It is no secret that bed bug related incidents are increasing dramatically due to domestic and international travel. This is why the most populous and most visited cities in the United States have the highest amount of bed bug infestation cases. These cities include Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, and New York City. Those who consider the current bed bug crisis too be to disastrous to get any worse are, unfortunately wrong, as experts have recently identified a particular bed bug strain that is largely immune to even the most aggressive of insecticides.
For several decades during the twentieth century, bed bug infestations were rarely reported due to the widespread use of an insecticide known as DDT. However, not long before the arrival of the 21st century, the use of DDT was discontinued, causing bed bug infestation rates to skyrocket. Luckily, several new insecticides have been developed since then that have proven effective at eradicating bed bug infestations. That being said, experts claim that some bed bug strains are more difficult to kill than others due to the insects developing a resistance to the poisonous compounds in insecticides. However, enough insecticides have been developed over the years to combat even the most stubborn and resistant bed bug strains, only some alternative insecticides are not as widely available as others. Therefore, some bed bug strains can still be difficult to be rid of in countries that do not have access to a wide variety of insecticides. However, a new bed bug strain may prove difficult to control even in the United States, as pest control experts have found that one particular strain seems resistant to all insecticide types.
Experts are not in full agreement as to how the super bed bugs have become more prevalent, but the increase in international and domestic travel is thought to be the cause by most experts. More people traveling with more luggage items brings more exotic bed bugs to new locations. Michael Potter, a University of Kentucky professor of entomology, focuses his studies on the relationship between bed bugs and humans. According to Potter, these super bed bugs have been a problem in the US for some time now, but in Europe, especially the United Kingdom, super bed bug infestations are becoming much more common. In the US, super bed bug infestations are believed to be increasing at hotels commonly visited by international travelers. A recent study found that American hotels spend an average of 6,383 dollars per bed bug incident, but if legal expenses are added in, this figure rises to 23,000 dollars per incident. Hotel guests are being urged to check their rooms carefully before settling in and keeping luggage off of hotel room floors is particularly important.
Have you ever found a bed bug within a hotel room you checked into? If you have, did they wind up on any of your clothing items?
