http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2010/12/29/january-18-bed-bug-panel-at-the-museum-of-the-city-of-new-york/
http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2010/12/27/google-a-bedbug-today.html
http://www.forbes.com/2010/12/22/worst-cities-bed-bugs-real-estate-personal-finance.html?boxes=Homepagechannels

TOP 5 INEXPENSIVE TRAVEL ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR HEALTH

How many times have you wanted to kick yourself for forgetting the most simplest of travel items or of not thinking of using something you use everyday to solve a problem. Here are a few of my favorites in the health category.

It’s the simple things in life. We spend so much on time and money on vacations that sometimes we lose sight of the purpose of our travel or the accessories we need to help us stay healthy. These simple items can greatly improve your chances of not having your vacation ruined by something you can catch or be bitten by.

BLEACH WIPES : At about 8 cents a wipe, these handy little wonders will kill most viruses, bacteria and even insect eggs. Use them for wiping down whatever you might want to touch, handles, tv remotes, counter tops etc.

IMUNO BOOSTER : I know of only one product which has been proven to help prevent and cut the duration of colds, it’s called Cold/FX. This highly purified extract comes from north american ginseng. It’s great to start taking these a week before traveling and then during, to lessens your chances of catching something or getting you back on your feet faster. A bit pricey, about 35 cents per 200mg capsule at my favorite big box store.

TRAVEL SHEET: Nothing can impact your vacation like poor or dirty bedding. Haven’t you pulled back the filthy bedspread on numerous hotel beds to find questionable sheets. They look clean but there’s a hair or something that just doesn’t sit right, not enough to go through the hassle of changing rooms even if there are available rooms. A great travelsheet is wonderful thing. It’s easy to pack, easy to use and the really great ones are a snap to wash. I use a 100% cotton Allersac, it’s zippered and made of the same 400 thread count sateen that I use at home on my bed I use it no matter how much I pay for the room and between the bed bugs and the bleach, I just sleep better knowing my face is planted on sheets that I washed. The most expensive item on the list at about 50 bucks. But, because you can own one for years, it evens out.

ZIPLOCK BAGS : Think about this, the tv remote is the dirtiest thing in the room. Bed bugs can stowaway in or on any of your belongings. The person who washes the bathroom will touch your cosmetics, toothbrush, brush etc. when cleaning the bathroom. 
  To combat all these possibilities...ziplock bags of varying sizes. Pennies a bag.

HAND SANITIZER : Duh ! Although there have been a few studies which show that, on the whole, hand sanitizers do not cut the incidence of sickness as well as just plain soap and water but in a pinch, they’re great. $1 - $2.00 for an 8oz. bottle.

HONORABLE MENTION : For the slightly paranoid, painters tape. Wrap around  the legs of the bed and/or around the headboard after inspecting the mattress and headboard. Anything that crawls over the tape will stick. Take that, bed bugs. About $3 - $4.00 for a 60 yard roll.





How Does A Sleep Sack / Travel Sheet Protect You From Bed Bugs And Scabies

Travelsheets and Sleep Sacks have been around for about twenty years. First invented to protect the inside of sleeping bags, they became popular with backpackers to use in hostels. While the backpacker type is typically made of silk because it is lightweight and dries very quickly, the high incidence of unclean hotel and motel bedding along with the bed bug epidemic has seen an evolution in construction to include synthetics and cottons.

Bed bugs have always been present in third world countries but in the last 10 years have spread throughout the western world and are now found practically everywhere. A Sleep Sack / Travel Sheet will prevent bed bugs from entering through the fabric as they are just too large to pass in between the fibers. Most Travelsheets are closed at the bottom and one side, leaving the other side open or attached by cloth ties or velcro. The top is always open for your head. The best Sleep Sacks are zippered, allowing easy entry and exit while providing the best possible coverage.

Bed bugs are attracted to their food ( you ), by sensing carbon dioxide from your breath and your body heat. Because the Travelsheet must have the top end open, it cannot be 100 % guaranteed to prevent bites, but by using a Sleep Sack you are limiting the access bed bugs have to your body. Biting through a high quality Travel Sheet is highly doubtful. The parts of a bed bug, the hemipteran piercing-sucking mouthparts, that actual gets inserted into your body is miniscule, less than a millimeter. The chance of a bed bug getting it’s mouth part through the fabric and deep enough into you to feed is improbable. 

Make sure any Travelsheet / Sleep Sack you use is washable in hot water and that you can put it through a high heat drying cycle in your dryer. High heat is the only reliable way to kill bed bugs and especially their eggs.

Scabies, a parasite that burrows into your skin and lays eggs is much more insidious. Scabies cannot be seen by the naked eye. They are responsible for extremely itchy skin conditions and even disfiguration and scars. Scabies are most prevalent in long term care facilities for the aged , hospitals and even daycare centers as they are highly contagious and are spread mostly by skin to skin contact. But they are easily caught from shared towels and bedding or clothing. Scabies are becoming a problem in hotels due to the lack of proper laundering. A Travelsheet with a tight weave will prevent scabies from contacting your skin and because they are much smaller than bed bugs and are not as mobile, all you need is a barrier between the infested surface and your skin. Even though an adult scabies mite is only 3 millimeters in size, it’s still way too large to pass through a high quality cotton.

Any Travel Sheet / Sleep sack company should be able to supply you with the pore size of their products. Look for a Travelsheet with a pore size of about 10 microns, this will be sufficient to block bed bugs, scabies, dust mite allergens and dog dander.