Question: My mom lives in New York. My children recently visited her, after their arrival my mom informs me that she has bedbugs. My children have since returned. Should I get someone to come to my house to inspect for bedbugs? Do you think they travelled with us to Virginia? How can I find them? I am scratching because of the thought, but no one else seems affected. I”m petrified of a possible infestation. What should I do?

ANSWER First, to you then your mother. It is possible that you brought them back, but not likely. They would hitch a ride in luggage and material that were next to the bed or in the room that was infested. Chances are that this didn”t happen.

If you want to be cautious, place some moth crystals in the luggage you used. Clean the frame of the bed and then do the same for the box spring: clean the cracks and crevices, then clean and maybe vacuum the seams of the mattress. With what is left in the aerosol you can spray the baseboards of the room. Start with the area near the bed, and try to get the spray under or behind the baseboard (where bedbugs may also be hiding). These insects can travel far to find a blood meal, so don”t fail to clean and treat the room. They can live long without food, so even old beds (not used in while) can have them.

Your mother should consider getting rid of these pests before it gets worse.