Althouse: "9 DNC hotels infested with bedbugs."

September 4, 2012

"9 DNC hotels infested with bedbugs."

That's the Drudge tease, linking here.

Of course, my reason for linking is that I love using my favorite tag: insect politics.

28 comments:

tim maguire said...: How many were infested before the delegates got there?; 9/4/12, 9:31 AM
Paulio said...: Waiting around to see Althouse highlight the new Rasmussen poll that shows only Romney +2, where he was plus +4 yesterday. Given her love of Rasmussen is she concerned? Certainly trending in the wrong direction.

I'm being facetious of course, but a 2 point swing based on swapping one day of polling shows the trouble with Rasmussen. You can more or less predict when the big swings are going to come based on when they occurred three days in the past (as this +Romney swing did).; 9/4/12, 9:39 AM
Sorun said...: A plague. Gaia is unhappy with you, Dems.; 9/4/12, 9:40 AM
Anonymous said...: First, the deluge destroyed a very ugly Rainmore.
Second, an infestation of locust's cousins...
What next?

Dana Milbank's god is angry!; 9/4/12, 9:50 AM
Anonymous said...: Bedbugs and rain in the forecast for Charlotte.

Why does God hate Democrats?; 9/4/12, 9:50 AM
edutcher said...: And then there's the rain melting the sand sculpture of Chairman O.

If you were religious, you'd think God was taking sides.

Paulio said...

Waiting around to see Althouse highlight the new Rasmussen poll that shows only Romney +2, where he was plus +4 yesterday. Given her love of Rasmussen is she concerned? Certainly trending in the wrong direction.

I'm being facetious of course, but a 2 point swing based on swapping one day of polling shows the trouble with Rasmussen. You can more or less predict when the big swings are going to come based on when they occurred three days in the past (as this +Romney swing did).

Some of that reflects the long weekend, when Zero always polls better (and, yes, that's Gallup*, too).

* FWIW, Gallup has gone to a 7 day average recently, as opposed to using the same 3 day average Ras has used for several years.

Make of that what you will.

PS Finally, there's the phenomenon of all Obama's campaign stuff marked down by 25%.

Out of money, desperate, or both?; 9/4/12, 9:53 AM
Matt Sablan said...: Note on polling: Mattering on the MOE, +/-2 is not a big swing.; 9/4/12, 9:53 AM
pst314 said...: How ironic: Bloodsuckers bitten by bloodsuckers.; 9/4/12, 9:58 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: PS Finally, there's the phenomenon of all Obama's campaign stuff marked down by 25%.

Out of money, desperate, or both?

Going out of business sale.; 9/4/12, 10:09 AM
The Drill SGT said...: saw a piece this AM that had press describing the hotels they were assigned by the DNC as 'crack houses'; 9/4/12, 10:11 AM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: I blame Bush.; 9/4/12, 10:17 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: I blame Rachel Carson.; 9/4/12, 10:21 AM
Bryan C said...: Local bedbugs were quoted as saying "There goes the neighborhood."; 9/4/12, 10:29 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: Of course, my reason for linking is that I love using my favorite tag: insect politics.

When something outside the group attacks insects, they band together to fight it, but not us - we'll let anything happen as long as it's not us individually.

As jr565 has said, more than once, what have they ever done to YOU?

That seems like a fine question, until you understand Winston Churchill's admonition about crocodiles,...; 9/4/12, 10:45 AM
RonF said...: A friend of mine owns a small pest control business. We live near Chicago. Two years ago bedbugs were 10% of his business. Last year they were ~50%. This year they are 70% and climbing. It turns out that a quick turn through an apartment spraying chemicals in the corner and the more obvious cracks will not get the job done. It's 3 visits spaced 6 weeks apart each, you have to first kill momma and poppa, then kill what hatches out of the eggs that were left before they get old enough to breed, and then a third one to clean up what you didn't reach the first two. If you can stick a piece of paper in the crack, a bed bug can hide in it.

What to do when you go to a hotel:

1) Pack a garbage bag that your suitcase can fit into for each suitcase.
2) Pack a flashlight.
3) Leaving your bags out in the hallway, grab a garbage bag and a flashlight and enter the room. Go to the bathroom, get a wet piece of TP.
4) Kneel down next to the bed on the bag. Inspect where the mattress meets the frame and where the frame or headboard meet the wall.
5) Small white waxy pellets (~ 0.5 mm x 1.0 mm) are eggs. Leave.
6) Small brown dots stuck on the headboard or frame could be the finish or could be bedbug feces. Wipe them with the TP. If they wipe off it's the latter - leave.

If, despite your best efforts, it becomes apparent that you have shared your room with the little beasties, put your bags in the garbage bags when you leave. Twist the necks of the bags tight, double them up and then put on the twist ties.

Go home. Don't bring the bags in. Shower thoroughly, putting your clothes in a bag and staying out of your bedroom beforehand. Put on clean clothes.

