Bed Bugs On Rise in Atlanta
Atlanta ranks 21st in the country for bed bug treatments, according to the pest control company Orkin. That’s compared to being ranked 45th two years ago.
These blood-sucking invaders aren’t invited into most homes and hotels. But that doesn’t stop them from coming in anyway.
Ron Harrison with Orkin says there’s a shift in the places you may find bed bugs.
“Your chances are probably lower now for picking up bed bugs from hotels, and more likely in apartment complexes visiting a friend or in health care situations, maybe when you get to nursing homes or things of that sort,” he says.
There’s no evidence at this time that bed bugs transmit diseases to humans. But getting a skin infection after scratching an itchy bite is a concern.
Nancy Hinkle, an entomologist at the University of Georgia, has also noticed a trend in the state.
“Within the last seven to 10 years, we’ve definitely had more bed bugs than in the previous decade or so,” she says.
Hinkle cites increased awareness and more people traveling as potential causes for the rise.
Experts say you shouldn’t store your luggage on hotel room floors or beds. They also say you should inspect any furniture you bring into your home.
Related:
More on bed bugs from Orkin’s online Pest Library.
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