Prevent Bed Bug Bites During Summer Travels

FAIRFAX, Va. (May 19, 2013) – The upcoming Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to the summer travel season. Families around the country will soon begin embarking on vacations, and many of them will be checking into hotels and motels – where they may encounter bed bugs. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) is encouraging travelers to be aware of common signs of bed bugs while on the road.

One way to recognize the early presence of bed bugs is by finding small reddish-brown fecal spots on bed linens and mattresses.  If an area is very heavily infested, a “sweet” odor may also be present. Other things that bed bugs tend to leave behind are molted skins and white, sticky eggs.

Another sign of a bed bug infestation is swelling and itchy, red welts on legs, arms and other body parts. Although bed bug bites are painless upon first contact, most people develop an allergic reaction to the saliva injected by the bug as it feeds, which may itch for days.  However, some people do not have reactions to bed bug bites at all.