The winter break around Christmas and New Year’s is a time when many families will go on vacation or travel to visit family. Whether you are staying in a five-star hotel or with family and friends, bed bugs are a serious threat. Taking a few precautions can help make your trip -- and especially your return home – enjoyable.
Bed bugs have become a significant problem across the country as well as in the Washington, D.C. area. It’s not only a problem in the District, but in many suburban homes, condos, apartments and even offices. They may hitch a ride in your luggage, purse, backpack or clothes.
And, contrary to belief, a bed bug infestation does not mean you have bad hygiene. They are found in all 50 states and even in five-star hotels.
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Pest control and public health campaigns dramatically reduced the number of infestations in the United States following World War II. But bed bugs have made an enormous resurgence in recent years. Just a few years ago, pest control companies reported treating only one or two infestations a year. Now, companies including My Pest Pros are dealing with at least one or two infestations a week. In the last week, our technicians treated severe infestations in Washington, D.C., Fairfax and Alexandria.
While common in hotels, apartments, condominiums, college dormitories and shelters, bed bugs are increasingly common in offices, vehicles and any other place you can find humans.
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Bed bugs are small, brownish insects with flat and oval-shaped bodies. They feed on the blood of animals and especially prefer humans, though pets can become food sources. They are most frequently found in cracks and crevices, behind picture frames, under furniture and especially around beds and mattresses, where they will feed on unsuspecting sleeping occupants.
Left untreated, a small bed bug problem can quickly turn into a costly and difficult to eliminate infestation. A female bed bug will lay up to five eggs each day and 500 over her lifetime, so it’s important to perform a thorough treatment as early as possible to cut the breeding cycle.
The cold weather outside, particularly the temperatures we see in Northern Virginia, Marland and Washington, D.C., will not slow them down. A recently published study in the Journal of Economic Entomology found that bed bug’s eggs require at least 48 hours in sub zero temperatures to be killed.
Temperature and other effective products are often the bed bug treatment of choice by pest management companies, but instead of freezing them out, we heat things up. The combination of heat and steam treatments with effective products can eliminate bed bugs in as little as one treatment. However, severe infestations can require two to three treatments.
Here are some tips to help identify a possible bed bug problem… and avoid bringing them home for the holidays:
1. Inspect the mattress and bedframe for bed bugs and red spots on bedding.
2. If you suspect bed bugs, wash all clothes and bedding in hot water and then put them in the dryer on hot for at least 30 minutes.
3. Heat is one of the ways professionals will eliminate bed bugs. Using a steamer, carefully treat furniture and areas of suspected activity.
While many Do-It-Yourselfers may want to treat on their own, I recommend contacting a professional pest management company for bed bugs. An experienced professional knows where to look for bed bugs and can save you a lot of time, money and inconvenience. Pest management professionals also know how to safely treat to avoid exposing you to harmful chemicals around where you sleep.
Brett Lieberman is owner of Fairfax-based My Pest Pros and Mosquito Terminators of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. For more information and a free pest inspection, visit www.mypestpros.com or www.mosquitocontroldc.com or contact us at 703-665-4455.
