National Bed Bug Prevention Day on June 10 arrives at the peak of summer travel season, when bed bug exposure risk is at its highest for anyone using hotels, short-term rentals or shared transit. Most Americans heading into that period cannot identify the pest, do not know how to inspect a room for it and have little idea where, beyond the bedroom, it turns up. That combination of high travel volume and low preparedness is what makes the summer months the most consequential of the year for anyone who books a room.
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm~?=J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]>JA>A]?6E^AC6A2C6\7@C\A62<\365\3F8\D62D@?\365\3F8\2H2C6?6DD\H66<^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmbaT @7 p>6C:42?Dk^2m 42? :56?E:7J 365 3F8D[ ;FDE b_T <?@H 9@H E@ :?DA64E 7@C E96> 2?5 @?=J bcT 2C6 2H2C6 E92E E96 A6DE 42? 36 7@F?5 @FED:56 E96 365C@@> 6?E:C6=J] %9@D6 ?F>36CD >2EE6C 3642FD6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]56=@:EE6]4@>^FD^6?^23@FE^AC6DD\C@@>^56=@:EE6\2D\C:D:?8\4@DED\D=@H\DF>>6C\EC2G6=\E@\D:I\J62C\=@H\EC2G6=6CD\A=2?\E@\DA6?5\>@C6]9E>=Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmcdT @7 p>6C:42?Dk^2m A=2? 2 DF>>6C G242E:@? H:E9 A2:5 =@58:?8 E9:D J62C] u@C >2?J @7 E9@D6 EC2G6=6CD[ 2 365 3F8 6?4@F?E6C H@F=5 =:<6=J 8@ F??@E:465 F?E:= 3:E6D[ 52>2865 =F88286 @C 2? :?76DE2E:@? 324< 9@>6 >2<6 E96 AC@3=6> :>A@DD:3=6 E@ :8?@C6]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm%96 C@@> 4964< >@DE 8F6DED D<:Ak^9am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm|@DE EC2G6=6CD 5C@A E96:C 328D @? E96 365 E96 >@>6?E E96J H2=< :?] !6DE AC@76DD:@?2=D C64@>>6?5 E96 @AA@D:E6i <66A =F88286 2H2J 7C@> E96 365 2?5 D@7E 7FC?:D9:?8D F?E:= E96 C@@> 92D 366? 4964<65]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm!F== E96 96253@2C5 2H2J 7C@> E96 H2== E@ :?DA64E E96 324<[ E96? CF? 2 7=2D9=:89E 2=@?8 >2EEC6DD D62>D 2E 6249 4@C?6C] %96 3@I DAC:?8 56D6CG6D E96 D2>6 2EE6?E:@?] {:7E E96 5FDE CF77=6 2?5 4964< E96 F?56CD:56] &A9@=DE6C65 492:CD 2?5 D@72D 2C6 2=D@ 4@>>@? 92C3@C286 A@:?ED E92E >@DE 8F6DED H2=< A2DE]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm}2E:@?2= !6DE |2?286>6?E pDD@4:2E:@?’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]A6DEH@C=5]@C8^2==\E9:?8D\365\3F8D^365\3F8\AC6G6?E:@?^E:AD\7@C\EC2G6=6CD^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmEC2G6=6C 8F:52?46k^2m C64@>>6?5D 4964<:?8 7@C E6==E2=6 DE2:?D @C DA@ED 2=@?8 D62>D 2?5 369:?5 E96 96253@2C5] p C@@> E92E A2DD6D E9:D 4964< E2<6D 23@FE 7:G6 >:?FE6D] p C@@> E92E 72:=D E@ 42E49 2 AC@3=6> 42? E2<6 >@?E9D 2?5 E9@FD2?5D @7 5@==2CD E@ C6D@=G6 2E 9@>6]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm(96C6 365 3F8D 24EF2==J EFC? FAk^9am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 9@E6= 365 :D E96 >@DE 72>:=:2C :>286[ 3FE A6DE AC@76DD:@?2=D 7:?5 365 3F8D H6== 36J@?5 E96 9@DA:E2=:EJ D64E@C] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]A6DEH@C=5]@C8^3F8D\H:E9@FE\3@C56CD^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmx?76DE2E:@?Dk^2m 92G6 366? 4@?7:C>65 :? 9@DA:E2= @A6C2E:?8 C@@>D[ |#x D42??6CD[ D49@@= 3FD6D[ s|' H2:E:?8 2C62D[ ECF4< 423D[ 4@?DF>6C 6=64EC@?:4D 2?5 AF3=:4 EC2?D:E]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmq65 3F8D 92G6 EFC?65 FA 24C@DD 2== 244@>>@52E:@? EJA6D 2?5 AC:46 A@:?ED] qF586E >@E6=D[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^3@FE:BF6\9@E6=D\766=\=:<6\E@C@?E@^Qm3@FE:BF6 9@E6=Dk^2m 2?5 D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2=D 92G6 2== 86?6C2E65 AC@76DD:@?2= D6CG:46 42==D] (92E G2C:6D :D 9@H BF:4<=J 2 AC@3=6> 86ED C6A@CE65 2?5 255C6DD65]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm(92E E@ 5@ E96 >@>6?E J@F 86E 9@>6k^9am
