“Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite.” This old adage might take on a literal meaning if you sleep over often in Houston or the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Unfortunately, both of these Texas metroplexes recently ranked on Orkin’s Top 20 List for Bed Bug Infestations with Dallas/Fort Worth moving up to a higher (worse) spot on the list.
Lifestyle
These Two Texas Cities Made The Top 20 List For Bed Bug Infestations
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Dallas/Fort Worth Joined the Top 10
Photo: Flickr/Todd Martin
Taking the top spot for the second year is Baltimore, Maryland. Included on the list for the first time are New Orleans and Flint, Michigan with Dallas/Fort Worth joining the top 10. And while the Big Apple, New York, fell four spots from their 2017 ranking, San Diego and Albany rejoin the community as prominent bed bug locales. To see the complete list of cities on Orkin’s list, visit their website.
Bed Bugs: Not Just In The Bed
Photo: Flickr/AFPMB
These parasitic insects actually feed on blood from humans and warm-blooded animals to survive. Like ticks, bed bugs are flat, circular, and reddish-brown in color. They are also quite tiny which makes finding them even harder.
Bed bugs aren’t exclusive to where you lay your head to sleep. They can be found almost anywhere including offices, grocery stores, hotels, and gyms. They’re also pretty crafty and have been known to hide in luggage, clothing, and even on your body. They wait for the perfect chance to strike, often as you sleep, and can multiply quickly in optimal conditions.
Helpful Tips for Bug-Weary Travelers
Photo: Unsplash/Erol Ahmed
Orkin suggests that travelers should be particularly cautious with bed bugs as they run the risk of spreading possible infestations to other locations. They recommend such tricks of the trade as placing your luggage in the bathtub immediately upon checking into a hotel room and then doing a check of the mattress, bedding and other linens for the bugs. If the room appears to be all clear, you can then move your luggage to a more convenient area of your room.
Upon returning home, inspect your luggage again for stowaways and then put all of the clothing from your luggage in the dryer and dry on high heat for 15 minutes to kill any bugs that may have followed you home.
