Watch CBS News

Bradley Jay: 'Fear The Bedbug!'

My name is Bradley Jay and I host the Jay Talking radio show which airs every Sunday evening at 10pm on WBZ NewsRadio 1030. Check out my Facebook page at facebook.com/djbradleyjay

Boston's big moving day is September first. Traffic is slower than Alaskan molasses and commerce suffers, as does the psychological well being of anyone trying to drive through town. This is the day swarms of fresh-faced students descend on Boston, like the Visigoths on Rome, to move into newly rented apartments, bringing with them some faux furniture and buying the rest at a hardware store. This is also the day a mover's truck is likely to shave a couple of inches off the top when it hits an overpass on Storrow Drive.

Incumbent tenants have just left, defenestrating anything they deem unnecessary, including bedbug infested mattresses and clothing. Many new residents find they are now the hosts of briefly abandoned insects and their very extended family. You can never be sure what you are getting when you move into an apartment in Boston.

The same is true when you check into a hotel room. Who knows who was there before you, and whether or not they left you a case of the bedbugs? Who knows how well housekeeping sanitized your temporary sanctuary? Who knows what flora or fauna you will unwittingly interact with go to bed with?

If you happen lose the etymological lottery and bring the little monsters home with you, things can get complicated. You may have to go through your space with a brush to uproot eggs, take apart your bed frame, fill in any cracks, and throw out your mattress and your clothes. It can be more hassle than a divorce. It can be a big deal in terms of time, money, and stress.

I never used to worry about it, but now I do. I have never suffered the bite of the bedbug, and I don't want to, so I spend a few extra bucks to stay in higher end hotels because, whether or not it's true, I feel a high end room is more likely to be bug free.

How about you? Are bedbugs an issue for you when you travel? Do you stay in nicer hotels to avoid the bugs? Do you check for the blighters when you get to the room?

Click play to watch the video and see if I am alone in my concern about bed bugs when traveling, or if this a common concern, and how people deal with it.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.