More from this section
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 A@DE\EC:A H:?5@H :D H96C6 >@DE AC6G6?E:@? 3C62<D 5@H?] {F88286 8@6D 5:C64E=J :?E@ 2 365C@@> 4=@D6E[ H9:=6 4=@E96D 7C@> 2 DF:E42D6 8@ :?E@ 2 92>A6C @C 324< :?E@ 2 5C2H6C] q@E9 >@G6D 8:G6 2?J 9:E499:<:?8 3F8 :>>65:2E6 2446DD E@ 2 A6C>2?6?E 92C3@C286]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 4@CC64E AC@E@4@= :D E@ :?DA64E =F88286 367@C6 3C:?8:?8 :E :?E@ E96 9@FD6[ 2?5 H2D9 2== 4=@E9:?8 7C@> E96 EC:A[ :?4=F5:?8 :E6>D E92E H6C6 A24<65 3FE ?@E H@C?[ :? 9@E H2E6C] %96 DF:E42D6 :ED6=7 86ED G24FF>65 2?5 DE@C65 367@C6 :E C62496D 2 =:G:?8 DA246]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmq65 3F8D C6AC@5F46 BF:4<=J[ 2?5 :?76DE2E:@?D :?EC@5F465 5FC:?8 DF>>6C EC2G6= 42? 8@ F?56E64E65 7@C H66<D 367@C6 A@AF=2E:@?D 8C@H =2C86 6?@F89 E@ AC@5F46 G:D:3=6 6G:56?46] qJ E96 E:>6 D:8?D 2AA62C[ AC@76DD:@?2= EC62E>6?E :D EJA:42==J C6BF:C65]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm%96 AC@76DD:@?2= D:56 @7 E96 82Ak^9am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmpC@F?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]A6DEH@C=5]@C8^>F=E:>65:2\46?E6C^AC6DD\C6=62D6D^365\3F8D\7@F?5\:?\EGD\D49@@=\3FD6D\2?5\9@DA:E2=\@CD\2?5\9@>6@H?6CD\7C6BF6?E=J\>:D:56?E:7J\E96>^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmacTk^2m @7 A6DE >2?286>6?E AC@76DD:@?2=D C2?< 365 3F8D 2D E96 D:?8=6 92C56DE A6DE E@ 4@?EC@=[ ?62C=J 5@F3=6 E96 5:77:4F=EJ C2E:?8 @7 v6C>2? 4@4<C@2496D @C C@56?ED] %96 AC@3=6> :D 4@>A@F?565 3J E96 724E E92E h_T @7 A6DE AC@76DD:@?2=D C6A@CE 36:?8 42==65 E@ EC62E 2 DFDA64E65 365 3F8 :?76DE2E:@? E92E EFC?D @FE E@ 36 D@>6E9:?8 6=D6] |:D:56?E:7:42E:@? 56=2JD C62= EC62E>6?E 2?5 2==@HD 24EF2= :?76DE2E:@?D E@ DAC625 H6== A2DE E96 A@:?E @7 62DJ :?E6CG6?E:@?]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm(92E E9:D DF>>6C C6G62=D 23@FE AC6G6?E:@?k^9am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmq65 3F8 2H2C6?6DD 92D 8C@H? DE625:=J @G6C E96 A2DE 564256[ 3FE E96 AC24E:42= <?@H=6586 ?66565 E@ 24E @? :E 92D ?@E <6AE A246] |@DE EC2G6=6CD <?@H E96 A6DE 6I:DED 2?5 F?56CDE2?5 :E 2D 2 9@E6= AC@3=6>] u2C 76H6C <?@H H92E E@ =@@< 7@C[ 9@H 72C 36J@?5 E96 >2EEC6DD E96 C:D< 6IE6?5D @C H92E DE6AD E@ E2<6 367@C6 F?A24<:?8 2E 9@>6]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmu@C E96 9@DA:E2=:EJ 2?5 A6DE >2?286>6?E :?5FDEC:6D[ E92E 82A >62?D AC6G6?E:@? 42??@E C6=J @? 8F6DED E@ D6=7\A@=:46] %96 3FC56? @7 :?DA64E:@? DE2?52C5D[ DE277 EC2:?:?8 2?5 C2A:5 C6DA@?D6 72==D @? E96 3FD:?6DD6D >2?28:?8 D92C65 DA246D[ 2?5 DF>>6C :D H96? E9@D6 DJDE6>D 7246 E96:C 8C62E6DE AC6DDFC6]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm|2?5J HC:E6D 23@FE 7@@5[ 9@>6 2?5 E96 <:?5 @7 6G6CJ52J =:76 E92E 766=D 2?JE9:?8 3FE @C5:?2CJ] $96 92D EC2G6=65 6IE6?D:G6=J[ 2?5 E9@D6 6IA6C:6?46D 92G6 D92A65 6G6CJE9:?8[ 7C@> 4@>7@CE:?8 >62=D E@ D>2== =:76DEJ=6 FA8C256D E92E >2<6 2 3:8 5:776C6?46] *@F’== 7:?5 2== 96C 72G@C:E6 C64:A6D @G6C 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^9F?8CJ4@@<D<:E496?]4@>^QmwF?8CJ r@@<D z:E496?k^2m]k^Am
kAm%96 A@DE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^?2E:@?2=\365\3F8\AC6G6?E:@?\52J\C@@>\4964<^Qm}6H 52E2 D9@HD >@DE EC2G6=6CD 5@?’E <?@H 9@H E@ 4964< 2 9@E6= C@@> 7@C 365 3F8Dk^2m 2AA62C65 7:CDE @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>Qmu@@5 sC:?< {:76k^2m]k^Am
