In July, the Center for Disease Control and Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency released a joint statement detailing an increase in bed begs in the United States. This month, the North Carolina-based Steritech Group, specializing in brand protection services for industries including hospitality, offers six tips to detect bed bugs when traveling. Although they do not trasmit disease, bites can cause irritation and inflamation of the skin.
Upon check-in, keep your luggage away from the bed, carpet or upholstered furniture. Instead, opt for the coffee table, desk or light stand. After checking it, the metal luggage rack is also a good choice. Inspect the bedding and check the mattress. Bed bugs are reddish brown and range from one to seven millimeters. During the day, they can be found in the seams of mattresses, as well as box springs, head boards or dresser tables.
If there are bed bugs in your hotel room, request another room. Check that one in the same way. Upon returning home from a hotel room, put all of the clothes that were in your suitcase in the dryer on the high setting as bed bugs can't tolerate high heat.
Judy Black, a board certified entomologist and the technical director at Steritech said, "The problem with bed bugs is that most people have little or no physical reaction to the bites at all. Before they know it, it is too late. They may have already brought bed bugs home with their luggage and infested their house."
Visit www.steritech.com.