If you can leave what's in your bags alone for a year, that'll work. If not, empty the clothes out of the suitcases into the bags. Empty the bags directly into the washing machine. Wash normally. No need to use hot water if you don't normally - that won't kill the bugs. What will kill the bugs is an hour at 120 deg., 1/2 hr. at 130 deg. or a few minutes at 140 deg. in the dryer. Drying them on the line in the sun won't get the job done.; 9/4/12, 10:48 AM
RonF said...: What you do with the suitcases in such a case is problematical. Again, if you can put them in the bag, tie it completely closed and leave them for a year, they'll die of starvation. Yep, it takes that long. If not, either get them treated (no, you can't buy the stuff you need OTC) or toss them (still in the garbage bags).; 9/4/12, 10:50 AM
RonF said...: A friend of mine owns a small pest control business. We live near Chicago. Two years ago bedbugs were 10% of his business. Last year they were ~50%. This year they are 70% and climbing. It turns out that a quick turn through an apartment spraying chemicals in the corner and the more obvious cracks will not get the job done. It's 3 visits spaced 6 weeks apart each, you have to first kill momma and poppa, then kill what hatches out of the eggs that were left before they get old enough to breed, and then a third one to clean up what you didn't reach the first two. If you can stick a piece of paper in the crack, a bed bug can hide in it.

What to do when you go to a hotel:

1) Pack a garbage bag that your suitcase can fit into for each suitcase.
2) Pack a flashlight.
3) Leaving your bags out in the hallway, grab a garbage bag and a flashlight and enter the room. Go to the bathroom, get a wet piece of TP.
4) Kneel down next to the bed on the bag. Inspect where the mattress meets the frame and where the frame or headboard meet the wall.
5) Small white waxy pellets (~ 0.5 mm x 1.0 mm) are eggs. Leave.
6) Small brown dots stuck on the headboard or frame could be the finish or could be bedbug feces. Wipe them with the TP. If they wipe off it's the latter - leave.

If, despite your best efforts, it becomes apparent that you have shared your room with the little beasties, put your bags in the garbage bags when you leave. Twist the necks of the bags tight, double them up and then put on the twist ties.

Go home. Don't bring the bags in. Shower thoroughly, putting your clothes in a bag and staying out of your bedroom beforehand. Put on clean clothes.

If you can leave what's in your bags alone for a year, that'll work. If not, empty the clothes out of the suitcases into the bags. Empty the bags directly into the washing machine. Wash normally. No need to use hot water if you don't normally - that won't kill the bugs. What will kill the bugs is an hour at 120 deg., 1/2 hr. at 130 deg. or a few minutes at 140 deg. in the dryer. Drying them on the line in the sun won't get the job done.; 9/4/12, 10:50 AM
KCFleming said...: "9 DNC hotels infested with bedbugs."

6) Small brown dots stuck on the headboard or frame could be the finish or could be bedbug feces. Wipe them with the TP. If they wipe off it's the latter - leave.

Those could also come from DNC staffers.; 9/4/12, 11:14 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: If not, empty the clothes out of the suitcases into the bags. Empty the bags directly into the washing machine.

Preferably at the laundromat.

:-P; 9/4/12, 11:26 AM
Anonymous said...: If only there existed some sort of chemical that effectively dealt with bedbugs.; 9/4/12, 11:27 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: @ Ken

Exactly. I blame Rachel Carson.; 9/4/12, 11:28 AM
Kelly said...: Slept with bedbugs at a hotel in Florida. It was horrible, never dealt with that kind of insane itching before...we went on a cruise the morning after spending the night in that hotel. We Informed our steward on the second day of the cruise once we figured out what we were dealing with. they did a complete sterilization of our cabin, even bringing in a new bed. We washed all our clothes and put the suitcases in plastic bags and that seemed to take care of the problem.

After returning home I called the hotel to complain, they said it must have been "chiggers". Uh huh. No wonder they have a problem, they're liars or in denial, probably both.; 9/4/12, 11:31 AM
Anonymous said...: Pre-election polls, whatever they say, are irrelevant.

http://polipundit.com/?p=36246
Carter 63, Reagan 32, until the last week.; 9/4/12, 12:01 PM
Peter V. Bella said...: They are infested with Democrats, who are the bedbugs of society.; 9/4/12, 12:06 PM
Mitch H. said...: NPR was also chattering about lobbyists descending upon Charlotte like the Fourth Plague upon Egypt. Something strange is in the air.; 9/4/12, 1:09 PM
The Drill SGT said...: Dust Bunny Queen said...
@ Ken

Exactly. I blame Rachel Carson.

bedbugs are a joke compared to the millions of Africans that are dead (malaria etal) because of the demonization of any/all DDT uses.; 9/4/12, 1:27 PM
bagoh20 said...: Do you think that if you go to bed after a night of heavy drinking that the bedbugs have a party? Tiny poker decks and stripper bugettes sliding down your thigh hairs.; 9/4/12, 2:09 PM
Sam L. said...: They are safe from the bedbugs, as lawyers are from sharks: professional courtesy.; 9/4/12, 3:31 PM