Gonna' Make You Itch: Bed Bugs {YAK}

With BlogHer '12 right around the corner, some bloggers are thinking back to the last time the blogging conference of the year was in NYC. They are reliving the good times: where they ate, who they met, what they did. And trying not to remember the bad parts...like the bed bugs. 

The last time BlogHer was in New York City the bed bug epidemic was OUT OF CONTROL. Tons of people got infected with the little creatures while in the City, and unfortunately, brought a few home with them. 

The slightest mention of things like scabies, head lice and bed bugs sends me into a itchy panic attack. Just writing that sentence has me skeeved out. 

If just a single pregnant bed bug is left in your untreated home, four months later you’ll have 9,600 of them.  At the five month mark you’ll have 31,500

Right about now you are thinking "Beth? Why are you even talking about this? I came here for shoe and/or wine advice!" Well, bet you didn't know that I'm also a proud #LloydMom of San Diego. Earlier this year, Lloyd Pest Control reached out to a handful of local San Diego bloggers to help them be a positive voice for pest control. See, no one really wants to talk about bugs, but we ALL have them. It doesn't mean you're dirty or can't keep a clean house, it's because you LIVE ON THE EARTH. Plain and simple. Pests like bedbugs are a fact of life and as moms we have questions about safety and how to keep those little buggers out of house and away from our families. 

Recently Lloyd's Pest Control did a post about bed bugs and as a #LloydMom I felt I should help share the information to all us traveling mamas travelling this summer. 

FIRST:

Thoroughly inspect the entire hotel room before unpacking and settling in, including behind the headboard and around the bottom of other furniture.

Pull back the hotel bed sheets and inspect the mattress seams, particularly the corners, for telltale spots or stains.

If any bed bugs are spotted, notify management and change rooms immediately. Be sure your new room is not adjacent to the possibly infested room.

While staying in a hotel, Lloyd's Pest Control recommends using a large plastic trash bag or a protective cover to store your luggage during your stay. So unpack completely, then protect your luggage. 

On the Home Front:

When you return home, inspect and vacuum your suitcases thoroughly before bringing them into the house. Consider using a garment hand steamer to steam your luggage, which will kill any bed bugs. Wash all your clothes – even the items not worn – in hot water or take immediately to the cleaners. 

And if you do bring them home - call for professional help. I learned that during the great Avant-Household Lice Epidemic of 2011. Some things you can do on your own, others you need a professional to do for you. 

So safe travels and here's to NO BED BUGS!

*disclosure: this post is part of my #LloydMoms ambassador program. 

Using Technology to it's FULL Advantage

We took a family trip to the grocery store tonight. Apparently we drank too much wine water at dinner and thought that it would be a fun, family outing. I guess Jason just really didn't want to be left home alone with the two kids.

As soon as we get there, Lucas announces that he has to go potty. Jason takes him while I start the coupon scavenger hunt in a desperate attempt to save a few bucks ($43 tonight - not too shabby! Or as I like to call the savings, "mommy's new shoes"). About 5 minutes later as I'm figuring out which soda's to purchase in the "buy 2 get 2 free" deal (pepsi max - ginseng AND caffeine! Diet Dr Pepper, Diet Sierra Mist for my 2 point margaritas, and light lemonade. We are actually a "Coke" household, so it was a harder choice with the Pepsi products), I get an IM on my blackberry. It's from Jason.

"Dude, this kid takes the biggest shits.."

"Here, let me take a picture and send it to you..."

I immediately replied back:

"NO! Don't! Please, don't teach him that! He'll be wanting us to take pics of all his poops now!"

See, it was nothing that my dear husband was going to take a picture of SHIT and MMS it to me, I just didn't want him to do it in front of the impressionable 4 year old.

Attack of the Potato Bugs

Last week on our way out the door, Lucas and I went out back to feed Mick when Lucas exclaimed "MOMMY! LOOK! An 'ant-bee'!"

Not being able to really see what he was looking at, I just said, "Well, don't touch it!" and continued on my morning chores. Then I turned around. And right there, blocking the door to the laundry room was the biggest, nastiest, most horrific bug I have personally ever encountered.

WHAT THE F&$K?!

Trying to remain calm in front of Lucas, I kicked it aside and we left the house. From the car I called Jason and told him he must come home immediately and deal with it. I don't think he believed the nastiness of the situation, so I took pictures to email and horrify him with.

See, I'm not sure who's the bigger bug weenie in the house, Jason or I. If we ever walked into our bedroom and a big black spider was perched on our bed, we would grab Lucas and the dog and spend the night at a hotel. Really. You think I jest?

I then became obsessed with figuring out what the hell that bug was, and would it eat through the screen door to get inside to gnaw on my leg or climb inside my ear. See, when I was a child I had an unfortunate accident with a moth who thought a great place to fly into would be MY EAR. The sound of the flapping wings on my eardrum is something that will haunt me until my DYING DAY.

In my search of namethatbug.com and bugothemonth.com, I came across a reference to a beetley looking thing with stripes like a bee - a Potato Bug, or formally known as a Jerusalem cricket. Whatever it is, I am just happy that it was not the alien from Mars I was fearing that it may be but still a tad bit horrified that they like crawl into your shoes and DIE. The mental image of slipping on a shoe, feeling a wiggly crunch, pulling back your foot and having THAT slide out of your shoe is enough to make me only wear flip flops for the rest of my life. And it would be totally justified too. Can't you see being at work, your boss comes over and explains yet again the company's footwear decorum,  to which you pull up a picture of this lovely little creature and tell the story of the time one was half dead and stuck in between your toes? Crap, it may be enough to change company dress code. And if not, you could always bombard said Boss with this eCard every 10 minutes until they truly understand the horror of this bug.

So back to the bug.

I managed to push it out the gate and onto the open driveway. I then left for Yoga. Upon my return the monstrosity was GONE. Vanished. Disappeared. That initially freaked me out until Jason pointed out that a bird probably swooped down to gobble it up and even if that's not the case, that's what I'm telling myself.

Unfortunately, since this dreaded day last week, two more of these creatures have showed up at our house. One, my friend Kelly had to dispose of (I pulled the pregnancy card on that one..really, I thought I may puke from the crunching sound it was making as I was trying to scoop it into a bucket to throw outside the gate.) and there is also currently a dead one that Lucas pointed out lodged between my washer and dryer. Guess what? I'm on a laundry strike until Jason gets rid of that one.

Oh, and yeah. The bug man with the very harmful chemicals is coming next week to hopefully ensure that we never see one again.