The mention of bed bugs makes my skin crawl. I keep checking hotels when we go on vacation. Did you know there is a national hotel bed bug registry?
A CASUAL PROBLEM
I remember working as the youth services coordinator for the school system and bed bugs were a huge problem here in Owensboro. For several years it seemed like we had heard a lot about bed bugs and then for some reason the conversations fell silent. But don’t let that fill you up. Professionals say there is an increasing problem with bed bugs. Most people think they have a problem and it turns out to be these guys.
WHEN AND HOW TO GET IT
Bed bugs are often reported more often in the summer. People travel from place to place and the kids stay with friends and there is a lot more exercise. Do you have a kid traveling back and forth from college? Make sure to check their belongings before they bring them into the house.
HOW TO AVOID bed bugs
Terminix offers the following tips to help reduce your risk of being bitten or transporting bed bugs:
* Check the hotel’s headboards, mattresses and box spring beds for live bed bugs, their exoskeletons and / or dark blood stains.
* While adult bed bugs are about the size, shape, and color of an apple core, travelers should also look for newly hatched nymphs that are off-white and the size of letters on a dime, as well as small translucent eggs that crawl in the tucks and folds of sheets can be found.
* Hang up all clothing. Don’t leave anything on the bed or furniture.
* Avoid storing clothes in hotel furniture drawers.
* Keep the suitcase as far away from the bed as possible on a luggage rack.
* Vacuum your suitcase when you come home and wash your clothes immediately in hot water.
* Keep your luggage in a sealed plastic bag in a garage or basement away from the bedrooms between trips.
HOW TO CHECK THE BUG REGISTRATION
Yes, there is actually a national and global bed bug registry that still blows my mind. With these tabs, you can actually look at a map or type in an address to find out if a particular hotel, motel, or even apartment has bed bugs.
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