Q: Are there routine precautions against bedbugs one should take at public facilities such as state parks?
— Doyne Michie,Austell
A:In general, being surrounded by nature is not a factor with bedbugs. It's possible that someone could hike through a grassy area and get chigger bites, which could be misidentified as bedbugs, Kim Hatcher, spokeswoman for Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites, told Q&A on the News. "While we do have hotels and cabins at many Georgia state parks, they are no more likely to have hosted guests transmitting bedbugs than traditional hotels," she wrote in an e-mail. "We have a dedicated housekeeping staff who ensure rooms are properly cleaned after each guest." Harold Harlan, a retired military medical entomologist, recommends that individuals look for signs of bed bugs by checking the bedding, night stands, dresser drawers, shelves in the closet, luggage rack and around the carpet edges near and underneath a bed, according to a story on MSNBC.com. He also advises people to inspect their luggage and clothing when they pack to leave. Using a hot water setting and detergent and then drying on low heat for at least 20 minutes, or dry cleaning, is the best step for laundering items when you return home, Harlan said.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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