Consumer Brochure PDF 1MB
Encounters with Bed Bugs
“I brought bed bugs home with me from vacation, spent thousands of dollars and many sleepless nights to get rid of them. How do I prevent this from happening all over again next time I travel?” (Joanne, Columbus)
“I spent 3 nights in the hospital for minor surgery and came home with bites all over my arms. Three months later I had to throw out all my bedroom furniture. Now I have to go back in the hospital…” (Burt, Miami)
“My husband travels for a living and has been bitten in San Francisco, Philadelphia and Orlando. Now, I’m afraid to let him back in the house!” (Sheila, Chicago)
“My apartment building is infested with bed bugs; started 3 floors down but now were found next door. How do I keep them out of my underwear drawer?” (Angela, NYC)
“We took our family on a Caribbean cruise and three months later we all were waking up in the middle of the night itching and searching for bed bugs. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy!” (Agnes, Houston)
These are just a few of the thousands of stories we’ve heard over the past two years from people all over the US.
Most of these stories are from people who have gone through a bed bug infestation and are afraid to travel again. Many have read all the news stories and think that if they buy an encasement for their mattress, or keep clothes off the bedroom floor, they’ll be safe from getting bitten by bed bugs, which unfortunately, is false.
The Plague of the 21st Century
“Bed bugs may not be a medical health issue, but their presence causes a mental health problem…and is often a financial hardship”.- NYC Council Member Gale Brewer Press Release #01-08, 1/16/08 www.nyc.gov
Bed bugs are nocturnal; they sleep all day and only come out after everyone is asleep. As such, they are extremely difficult to see and catch. They generally stay very close to a bedroom unless they accidentally hitch a ride on someone’s clothes, luggage, bag or purse, which they are known to do frequently.
At the moment there are no pesticides making any headway at preventing the rapid spread of bed bugs between hotels, homes, college dorms, hospitals, military barracks, or low income housing. Anywhere that people sleep is very susceptible to a bed bug infestation, especially places with a high turnover of people moving in and out.
There is a common misconception that bed bugs are only found at “dirty” or low-budget hotels. This is not true. Bed bugs don’t like dirt; they like warm bodies, so they hitch a ride on someone’s bag and migrate to the bedroom. Hotels are well aware that no one wants to stay at a hotel with bed bugs.
Most hotels are actively looking for signs of bed bugs and regularly treating suspect rooms. The problem is that as soon as one room has been cleaned, someone brings bed bugs back into it. It’s a perpetual cycle of bed bugs traveling to and from bedroom to bedroom. Every time a bedroom is cleaned, there are still a few that have escaped in someone’s bags or were hiding inside the wall. A few bed bugs leftover will turn into a few thousand again in about three months.
What can we do to stop this vicious cycle?
Use BugZip® to zip tight and not bring the bed bugs home. To view Bugzip® product information, click here.
