2023-07-15 04:04:52
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – Many in the US states suffered from bedbugs during the winter.. but will this continue during the summer, and will the situation worsen with an unprecedented rise in temperatures?
In this regard, Professor Michael F. Potter, professor emeritus in the department of entomology at the University of Kentucky, said it was “difficult to predict these things, but the scenario of record levels of travel and staff shortages in the hospitality industry is worrisome in terms of bed bugs.”
Potter added that while bed bug infestations can occur in all types of accommodation, hotels and other accommodations are a major infestation.
He explained, “The problem of staff shortage is worrying because the best way for hotels to limit the escalation of the spread of this insect within their hotels is to remain vigilant, and to conduct regular inspection of rooms … by cleaners who need training and education to detect the presence of the insect in its early stages of its spread.”
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Is it helpful to ask about the bed bug status of your hotel or rental home when checking in or making a reservation?
Potter replied that he thought “the person at the front desk wouldn’t be equipped to answer that question.”
Safety tips for hotel rooms
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Before unpacking in a hotel room, Potter suggests a traveler do a quick bed check, by pulling the sheets and blankets off the mattress and looking around the seams, especially the head area, for signs or signs of bed bugs. Also check the mattress crevices.
Potter noted that this quick scan won’t reveal every place where bed bugs might be hiding, but it does give you the best idea for spotting the problem with minimal effort.
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A very important thing to avoid: Don’t put your bag on the floor in a corner. Why? Potter explained that this is the best chance to bring home bed bugs. Instead, place it on an elevated surface such as the top of a wardrobe or luggage rack. If there are two beds in the room, do not put your suitcase on the other bed.
The American Hotel and Lodging Association offers some additional advice:
Check the headrests well (hard to check easily), sofas, and chairs. If you see any signs of bed bugs, tell management immediately. And ask for another room, preferably not next to the first room. If you are not satisfied, go somewhere else entirely if possible. If you’ve found bed bugs, consider putting a plastic garbage bag or protective cover around your suitcase.
These are signs of a bedbug infestation
The US Environmental Protection Agency notes that other insects, such as carpet beetles, can easily be mistaken for bedbugs. Therefore, it is a good idea to educate yourself before taking the test. This may include looking at close-ups.
Adult bed bugs are usually about the size of an apple corn (between 5 and 7 millimeters or 3/16 to 1/4 inch long). They are long and brown in color, and have a flat, oval-shaped body if they have not fed recently. They are balloon-like, reddish-brown in color and more elongated when fed.
Adult bed bugs are usually smaller and translucent or whitish yellow in color. If you haven’t fed recently, the insect can be almost invisible to the naked eye. Bed bug eggs are the size of a pinhead and pearl white.
You may not see the insects themselves but rather their obvious signs, which may include:
Rusty or reddish stains on sheets or mattresses (occurs when crushed). The dark spots are comparable in size to the points in the list. These spots are the excrement of bed bugs after they have fed on blood. Eggs and eggshells which are very small. The exoskeletons of bugs that fall off when they are moulted. Musty smell if the infestation is large.
Bed bugs are more than a bed and hotel problem
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Schools, libraries, apartment buildings, movie theaters, hospitals, office buildings, taxis, buses, trains, dormitories and college students’ unions may host bedbugs, Potter said. He also notes that it is simply impractical to check all of this, and warns not to be terrified by it.
But Potter has advice in case you encounter bed bugs in a hotel or Airbnb: “It’s bad enough if you get bitten in a hotel but what you really don’t want to do is bring those things home with you.”
And he advised to take everything out of the bag and put it in garbage bags. And washing clothes and then drying them for a long time, because the heat of the clothes dryer kills them.
And as far as you go, heat waves will accompany you this summer. All you have to do is decompress your luggage, put it in your car, park it outdoors, and the heat will kill bed bugs in an hour. If you can’t get around 140°F (60°C) in your car, just ditch your bag if you’re worried. This is much less expensive than eliminating bed bugs in your home.
Medical and welfare issues
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And the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides you with the good news: bed bugs feed on you, but they don’t spread any diseases.
However, the itching caused by the bites may cause lack of sleep, and secondary skin infections if you scratch too much and vigorously. Some people may experience a serious allergic reaction.
Cleveland Clinic develops a model treatment plan:
Gently wash the bites with soap and water. Use an anti-itch cream or lotion (look for hydrocortisone 1%) on your skin. Repeat once or twice a day until the itching is gone.
If the itching is severe, contact your healthcare provider about a stronger steroid ointment, or an over-the-counter or prescription antihistamine.
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