Bed Bugs

Most householders of this generation have never seen a bed bug. Until recently, they also were a rarity among pest control professionals. Bed bug infestations were common in the United States before World War II. But with improvements in hygiene, and especially the widespread use of DDT during the 1940s and ‘50s, the bugs all but vanished. The pests remained fairly prevalent, however, in other regions of the world including Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. In recent years, bed bugs have also made a comeback in the U.S. They are increasingly being encountered in homes, apartments, hotels, motels, health care facilities, dormitories, shelters, schools, and modes of transport. Other places where bed bugs sometimes appear include movie theaters, laundries/dry cleaners, furniture rental outlets and office buildings. Immigration and international travel have undoubtedly contributed to the resurgence of bed bugs in the U.S. Changes in modern pest control practice — and less effective bed bug pesticides — are other factors suspected for the recurrence.

Steps to Prevent Bed Bug Infestations

Bed bugs are easily transmitted from location to location by attaching themselves to materials that move. This includes luggage, you, your clothing and boxes. There are, however, ways to decrease your chances of bringing home a bed bug. Many of today’s infestations originate from exposure to infested airplanes, hotels, cruise ships, apartments and work areas. Once infestations reach one dwelling or apartment they often migrate to others. Below are some suggestions on how to reduce your chances of becoming a bed bug host.

Keep your belongings enclosed while traveling Our Hefty Big Bags prevent bed bugs from entering your clothing where they can hide until you return home. Simply place your belongings into the enclosure before you depart on a trip and only open the enclosure to remove items that you need. Our Hefty Big Bags protect your belongings while being transported on airplanes, cruise ships and while staying in hotels. To protect your luggage, simply spray our Bed Bug Luggage Spray along the zippers and into the pockets of your suitcases.

Encase your pillows, mattress and box spring Applying bed bug mattress encasements to your bedding not only helps treat bed bug infestations, but also helps to prevent bed bugs from infesting your mattress in the first place. Bed bugs are great at nesting deep inside a mattress where they are very difficult to treat. A bed bug encasement prevents bed bugs from ever penetrating your mattress making treatment of possible infestations much easier. Bed bug encasements are also waterproof and stain proof, which protects your mattresses factory warranty .