Don’t let the bedbugs bite!

Dear Readers: “Sleep tight ... don’t let the bedbugs bite!” That cute little saying you tuck your kiddos in at night with may now have a new meaning! Yep, bedbugs are making a comeback, with a vengeance.

Bedbugs are the size of apple seeds and look a bit like a tick. But since they come out only at night to feed on sleeping humans, they can be very hard to see. They hide in mattresses, box springs and even burrow into night tables.

Sorry to report, folks, but there is no home remedy for removing bedbugs from your home! Trust me, if I had a Heloise hint for you, I’d share it. If you find these critters in your house, the best thing you can do is call in the professionals. Store-bought bug bombs and pesticides don’t work, according to experts, so don’t waste your time or money.

Extreme heat seems to be the only thing that works, and when you call for a quote, make sure the company will come out a second time, since it’s virtually impossible to rid a house or room with only one treatment.

One hint you can do for less than $100 is purchase a bed/mattress cover — one that closes completely with a zipper, not the fitted three-quarter kind. Even if you don’t have bedbugs, a mattress cover can extend the life of your bed and act as a preventive barrier for bedbugs, mites, fleas, etc. They are especially good if you sleep with your pets.

For more information, check out the National Pesticide Information Center’s Web site at http://npic.orst.edu/ state1.htm, and don’t let the bedbugs bite! Heloise

Dear Heloise: I make a lot of one- or two-night trips by plane and don’t want to check my luggage, but I have a tough time getting all of my creams and liquids to fit in the plastic bags the airlines require. I discovered that using small, closeable craft bags helps! I fill each bag with a one- or two-day supply of hair, face and body cream, etc., and label them. Kristy, North Texas

Good travel advice, and may I add, please put the small bags in a large one to avoid a mishap. Heloise

Here are two good hints from Beverly, via e-mail:

I sew a lot and am constantly changing needles for different fabrics. I’d have to take the needle out to see the size when I started something new. So, I took one of the flexible refrigerator magnets I got in the mail, cut it into small squares and wrote needle sizes on them. Now when I change a needle, I stick the reminder on the machine and am a much happier camper.

I had some blouses that always slipped off the plastic hangers. I had some moleskin that I cut into strips and stuck on the top edges of the hanger, and problem solved.

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate