COLUMBIA, S.C., April 22, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terminix Service, Inc., a pest management company with more than 65 years of service in South Carolina, western North Carolina and the CSRA area of eastern Georgia, is proud to observe Bed Bug Awareness Week, April 22-26. Since making a resurgence several years ago, infesting homes, hotels, retail locations and offices, bed bugs have proven to be a difficult and hard pest to control.
Although a year-round concern, experts from Terminix Service, Inc. advise people to be on high alert heading into the busy late spring and summer travel season. In observance of Bed Bug Awareness Week, Terminix Service, Inc. is advising people in their customer service areas to be extra vigilant to help curb the spread of these pervasive pests.
"Summer is a prime time for bed bug infestations because travel increases and people are more likely to pick up bed bugs during transit between locations," said Scott Fortson, President of Terminix Service, Inc. "We encourage all travelers, from college students coming home for break to families going on vacation, to keep a close eye out for bed bugs looking for a ride home in suitcases."
Public vigilance starts with a careful inspection upon checking in at lodging accommodations. According to new research by the NPMA and the University of Kentucky, 75 percent of pest control professionals indicated that they have encountered infestations of bed bugs in hotels and motels in the past year. Hotels are taking a proactive stance on protecting their establishments from bed bugs with strict protocols that include routine inspections, but guests also play an important role in bringing bed bugs to management's attention and to help limit the spread to other locations.
To prevent an unwanted encounter with bed bugs this summer, Terminix Service, Inc. shares the following prevention tips for travelers:
- At hotels, thoroughly inspect the entire room before unpacking, including behind the headboard and in furniture. Pull back the bed sheets and check the mattress seams and box springs for pepper-like stains that may be evidence of bed bug activity.
- If you suspect an infestation or problem, notify management and change rooms immediately. Be sure the new room is not adjacent to or directly below or above the possibly infested room.
- Keep suitcases in plastic trash bags or protective covers during a hotel stay to prevent bed bugs from nesting there. Do not put them on the beds.
- Upon returning home from a trip, inspect all suitcases and other belongings before bringing them into the house.
- Wash all clothes—even those that have not been worn - in hot water and dry them using an extra-hot dryer setting
Throughout Bed Bug Awareness Week, Terminix Service, Inc. will provide consumers useful facts and helpful hints through their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
For more information on Bed Bug Awareness Week, please visit www.TrustTerminix.com.
About Terminix Service, Inc.
For more than 65 years, our customers have trusted Terminix Service, Inc. for the very best in Termite and Pest Control protection for their homes and businesses. In addition to the strongest termite damage guarantee in the industry, Terminix also provides mosquito management, fire ant control, fumigations, crawl space ventilation, dehumidification and moisture control.