Living Space: Avoid bringing bed bugs home from vacation

By Kathryn Weber Originally published June 7, 2012 at midnight, updated June 7, 2012 at 3:15 p.m. Bed bug sighting list

Bed bug sighting listbedbugregistry.com

Orkin listorkin.com/press-room/top-bed-bug-cities

A chance to relax and escape the everyday demands of work and home is a real reward, but today's vacations bring with an extra worry besides airline baggage fees: bed bugs. Once rarely seen, these blood-sucking creatures are appearing with a vengeance at the very places we go to escape - hotels and vacation rentals. But worse than finding bed bugs on vacation is bringing them home.

Do some research

Before making hotel reservations, do a quick search online to see if bed bugs have been reported at the hotel or rental you've chosen. Sites list hotels and other locations where bed bugs have been spotted.

While these sites can sometimes be in error, if you spot multiple listings and a number of bed bug sites reported within a specific area, it's possible this is a bed bug "hot spot."

To be certain you'll get a good night's sleep, also check out hotel reviews on travel websites to confirm the presence of bed bugs, or to see if there are other problems at specific hotels. Certain cities are also at a higher risk for bed bug infestations, so it helps to know which ones have had the most problems.

Oddly, even smaller, non-metropolitan cities have had problems with bed bugs. Orkin lists 50 U.S. cities ranked in order of the number of bed bug treatments performed from January to April 2011.

Bed check

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Living Space: Avoid bringing bed bugs home from vacation