Sweeping across the world and measuring no larger than a few millimeters, bed bugs are making a name for themselves these days.
Recently, the Dayton Daily news reported that Ohio can very well be known as “The Bedbug Capitol of the World.” Homes are invaded on a daily basis, and the critters are “not cheap or easy to get rid of.” An exterminator there reports nearly 10 bedbug jobs a week; a massive increase from 2005, where the report was nearly 20 jobs over the course of the whole year!
Though not poisonous, bed bugs feed on human blood and live in beds, carpets, linens, toys, luggage, and clothes. Imagine taking a trip to the famous Times Square in New York City. You decide to catch a movie with your family at the iconic Empire 25 Theater. Little do you imagine that, during the two hours of cinematic explosions, romance and drama, your clothes have picked up a couple of teeny-tiny hitchhikers ready to start a new life in your hotel, luggage, then back at your home days later. This theater was the exact setting for that horror story just a few days ago, according to CBS News.
For California residents, sites such as the Bed Bug Registry have been set up to help keep a running tab on these pesky little bloodsuckers. Stay informed, especially before traveling. As there are still no home remedies found to be successful, prevention is the best plan. A few travel tips include:
- Examine the room for potential bed bug hiding places, such as carpet edges, mattress seams, pillowcase linings, headboards, wall trim or other tiny crevices in which bed bugs could hide.
- Look specifically at the mattress seams for signs of bedbug activity: droppings, eggs, bloodstains or even bed bugs themselves, hiding in tiny folds and seam lines.
- Do not leave clothing lying on the bed, or any location of possible infestation and instead, using hangers or hooks capable of keeping all cloth distant from the floor or bed. Suspend new shopping in bags the same way.
- Close all luggage when not in use. This way, during the night the bugs may move over the top of the bags and have difficulty getting inside.
- Elevating luggage off the floor to luggage stand, tables or chairs, although these can also be hiding places.
If all else fails, and a bed bug does sneak past your keen observing eye, it is best to contact a professional exterminator as soon as possible. Bed bugs are resistant to DDT and other pesticides and can cause hundreds of dollars worth of loss in furniture, clothes, and even sentimental items. Check out our previous bed bug article, Bed Bugs Pose Irritating Pest Control Problem, for more information, and don’t hesitate to call our Sacramento pest control professionals at 916-457-7605.