Hotels, motels, and other temporary lodgings have seen a sharp increase in bedbug populations all over the United States of America.
These insects typically hide in and around beds, and they come out at night. Their victims may not even notice the presence of the bugs until they wake up the morning after their stay covered in red bites.
The Spread of Bedbugs
Bedbugs were once kept in check by powerful insecticides like DDT. However, now that these chemicals have been found to be unsafe, bedbugs have been able to infiltrate everywhere from hotels to mall dressing rooms.
They can live in and on luggage, which then contributes to the spread of bedbugs in hotel rooms. Once in a room, the insects may thrive in places such as:
- Mattress, box spring, and frame of the bed
- Cracks in walls
- Carpet edging
Bedbugs are so small that most people do not wake up when they are bitten. In the morning, however, you may notice small red bumps that are accompanied by itching sensations. While the bites themselves are relatively harmless, scratching the bites can cause infections. Hotels and other places of lodging are responsible for making their rooms safe for patrons, which can mean replacing the mattress and all of the bedding once they are aware of bedbugs.
Bedbugs may travel to the homes of those that stay in infested hotels by hitching a ride on clothing or in luggage. Once home, they become even more difficult to control and eliminate.