This last weekend we took trip to a remote beach in Panama and stayed in a perfectly decent, clean hotel. When we retired to bed we put insect repellent on our arms and heads to ward off the expected mosquitos. In the morning we woke up with over 100 insect bites each on our arms, shoulders and legs. BEDBUGS. Think of a cross between a mosquito and a cockroach - they come out of the cracks when you are asleep and suck your blood.
While we had certainly heard that bedbugs were infesting places like New York, it is now clear that we have the problem here too. We all need to be very attentive from here on, because once they get into your house, it is nearly impossible to get rid of them and they can hitch a ride any time you visit an infested habitation.
You can all do your own Internet research like we did upon returning from our trip. The first thing we did was to wash and hot-dry EVERYTHING that we took - shoes, camera bags, clothing, etc. Here are some salient points to think about for dealing with these parasites:
- They are about the size of an apple seed, but the nymphs are as small as a pinhead and transparent.
- They are not deterred by insect repellent
- They hide in cracks, generally in mattresses, bedding, clothes, but also behind light switch plates, inside furniture, etc.
- Although they feed nocturnally, they are active all the time, so if you check into a hotel and put your suitcase on the rug, they can run in and hide while you are tipping the porter. Put it on a table instead. They can also jump on your clothes from a friend's couch.
- They can live for a year without feeding, so you can't starve them out.
- They also feed on cats, dogs and chickens.
- Once established, they are VERY hard to get rid of. Many people end up burning their bedding, cloths, linens and such and/or just moving out.
- When you realize that you are infected, you need to jump on it INSTANTLY.
SOOO... From now on, when we stay in ANY hotel (and maybe friends homes too), we will check the bedding for the signs of bedbugs and either change rooms or go to another hotel. The best way to prevent this plague from coming to Boquete is for everyone to understand the problem and be vigilant at all times. Trust me, one night of being crawled over by blood-sucking cockroaches is more than any of us need for a lifetime.
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While this is an old post, one of the methods of ridding your bed of these pests is to use diatomaceous earth. You can buy it at the Finca Santa Marta tables at the Tuesday Morning Market. In the past we have shipped up to 25 lbs to Bocas to hotels there. It does work and is safe for humans or pets to be around. Google it.