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Top 10 Places to Encounter Bed Bugs

bed

Check These Places For Bed Bugs

According to CBS News, Charlotte is the 30th worst U.S. city for bed bugs. But luckily for you, Killingsworth is located in Charlotte and it’s our number one priority to protect you and your home from these creepy crawlies!

In hopes of educating local Charlotteans, we’ve created a list of 10 common, non-residential environments where bed bugs may typically be found along with tips and tricks on how to avoid them.

First and foremost, bed bugs do not discriminate. Many people assume bed bugs are only associated with lower class, unsanitary living quarters, but popular to the contrary belief, they can be found absolutely anywhere. They seek human blood and that resource can be found in rags and riches. Even Charlotte, an extremely clean and wealthy city, is ranked among the worst U.S. cities for these critters! It’s easy to think, ‘I’ll never have a bed bug infestation,’ but they are a lot more prevalent than people think.

Here are 10 of the most common places to encounter bed begs:

1. Hotels

2. Movie theaters

3. Any mode of public transportation including planes, trains, and buses

4. Public Libraries

5. Schools/Colleges/Universities

6. Daycares

7. Consignment stores, thrift shops, yard sales

8. Hospitals

9. Office buildings

10. Retail stores

Those public spaces essentially act as transfer hubs for bed bugs. It’s the perfect opportunity for them to hitch a ride to their next destination. As more people are traveling through the United States and abroad, bed bugs are likely traveling with them. Obviously, it’s hard to avoid most of those places, especially if you travel frequently, so we’ve created a travel checklist to ensure you don’t bring bed bugs into your home.

Here are 10 tips for frequent travelers and hotel guests:

1. Pull back bed linens to check for signs of bed bugs, exoskeletons, and spotting. Resembles black pepper on mattress

2. Always look behind the headboard if possible

3. Always check the dust ruffle on the bed

4. Try not to ever use the dressers provided by the hotel

5. Leave all clothing in your luggage at all times

6. If you can, put your luggage in the bathroom at night

7. When you return home, always run any clothing you traveled with through the dryer for at least 30 minutes.

8. Leave luggage outside of your home (i.e. garage, storage unit, etc.)

9. Inspect all belongings for any signs of bed bugs

10. Contact Killingsworth for bed bug services!

If you live in the Charlotte Metro area and are a frequent traveler or you frequently host out of town guests, Killingsworth Environmental can safeguard your home with a one-year bed bug warranty. This offer includes an inspection with one of our K-9 scent detection teams to ensure there is no bed bug activity in your residence. If any live activity occurs during the one-year period, the warranty includes a free remedial treatment ($1,500 value) to dispose of the bed bugs.

Protect yourself and your home. Schedule an appointment with our bed bug experts today!

Great, now I’m all itchy and stuff…

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Top 10 Places to Encounter Bed Bugs

Bedbug inspection

How to Know if Your Hotel Has Bedbugs

Upon entering a hotel room, do you typically reach for the tiny toiletries, take a leap onto the bed, or perhaps start by inspecting for bed bugs? Knowing what to look for is essential. Anticimex Carolinas Service Manager Christian Tweed has shared valuable insights on identifying bed bugs in your hotel room and preventing them from hitching a ride back home with you. And if bed bugs do become an unexpected part of your vacation, remember that Clark’s Pest Control is here to assist!



Q&A with a Pest Professional


How do bed bugs get inside hotels?


Bed bugs are primarily hitchhiking insects as opposed to foraging ones, meaning that they get carried around on people’s clothes and belongings. Someone with an active infestation in their home can easily bring bed bugs to their hotel, but they can also be picked up during travel (airplanes, taxis, and rideshare services) and brought to a hotel room.


What do people misunderstand about bed bugs in hotels?


From a probability standpoint, all hotels will deal with bed bugs at some point in time. If you think about a bed bug’s method of travel, there’s literally nothing a hotel can do to stop them from being carried in. What I have realized is that luxury hotels are more likely to have an aggressive response to dealing with a bed bug case once it’s identified as they tend to have a higher quality of service and a reputation to protect. While this isn’t always the case, it has been my experience more often than not.

Got bedbugs? Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today!

What do you recommend travelers do when they get to their room to check for bed bugs?


Most hotel headboards hang directly on the wall. I start my inspection here before even looking at the bed itself. I have found bed bugs, their exoskeletons, and the telltale black stains they leave behind around the edges of or in the crevices of headboards. If the headboard looks clean, move on to looking over the pillowcases and comforter for any signs or stains. You can dig into the bedding as deep as you want here, but I encourage people to look over the top layer of things at the very least.


What are some lesser-known signs of bed bugs in your hotel room?


The specifics of the black stains they leave behind, which as gross as it sounds, are just digested blood as that’s all that bed bugs feed on. If the stains are on a hard surface, they will be small dots as if left behind by an ink pen and will smear into a brownish gray when moisture is applied. If they’re on fabric, they will usually bleed along the fibers making a small diamond, square or X shape.


If there are bed bugs in your hotel room, can they travel home with you?


They absolutely can, however this is easy to prevent. While staying in a hotel, keep as much of your clothing and luggage off the beds as possible. Storing suitcases in the bathroom might sound odd, but it’s an effective method of prevention.

Don’t tackle bedbugs yourself, call Clark’s at 866-781-4991!

What should you do with your suitcase if you suspect your hotel has bed bugs?


When arriving home from a trip, leave your luggage in the garage or on a porch and bring your clothes in one load of laundry at a time. If the clothes are dirty, wash them like you normally would, if they’re clean then run them through the dryer for at least forty-five minutes. Once your suitcase is empty, vacuum over it meticulously (don’t forget to empty the vacuum when you’re done), or if you’re in the right climate, expose it to heat for a few days by placing it in your vehicle (parked in the sun) or for a few weeks in your attic.


The Clark’s Solution


If you brought bed bugs back to you home, Clark’s is here to help. Our Bedbug Control service is designed to eliminate bedbugs and create a safe, comfortable environment.


A Clark’s Pest Professional will do an inspection and recommend a plan of attack to get rid of bed bugs now and prevent them from hatching in the future. Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today for more information.



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