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Private jet pilot shares horror bites received while staying in state where it is LEGAL for hotels to have bed bugs

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A corporate pilot suffered up to 80 bites after staying at a hotel in Idaho where it is legal for hotels to have bed bugs.

The pilot identified as Jack C. was staying at the FairBridge Inn & Suites in Idaho Falls on Wednesday night when he woke up and noticed he was covered in red welts from head to toe. 

He took photos and video of the bites and reported it to the front desk but said they 'seemed to be unfazed.' 

When he contacted the health department he was shocked when he learned that the state does not inspect hotels for bedbugs after a complaint is made, East Idaho News reported. 

Jack said he stays in hotels at least eight months out of the year, and said in his 10 plus years he has been flying, he has never come in contact with bed bugs  

Jack C, showed the large swollen red welts on his back after spending a night in the bed bug infested FairBridge Inn & Suites in Idaho Falls

Jack C, showed the large swollen red welts on his back after spending a night in the bed bug infested FairBridge Inn & Suites in Idaho Falls

He took photos and videos of the bites that were all over his body

He took photos and videos of the bites that were all over his body

Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed. They are long and brown with a flat, oval shaped body.  Young bed bugs, also called nymphs, are more translucent and whitish-yellow in color, the EPA website states.

The most common bed bug, known as cimex lectularius, feeds on blood, causing itchy bites that irritate the skin. 

'The scary thing is that it spreads like that. I check out, throw my bag in the airplane and go to the next destination,' Jack said. 

When DailyMail.com contacted FairBridge Inn & Suites the manager did not respond to a request for comment.   

AJ McWhorter, a spokesman for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, said bed bugs do not carry disease so are not considered a public threat. 

But added, 'They are certainly a concern because they might cause itching and loss of sleep and have a definite 'gross factor.'

McWhorter further stated that local and state public health agencies are not responsible for investigating hotel bedbug reports, despite guest complaints.   

There are 21 states that have laws or regulations regarding bedbugs but Idaho is not one of them, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as per the news outlet.

The lack of regulation in other states may be due to how costly it is to get rid of the pesky critters. 

Rein Wel with Fall Pest Services told the news outlet that bed bugs breed every 10 days - making it difficult to ensure that they are really gone.

'They're hard to get rid of is because people will use over-the-counter self treatment options, which most of the time, that actually makes them worse.

The Fairbridge Inn & Suites in Idaho Falls where Jack C. experienced the bed bug infestation

The Fairbridge Inn & Suites in Idaho Falls where Jack C. experienced the bed bug infestation 

 'It actually pushes them into the walls, where they continue breeding. Once that product is no longer active, they come out full force.'

A colony of bed bugs - its larvae and eggs pictured on a mattress

A colony of bed bugs - its larvae and eggs pictured on a mattress

The blood sucking insects breed very quickly, every 10 days according to Rein Weil with Falls Pest Services in Idaho Falls

The blood sucking insects breed very quickly, every 10 days according to Rein Weil with Falls Pest Services in Idaho Falls 

In 2013, Chicago and Nevada passed an ordinance that requires licensed businesses in the city to be responsible for their own pest control services when a bed bug problem arises.

Hotels in both states are prohibited from renting rooms if there are bed bugs, and must fumigate, disinfect, exterminate.

The Centers for Disease Control states explained that bed bugs are not seen as a 'priority,' and local public health departments have very limited resources to combat the problem.

'Municipal codes struggle to identify those responsible for control of bedbug infestations. Tenants and landlords often dispute who is ultimately responsible for the cost of control and treatment,' the agency reported.

Experts believe the recent increase in bed bugs in the United States may be due to more travel, lack of knowledge about preventing infestations, increased resistance of bed bugs to pesticides, and ineffective pest control practices, as per the EPA's website. 

FACT BOX TITLE

 

Top Ten Tips to Prevent or Control Bed Bugs

1. Make sure you really have bed bugs, not fleas, ticks or other insects.

You can compare your insect to the pictures on our page or show them to your local exterminator 

2. Don't panic!

It can be difficult to eliminate bed bugs, but it’s not impossible. Don’t throw out all of your things - most of them can be treated and saved. Throwing stuff out is expensive, may spread the bed bugs to other people's homes and could cause more stress.

3. Think through your treatment options - Don't immediately reach for the spray can.

Be comprehensive in your approach. Try other things first. Integrated pest management (IPM) techniques may reduce the number of bed bugs and limit your contact with pesticides.

 If pesticides are needed, always follow label directions or hire a professional. There is help available to learn about treatment options. 

4. Reduce the number of hiding places - Clean up the clutter.

A cluttered home provides more places for bed bugs to hide and makes locating and treating them harder. If bed bugs are in your mattress, using special bed bug covers (encasements) on your mattress and box springs makes it harder for bed bugs to get to you while you sleep. 

Leave the encasements on for a year. Be sure to buy a product that has been tested for bed bugs and is strong enough to last for the full year without tearing.

5. Regularly wash and heat-dry your bed sheets, blankets, bedspreads and any clothing that touches the floor.

This reduces the number of bed bugs. Bed bugs and their eggs can hide in laundry containers/hampers Remember to clean them when you do the laundry.

6. Do-it-yourself freezing may not be a reliable method for bed bug control.

While freezing can kill bed bugs, temperatures must remain very low for a long time. Home freezers may not be cold enough to kill bed bugs; always use a thermometer to accurately check the temperature.

Putting things outside in freezing temperatures could kill bed bugs, but there are many factors that can affect the success of this method.

7. Kill bed bugs with heat, but be very careful.

Raising the indoor temperature with the thermostat or space heaters won’t do the job. Special equipment and very high temperatures are necessary for successful heat treatment.

Black plastic bags in the sun might work to kill bed bugs in luggage or small items, if the contents become hot enough. Bed bugs die when their body temperatures reaches 45°C (113°F). 

To kill bed bugs with heat, the room or container must be even hotter to ensure sustained heat reaches the bugs no matter where they are hiding

8. Don’t pass your bed bugs on to others.

Bed bugs are good hitchhikers. If you throw out a mattress or furniture that has bed bugs in it, you should slash or in some way destroy it so that no one else takes it and gets bed bugs.

9. Reduce the number of bed bugs to reduce bites.

Thorough vacuuming can get rid of some of your bed bugs. Carefully vacuum rugs, floors, upholstered furniture, bed frames, under beds, around bed legs, and all cracks and crevices around the room. 

Change the vacuum bag after each use so the bed bugs can’t escape. Place the used bag in a tightly sealed plastic bag and in an outside garbage bin.

10. Turn to the professionals, if needed.

Hiring an experienced, responsible pest control professional can increase your chance of success in getting rid of bed bugs. If you hire an expert, be sure it’s a company with a good reputation and request that it uses an IPM approach. 

Contact your state pesticide agency for guidance about hiring professional pest control companies. Also, EPA's Citizen's Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety provides information about IPM approaches, how to choose a pest control company, safe handling of pesticides, and emergency information.

(Source: EPA) 

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