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Ginger Yapp, Demand Media

Believe it or not, bed bugs can travel via human hosts. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images )

They're creepy, they're crawly and they're often quite difficult to spot. Bed bugs -- blood-sucking, tiny parasites that dine on human and animal hosts -- have become a concern worldwide due to their stealthy ways of getting around. Unfortunately, the little critters are more mobile than we would like to think.

Bed bugs -- named for one of their favorite hangouts -- tend to be found in linens, between cracks in mattresses and even in cracks and crevices in the floor. They leech off their human or animal hosts, leaving a scabby trail of rashes and bite marks across the skin. Because they are mostly active at night, it can take awhile for a person to notice that his home or hotel room has bed bugs.

Not everyone is aware that bed bugs can be spread via humans: if a person goes to a hotel room that has bed bugs, and the bed bugs hide out on the person or on the person's luggage, the bed bugs can be spread to a new location. Because of this, no house is safe from a bed bug infestation. Bed bugs can live in the cleanest of houses; bed bugs are not a sign that a person's home is dirty or unkempt.

If you suspect that your home has been hit by bed bugs, look for the following telltale signs: small scabs or rashes in a line-like pattern on your skin, small fecal droppings or small blood smears on your sheets. The bed-bug bites will most likely be across your face, arms, or legs -- the areas that are not covered by your pajamas as you sleep. Remember, though, that not all people will develop a rash if being bitten. You'll also want to check for bugs in your mattress and in your luggage by closely inspecting them.

Though a variety of sprays and ointments are out there marketed as beg-bug killers, the truth is that many of these products do not work. You can attempt to rid yourself of these pests by vacuuming every inch of your apartment and by putting your linens in a dryer set on the highest setting. A severe infestation will require the attention of a licensed exterminator; it can often take more than one visit from the exterminator to ensure that the bed bugs are really gone.

Ginger Yapp has been writing professionally since 2006, specializing in travel and film topics. Her work has appeared in such publications as "USA Today" and online at Hotels.com. Yapp also has experience writing and editing for a small California newspaper. She earned her B.A. in film and media studies and has worked as an ESL teacher at an international school.

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The rest is here:
Do Bed Bugs Travel on People? | USA Today

Top 10 states searching for "bed bugs"

Did you know that bedding encasements to kill bed bugs are used by over 50% of United States Pest Control Industries? Thats a heck of a lot of mattress covers when you consider that bed bug infestations have increased across the United States by a whopping 500% in the past few years. While New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Hawaii seem to be leading the pack, no state is too far behind in their search for bed bugs and how to prevent and kill those tiny blood sucking fiends. Luckily bed bug task forces have been set up in many states, but we are still a long way from being a bed bug free nation.

So no matter where in the United States you live, bed bugs are in your state! Not only that, interest in bed bugs and bed bug reports are expected to keep climbing unless drastic bed bug prevention measures are taken both at home and abroad. While a bed bug mattress cover is a great first line in matterss protection against bed bugs, that is not all that you will need to fend off those pesky bed bugs. Bedbug.com is proud to provide comprehensive tips and solutions that you can use to prevent bed bugs at home and on the road.

Bed bugs are the 21st centurys most despised souvenir, often returning home in your suitcase and biting your family. The United States is known for its variety in travel opportunities; both for work and pleasure. Unfortunately for us, bed bugs are also known for their proclivity to travel.

Thats right; even 5 star hotels need to cover their mattresses to prevent bed bugs. In fact, more than one third of bed bug infestations occur in hotels and motels, due primarily to the high turnover rate.

Throughout the United States, pest control professionals are spraying, dusting, searching, clearing and protecting against bed bugs. In recent years, over 90% of pest control firms have reported dealing with bedbugs, as opposed to only 37% a few years prior.

Here at Bedbug.com, our goal is to prevent bed bugs and keep you updated on bed bug infestations, wherever your travels may take you.

Updated April 1st, 2010

Read more:
Bed bugs in the United States | United States Bed Bug Statistics