Institute for Clinical Pathology & Medical Research; Reuters January 19, 2010

Avoiding bedbugs:

- Inspect hotel or hostel rooms for bedbugs or their signs when travelling.

- Inspect luggage and clothes before returning home. If you suspect bedbugs, keep your luggage and clothing in a sealed plastic container until it can be washed.

- Vacuum regularly, especially around the bed.

- Consider using a sealed plastic mattress cover (available at most department stores).

- Do not pick up secondhand furniture, especially beds, from the curb. If you buy secondhand furniture, inspect it carefully.

How to detect bedbugs:

- Inspect mattresses and box springs, especially around seams and corners.

- Look for blood spots on sheets, small black smears (droppings), or shed bug skins.

- Bedbugs are most active about an hour before dawn. To see them, keep a flashlight in easy reach of your bed. Don't move too much, as that will startle the bugs, but shine the light along mattress seams and baseboards.

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