• Thoroughly inspect the entire room with a flashlight before unpacking, including behind the headboard, under lights, and inside dressers, drawers, sofas and chairs.
• Pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams and box springs, particularly at the corners, for telltale stains, spots or shed bed bug skins.
• Place suitcase in a plastic trash bag during the duration of your trip to ensure that bed bugs cannot take up residence there prior to departure. *Tip: Pack clothes in zip lock bag for easy cleaning upon returning home.
• Do not place luggage on upholstered surfaces. The safest place is in the bathroom in the middle of a tile floor or on a luggage rack after it has been thoroughly inspected. Do not use a luggage rack if it has hollow legs, where bed bugs may hide unseen.
• If you notice bed bugs in your room, notify management and request to change rooms immediately.
• Do not move to a room adjacent and/or directly above/below the suspected infestation.
• When you return home, inspect your suitcases before bringing them into the house.
• Vacuum your suitcase thoroughly before bringing indoors and storing away.
• Wash all of your clothes - even those items you haven¹t worn - in hot water to remove any bed bugs or eggs that may have traveled home with you. Dry clean only clothes should be thrown in the dryer and run on high heat.

Copyright 2011. The National Pest Management Association.

The study, which surveyed U.S. pest management professionals, found that bed bug encounters have become much more common in public places than the previous year. In fact, one of the most talked about statistics is that the numbers of professionals who treated college dorms increased to 54 percent, up from 35 percent in 2010.

Since bed bugs thrive in places where there are many people, college dorm rooms and off campus housing can provide a perfect environment for an infestation.

In order to prevent these creepy crawlers from ruining the upcoming semester, we recommend following these tips:

• Fully inspect your suitcases prior to re-packing for a return to school, especially if you have traveled during the summer. Be sure that any clothes that may have been previously packed in the suitcase have been washed in hot water.

• Before putting your sheets on your dormitory bed, inspect the mattress seams, particularly at the corners, for telltale stains or spots. Thoroughly inspect the entire room before unpacking, including behind the headboard and in sofas/chairs. If you see anything suspect, immediately contact a university facility manager.

• If you are considering bringing "secondhand" furniture to campus, properly inspect it to ensure that a pest problem, such as bed bugs, is not the reason for its "secondhand" status. If you see anything suspect, do not bring it to your dorm, apartment or house.

• Repeat these steps after every return trip to and from campus, whether it be for weekend get-aways, trips home and especially when returning from holiday and Spring Break.

Canine noses are very sensitive to the scent of bed bugs, and can thus sniff out the pests quicker than a human could find them by visually searching.  To help facilitate the certification of bed bug detecting canine teams, the National Pest Management Association recently hosted the National Canine Conference in Philadelphia.  At the conference, hundreds of professionals and more than 50 dogs gathered to share experience and insights on canine bed bug detection.

Additionally, owners and handlers were able to take their dogs through the certification process to make them official bed bug detecting dogs.

The local, national and international media were on hand to cover the event.  Watch here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13636418 ) to see some of the furry attendees and to catch a glimpse into the rigors of becoming a certified bed bug sniffing dog.

In response to the need for accurate, unbiased and in-depth information on these pests - which have made an astoudning resurgence in the last decade - the National Pest Management Association has developed "All Things Bed Bugs: Your One-Stop Shop for Bed Bug Information."

This new resource offers information on the pest's biology and history, as well as signs of infestation and places where bed bugs are frequently found. The site also includes frequently asked questions, photography and video footage of bed bugs, prevention tips, bed bug news, and the NPMA's Best Management Practices for handling an infestation. The site was designed to be a valuable resource for consumers who are either dealing with a bed bug infestation or educating themselves on ways to prevent bringing this pest home.

Leave us a comment to let us know what you think of All Things Bed Bugs! We look forward to your feedback.