FAIRFAX, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--March 8, 2006--Students may bring back more than just fun and crazy memories of Spring Break this year. Bed bugs are back and are hitching rides with vacationing students from their hotels and motels to their homes and dorms. So whether it's fun in the sun or hitting the slopes, students may find themselves with a biting problem.
According to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), pest control companies are reporting a significant increase in the number of calls regarding bed bug infestations. "Bed bugs are resilient pests that travel easily from room to room within a house or from hotel to home via suitcases. They are extremely difficult to remove and require the precision and experience of a pest professional to entirely
eliminate an infestation," reports Cindy Mannes, NPMA vice president of public affairs.
Bed bugs enjoy feeding on human blood. As they bite the skin they inject an anesthetic-like liquid that numbs the skin, leaving their victims undisturbed. "The good news about bed bugs, if there is any," reports Mannes, "is that they are not disease-carrying pests. There is no record of them transmitting any sickness to humans; common skin reactions include circular, red, itchy welts." Although they are capable of living up to ten months without a meal, a single bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs in a lifetime.
Bed bugs derive their name from their tendency to live in beds, but they can be found in carpets, under wallpaper, behind baseboards, and in small cracks and crevices throughout a room. According to Mannes, bed bug infestations are not attributed to unclean or unsanitary living conditions and can reside in numerous living areas. So thoroughly inspect the room and bed before unpacking. If any creepy crawlers are spotted, change rooms or establishments immediately.
The NPMA, a non-profit organization with more than 5,000 members, was established in 1933 to support the pest management industry's commitment to the protection of public health, food and property, reflected both in the continuing education of the pest professional and the dissemination of timely information to homeowners.
