about bedbugs?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-about-bedbugs/446757>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 24, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-about-bedbugs/446757 "2008-04-24T22:54:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-about-bedbugs/446757/21 "2008-04-30T02:01:04Z")

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Threw out suitcase.

Clothing went straight into laundromat. Hot water wash, blisteringly LOOOONG time in hot high heat dryers.

Bites were single bites, not a line of several which is apparently common with bedbugs. Not sure that is what bit him now.

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**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-about-bedbugs/446757/22 "2008-04-30T16:11:11Z")

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Bedbugs are easy to tell, they make a little line of bites that don’t feel like much.

I’ve been bit by plenty of bedbugs, and have never brought them home. In the future, it’s a good idea to bring a hostel sheet (silk ones are easy to carry and positively luxerious) even when traveling to okay places.

Anyway, there are all kinds of sketchy things that can bite you. I’ve got what I think is some bizarre spider bite festering on my neck. Wash your clothes in hot water and air out your mattress in the sun regularly and you should be fine.

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**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-about-bedbugs/446757/23 "2008-04-30T16:43:16Z")

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Traditionally, we are admonished to sleep tight and not let them bite. So much for tradition.

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**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-about-bedbugs/446757/24 "2008-04-30T18:36:10Z")

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[QUOTE=Wallet]  
Do any of your son’s possessions have any sentimental or extreme monetary value? I vote for bagging and tossing _everything_.  
[/QUOTE]

I would have to agree. Throw everything away. It’s the only way to be sure.

It might be pricey, but add the cost and inconvenience of an infestation and exterminator up, and you might not mind buying some new clothes and luggage.

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