Rant: That week in Portland when my hostel bed was infested with bed bugs

I booked a cheap hostel near Powell's Books for a 5 day trip last spring, thinking I'd save money for food. On the second night I woke up with bites along my arm and found a trail of bugs in the mattress seam. Has anyone else dealt with a budget lodging disaster that cost more in lost time and stress than a decent hotel would have?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_oliver1d ago

Nah those were probably bat bugs not bed bugs, they look almost identical.

marybutler1d ago

Well, have you ever actually dealt with bat bugs though? A friend of mine had a huge freakout over "bed bugs" last summer and it turned out they were bat bugs from an attic nest... The pest guy told her the only real way to tell is under a microscope, which is just crazy to me.

ericcraig1d ago

Wait, bat bugs? That's a real thing? I always thought "bat bugs" was just what people called bed bugs to make themselves feel better about the situation. Having to pull out a microscope just to know what's biting you is actually insane.