April – what a busy month it was! Between the spring cleaning and the battling of warm weather bed bugs, we can’t believe April is already behind us. Wait! That means we missed National Pest Management Month! Well, we didn’t really miss it, we were out fighting against bed bugs all April long. And besides, it’s never too late to talk about preventing pest infestations.
For the past 30 years, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has observed the month of April as National Pest Management Month, using these few weeks each year to take an active stance against harmful household pests. This year, as with the many years before now, NPMA led a monthlong nationwide educational campaign with the hopes of promoting pest prevention in homes across America.
For the April 2014 observance of National Pest Prevention Month, the NPMA sought to spread awareness about more than just the “ick-factor” of a pest infestation; the primary goal was to make Americans aware of the potential risks to your health and home that certain common pests carry. While some pests like termites, ants, and certain rodents can cause structural damage to your home or property, other pests bite and sting, and even aggravate existing allergy and asthma symptoms.
During this monthlong campaign against pests, April 20th-26th marked this year’s National Bed Bug Awareness Week, during which bed bug education and prevention was the central focus of NPMA. However, Bed Bug Solutions isn’t stopping the awareness campaign just because Bed Bug Week is technically behind us, so here are a few reminders when traveling this summer vacation season:
– When checking into your hotel room or resort suite, give the room a thorough inspection for any sign of bed bugs before unpacking. Try also to refrain from storing your luggage on the bed, sofa, or the floor, instead keeping your suitcase on a desk or table, or even in the bathroom, to help you avoid any unwanted carry on pests.
– If you do suspect there are bed bugs in your hotel room, speak up. Not only will this get you a bug-free room for your stay, but you will also be allowing hotel management to get a head start against what could be a potentially larger infestation problem.
– When you get home, scour your luggage once more to be certain you didn’t bring home any stowaway bed bugs. To be safe, wash and dry everything using extra heat upon your return, including the clothing you didn’t end up wearing on your trip.
As always, if at any point you do suspect there are bed bugs in your home or business, quarantine any infested items if possible, and contact Bed Bug Solutions right away!
Happy Belated Bed Bug Awareness Week!