June 6-12, 2021 is Bed Bug Awareness Week

Although a year-round concern, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) wants people to be on high alert prior to heading into the busy summer travel season, declaring the last week of April to be Bed Bug Awareness Week.  Summer is a prime time for bed bug infestations because travel increases and people are more likely to bring bed bugs home with them. PTS  encourages all travelers, whether college students coming home for break, kids going to camp, or families going on vacation, to keep a close eye out for bed bugs looking for a ride home in suitcases.

To prevent an unwanted encounter with bed bugs, PTS shares the following prevention tips for travelers:

• At hotels, thoroughly inspect the entire room before unpacking, including behind the headboard and in furniture. Pull back the bed sheets and check the mattress seams and box springs for pepper-like stains that may be evidence of bed bug activity.
• If you suspect an infestation or problem, notify management and change rooms immediately. Be sure the new room is not adjacent to or directly below or above the possibly infested room.
• Keep suitcases in plastic trash bags or protective covers during a hotel stay to prevent bed bugs from nesting there. Do not put them on the beds.
• Upon returning home from a trip, inspect all suitcases and other belongings before bringing them into the house.
• Wash all clothes – even those that have not been worn – dry them using an extra-hot dryer setting.

For more information, please visit our bed bug page.