Bed Bugs

Before you read this please understand! "WE DO NOT HAVE BED BUGS"

We are are simply trying to educate people about them and how to get rid of them should you find some in your bags.

Bed bugs are a real problem within backpackers and youth hostels throughout most parts of the world, in particular where it is warm, humid and there are plenty of people to eat. If you are being bitten at night and can't find what is causing the bites, you may have bedbugs. They will often bite in a straight line, often 3 or 4 bites. They leave you with a welt similar to that of a mosquito or sand fly which often has a white discolouring in the centre of the welt. I have seen people with hundreds of bites which can get infected if scratched. Some people even have allergic reactions to the bites. So, if you are unsure, see a doctor and let them know about bedbugs as often they will overlook this and think they are mosquito or Sandfly bites. I once had a girl at the Reef Lodge who came in from another hostel who had hundreds of bites all over her body as I have described, when she went to the managers of the hostel they said it was only Sandfly bites. On closer inspection of her bags there were many dozens of large bedbugs in her gear. We quickly moved her to a room with her friend who also had them and started to treat all of their gear as well as the room they were in...suffice to say, I didn't get to bed until well after midnight!

Bed bugs have no wings, are roughly oval in shape, about 4-5mm in length and the body is flattened. They are rust brown in colour, but change to a deeper red brown after they have fed on human blood. After they mate, each female lays up to 2 or 3 eggs a day. The eggs are layed on a rough surface and the eggs will hatch within 10 days, sometimes longer in cooler weather. Bed bugs usally only feed on humans at night, and find shelter during the day. This can be under mattresses, skirting boards, carpets, curtins, cracks / crevices in walls and in bed frames, or inside your bags.

If you do think you have bedbugs please inform us and we will try to help you as much as we can, also if you know any other way to deal with these little creatures please inform us at Reeflodge

TREATMENT

(N.B. I do not take any responsibility should you try this, or any part of this method for the removal of bedbugs. Should you have any apprehensions you should contact a professional pest controller.)

• Move out of the room you are in. (This room should be treated before anybody goes back into it. At Reef Lodge we close down our rooms for a minimum of 24 hrs and up to 48 hrs after treatment.)
• Find some clothes you know have not been in contact with bedbugs. (If you are at the Reef Lodge we'll lend you a couple of sarongs to lounge around in.)
• Wash all of your clothes in hot water. (if possible)
• Dry your clothes in a dryer. 20 mins (the heat will kill the bedbugs including eggs)
• If you can put your backpack and anything else in the dryer. 20 mins
• Remove all your toiletries and personal hygiene stuff and give it a good search to make sure there are no bugs.

• All other things that can't be washed or dried, put into a garbage bag and spray with a pesticide suitable for bedbugs. Leave this in the bag overnight. (Remember this is a poison so take care and use as the manufacture recommends.)
• Another possible way of treating bedbugs is to put your gear into thick black plastic bags and leave them out in the sun. The temperature must get very hot in order to kill them, so this method will not work well in cooler climates or when it is overcast.

Although I take no responsibility for this method of treatment, I have had high success rate for treating bedbugs.

For a lot more information about these creatures you can visit the website at the University of Sydney Although this site states the problem of bedbugs is partly due to bad hygiene, I would argue this point strongly, as it is not always the case, particularly among the backpackers here in Australia. It is more to do with a lack of information and cover-ups by many hostels who won't deal with this problem head on and admit they may have bedbugs.

Box Jelly Fish

There are two types of stinger that can be life threatening and they include the "Box Jelly" and the "Irukandji". I do not profess to know all there is to know about jelly fish, however the irukandji is much smaller than the box jelly species, being only about 2.5cm with 4 trailing tentacles about 100cm long but EQUALLY deadly. The following is merely a guide. Please seek professional help if you believe you may have made physical contact with one of these.

The following is for the treatment of "Box Jelly" and not "Irukandji" If you know or suspect you have stung by Irukandji seek medical help as soon as possible.

Marine Stingers are very real danger here in the tropics and are generally found between the months of October and April. It is a good idea if you are spending a good deal of time in the water to carry white vinegar. This can be poured over an effected area to help relieve the problem, although medical advice should be found as soon as possible. If there are lifeguards patrolling the beach inform them as soon as you can. They can administer first aid as well as organise medical help. Do not rub the affected area this will only spread the problem. For more information, check out this site