Less people traveling during 2019-2020, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, kept bed bug problems at their lowest level in years. Now, with more careful approaches to traveling and the availability of vaccinations, more people will venture afar for vacation and for business. And that means the bed bugs will have more opportunity to feed and travel, too. Check out our tips for identifying bed bugs in vacation lodging and to prevent bringing bed bugs home from your 2021 travel adventures.
During 2020, the reports of bed bug problems dropped for a few reasons: People didn’t travel far from home. Only essential workers left the house, as employers turned to virtual work environments. Lastly, people who suspected a bed bug problem were less likely to hire an exterminator (and more likely to find solutions online) because they didn’t want to have strangers coming into the home. But….
Bed bugs didn’t die out. They merely adapted and went inactive.
Now, it’s 2021 and thanks to advances in science and medicine , we aren’t totally out of the dark woods of COVID-19, but we know enough to allow more people to freely travel and return to office buildings. Bed bugs are ready for their wake-up call! Now, they will have greater access to food and the places they like to nest. And getting rid of bed bugs will require professional pest control services.
Bed bugs are found in all 50 states. There’s no climate preference for them. Bed bugs not only get comfy in the bedroom, they can also be found nestled into
Year-after-year, the three most common living spaces in which bed bug infestations have been found are single family homes, apartments/condominiums, and hotel/motel rooms. No Matter how clean a space looks to you–be it a vacation rental condo, hotel room, or your cousin Vinny’s beach house–any place with fabric is a possible home for bed bugs.
Really fast. Bed bugs can lay one to five eggs daily! They can survive for months without eating. As a result, these tiny pests spread quickly. An entire home or even a big hotel can develop an infestation “almost overnight.”
According to the Environmental Protection Agency:
Adult bed bugs have the following features:
FYI Young bed bugs (also called nymphs) are smaller, translucent or whitish-yellow in color. Unless they have eaten recently, they can be nearly invisible to the naked eye.
As you travel more in our “almost post-pandemic” world, you want to take precautions against unknowingly transporting bed bugs in your belongings. The National Pest Management Association recommends taking the following steps to prevent an infestation upon returning home:
Though they do not have the ability to transfer blood-borne diseases through their bite, bed bugs pose a threat as the bite can create a serious allergic reaction for some people. Although some people immediately develop a skin reaction to bites, others may take two to three days before any symptoms appear.
Most bed bugs feed on their hosts while they sleep. They draw blood in a painless way. While feeding, they inject a small amount of saliva into the host’s skin. If they feed on one particular person for several weeks, the individual may become more sensitive to their saliva and the chemicals that it contains. The host might eventually develop an allergic response.
Bed bugs tend to bite in rows. There are likely to be two or three bites in each row. This is probably because the bedbug is interrupted while feeding, and then comes back about half an inch further down for its next bite. Bites can take up to 14 days to become visible but often appear within several days. Bedbug bites tend to be raised and red.
Bites are the most common indicator that there is an infestation — more than half of people reach out for treatment after discovering bites and welts on their bodies.
First, take not if there is not any sign of an infection from the bed bug bit. If there isn’t, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends:
If you have significant swelling, itchiness, redness, or any other symptoms that may indicate an infection or allergic reaction, seek immediate medical attention.
You can eliminate bed bugs but it requires an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. IPM begins with identifying the insect, properly! There are many small pests that you may think are bed bugs, but in actuality are some other kind of insect. IPM combines techniques that pose the lowest risk to your health and the environment in which you live.
It is important to hire a pest control company that has experience eradicating bed bugs and is licensed and certified. The specific steps necessary to get rid of bed bugs in your home, office, or resort property will depend on several variables. It not only will involve the technical aspects of pest control, but may also require you to discard possessions, have possessions cleaned in a specific ways, and other remediation steps that only the experts can help you determine.
Drive-Bye Exterminators offers home and commercial pest control services in Clearwater, Florida, and the surrounding areas. Family owned and operated for over 25 years, Drive-Bye Exterminators has state certified inspectors and exterminators provide roach, subterranean termite, dry wood termite, roaches, spider, ant and flea services to both commercial and residential clients. Whether a business owner needs help getting rid of a termite infestation, or a homeowner wants to rid their kitchen of ants, Drive-Bye Exterminators offers each client the same level of professionalism and excellence.
Request a FREE Pest Control Inspection today with the professionals of Drive-Bye Exterminators. Call Us Today at 727-787-2127.
Resources
More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Bed Bugs from Pest World
Bed Bugs Shied Away with Less Pandemic Travel. They are NOT Gone