NEW YORK – Feb. 10, 2017 – Bed bugs can make a home inhospitable – and they can be expensive to remove as well. Orkin, a nationwide pest control services company, says its revenue from bed bug treatments are up more than 10 percent over last year, so the problem is growing.
“We have more people affected by bed bugs in the United States now than ever before,” says Ron Harrison, Orkin entomologist and director of technical services. “They were virtually unheard of in the U.S. 10 years ago.”
Bed bugs can travel from place to place relatively easily, attaching themselves to luggage, purses or other belongings before ultimately settling into a home or apartment.
“Anyone can get bed bugs in their home. They are not a sign of uncleanliness,” Harrison says. “Bed bugs only need blood to survive. We have treated for bed bugs in everything from million-dollar homes to public housing.”
Bed bugs are small (about the size of an apple seed, fully grown), so they can be difficult to detect. Also, they survive up to a year without feeding.
They often hide around seams of a mattress, behind headboards and in cracks and crevices, usually within a five-foot radius of a bed, Orkin says. One of the first signs in spotting a bed bug is evidence of a small dark stain they may leave behind.
“People may have bed bugs and not know it because many people have no physical reaction to bed bug bites,” Harrison says. “That’s why it’s important for people everywhere to inspect for bed bugs regularly.”
Orkin recommends homeowners and travelers do the following to prevent bed bugs:
- Inspect your home regularly for any signs of bed bugs. Check locations where bed bugs hide during the day, including mattress seams and behind baseboards, headboards, electrical outlets and picture frames.
- Inspect all secondhand furniture carefully before bringing it inside your home.
- Wash any potentially infested bed linens, curtains and stuffed animals in the hottest water temperature allowed for the fabric.
- Contact a pest management company if you spot any signs. Bed bugs can quickly elevate to a major problem if they spread from room to room and start to multiply.
Orkin’s top bed bug cities
- Baltimore
- Washington, D.C.
- Chicago
- New York
- Columbus, Ohio
- Los Angeles
- Detroit
- Cincinnati
- Philadelphia
- San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif.
- Richmond-Petersburg, Va.Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
- Cleveland-Akron-Canton, Ohio
Source: Orkin
