Banish Bed Bugs This Summer
29 June, 2012
- 87% don’t know how to check for bed bugs
- 90% have never checked a hotel room for bed bugs
Bed bugs, formerly only the plight of backpackers in far flung destinations, have become a growing nuisance in Ireland in recent years, according to Rentokil Ireland. The most common source of bedbugs is hotels with an infestation, so if you are holidaying this summer, check for warning signs in your hotel.
Bed bugs spread easily and are difficult to treat, resulting in rapid growth in the number of bedbug outbreaks.
The key to beating this problem is to know how to avoid them and to ensure bedbugs are dealt with quickly if discovered in the home; however, a recent survey by Rentokil Ireland found that 87% did not know how to identify bedbugs and 90% had never looked for them when staying at a hotel. 37% of survey respondents cleaned their own sheets once a month or less and 64% rarely dusted behind their beds, without checking in these areas regularly, an existing bedbug problem can quickly worsen.
Dr Colm Moore, Area Technical Manager at Rentokil UK, Ireland and the Baltics, has some suggestions to avoid bedbug infestations this summer: “Do a visual inspection of your hotel room as soon as you arrive; look at the bedding, pull back the sheets, check the mattress seams, check the skirting boards around the head of the bed and check floors. A more established infestation is associated with dark or black staining of the mattress from bed bug excreta, blood spots on the sheets, dead bedbugs, eggs and an infestation is also associated with an unpleasant odour secreted by bedbugs.”
“Bedbugs are keen on areas with tight creases, folds and joins, like your luggage. Do not set your suitcases down on beds or the floor, instead store luggage up high on a table or in a tiled bathroom where bedbugs are unlikely to be, until you are sure that the room is clear of the pests. If you find bedbugs, consult the hotel management to assess the risk, it may be necessary to launder, or treat clothes to ensure they are safe,” he continued.
The good news is that bed bugs are not known to carry any harmful diseases; however, they do suck blood from humans and in doing so they may inject their own saliva into the bite area, causing an itching and swelling and multiple bites can lead to an itchy rash or eczema. Bed bugs come out at night and sometimes just before dawn and are attracted by the warmth of our bodies and carbon dioxide in our breath.
If your home has a bed bug infestation, don’t risk spreading it by taking clothes or suitcases to hotels or the homes of your friends and families. Bedbugs can also migrate to adjoining properties through wall or floor cavities, so act promptly to ensure the problem doesn’t spread.
Understanding the signs and knowing what to look for will help to keep bed bug numbers under control; however, professional treatment will be required to eradicates an infestation. Rentokil Pest Control offers a call-out service to get rid of bed bugs in the home and use Entotherm, a safe and environmentally friendly heat treatment that eradicate bed bugs.
Rentokil can also treat furniture for bed bugs using their Heat Pod if there is a risk, the service is fast, effective and offers the highest level of safety for your family and pets.
Call Rentokil Pest Control on 1890 869 869 for advice on how to get rid of bed bugs or to arrange a visit by a Rentokil technician for a free site inspection.
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Issued by Heneghan PR on behalf of Rentokil Ireland.
For further information, please contact:
Heneghan PR
Rachel Watchorn / Jo-Ann Enright
Tel: 01 6607395
Email: Rachel@hpr.ie / Jo-ann@hpr.ie