Are Bed Bugs going away?
Recently, in an interview with 60 Minutes, the president of the United States announced that the Coronavirus Covid-19 Pandemic has ended. Does this mean that no one will ever again die from contracting Covid-19? Does it mean that no one will ever again be sick from the dreaded virus? Precautions can be discarded and dispensed? That we no longer need to test for the Covid-19 virus? That we no longer need to be cognizant of a potential exposure when we are around someone who is experiencing symptoms of the virus? Or that we no longer need to stay vigilant in taking precautions to avoid the virus? The answer to all of these questions is inherently obvious by nearly any logical reasoning.
If you work from home, seldom interact with the public, or rarely leave your home, and don’t care to stay informed of the news, you may think that Covid-19 is now gone, and you can throw all caution to the wind when interacting with the general public. This irresponsible assumption can be very dangerous to those who choose to ignore the risk, as well as, endangering those whom they love.
In a similar comparison, the same can be asked about the problematic existence of bed bugs. The answer is a resounding NO – bed bugs are not going away. Let’s walk through some reasons that caution surrounding bed bugs is still vitally important.
Travel is alive and well
On the date of this writing, the TSA checkpoint number is 2,315,301 travelers – that is the number of people traveling on a commercial flight for a single day. For just this one day alone, that is over 332,500 more travelers than there were on this same day in 2021. It is over 1.4 million more travelers on this one day alone than there were on the same day in 2020. As flights, theaters, museums, stadiums, and concert venues are being packed out, bed bugs are still an issue that is not going away. After two years of pandemic-driven restrictions, travel is now ongoing. Some have said that 2022 is a year of revenge travel. Anytime people are traveling, bed bugs are traveling also. Bed bugs are not born in a hotel because it is dirty or clean. They are hitchhikers and love to travel in a suitcase or bag. Therefore, the more people in and out of a hotel, the more chance of bed bugs.
Lack of knowledge about preventing infestations
There are many myths surrounding the prevention of bed bugs. It is imperative that everyone uses a reliable resource when obtaining information regarding the prevention of bed bugs. Dependable prevention solutions include mattress encasements, residual bed bug sprays, as well as proper inspections and cleanliness.
Increased resistance to bed bug pesticides.
Research has proven that some bed bugs have been found to be resistant to insecticides. Some bed bugs simply have the ability to survive insecticide exposure. Chemicals do kill bed bugs. However, in the chance that not all the bed bugs die during the treatment, those bed bugs that do survive will go on to produce resistant offspring. Contrastingly, heat will kill every bed bug, including eggs, every time – 100% of the time with no additional products needed, no concerns of allergies, or medical complications from chemicals, and no bed bugs with built-up resistance.
Staffing shortages are prevalent in the hospitality industry
It is possible that staffing issues could cause bed bug awareness to be incorrectly de-prioritized. As hotels or apartment complexes have less staff to work with, the parts of their job duties that are not immediately high on the priority list can fall off the radar. The staff becomes overwhelmed when they are stretched too thin. Checking a room for bed bugs is a task that takes some time on top of their regular cleaning schedule. This task is extremely important to keep the hotel’s bed bug population non-existent.
Warnings from leaders in the pest control industry that bed bugs are not going away
Orkin (who uses our BK15-277 Bed Bug Heater), a renowned pest control company has warned travelers this year that “bed bugs are still very much a threat.” They supported that statement by admonishing “Over the last year, as travel began to resurge in the U.S., restless Americans – and bed bugs – were hitching rides across the country for a getaway.”
Another industry leader, Rentokil (which uses our BK10-480B Bed Bug Heater), has seen three offices that are experiencing up to a 75% increase in bed bug treatments this year.
Just as it is reckless to assume that the Covid-19 virus is no longer a real threat, so it is also reckless to assume that bed bugs have gone away and are no longer a problematic issue. Bed bugs can be very dangerous to those who choose to ignore the risk, as well as, endangering their family and friends.
New study shows possible risks from bed bug bites
It has always been important to be knowledgeable about preventing bed bugs, but it has been a long-held belief that they are not harmful to people in the sense that they don’t spread disease. Their bites can cause a reaction in a percentage of people, and we know that dealing with an infestation is very traumatic. But, for the first time, we are beginning to learn that they may be physically harmful, especially in the case of a serious infestation.
A new study from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Entomologists has found that bed bugs produce a large amount of histamine. Histamine, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is a compound released by cells that causes inflammatory reactions. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition links excess histamine to headaches, gastrointestinal issues, irregular heart rate, and asthma. As this information has just come out, there are still many unknowns. It is clear that the long-term effects of dealing with bed bugs could be far more harmful than has been known to this point.
If you want to be prepared for the potential dangers, damages, and destruction of bed bugs, call Bed Bug Heat Doctor/Prevsol today at (844) 364-3281 or explore prevsol.com for educational articles and blogs.