Broadcast Release - The bedbugs are biting in the U.S.

Public Info Methods Taylor Phillips

100 N. University Drive (405) 123-4567

Edmond OK. 73034 TaylorJoannePhillips@gmail.com ● (405) 765-4321

UCO.EDU @TaylorJo53

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 10, 2017

The bedbugs are biting in the U.S.

Don’t let the bedbugs bite, New York City, Philadelphia and Detroit are among the top 15 American cities for bedbugs, did yours make the list?

Bedbugs are currently on the rise in homes, office buildings as well as retail shops. Hotels, motels, airplanes as well as cruise ships are very susceptible for bedbugs. Bedbugs hitch hike from one location to the next, leaving everyone at risk.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says bedbugs are on the rise because more people are traveling, a lack of knowledge about infestations and how to prevent them as well as an increased resistance of bedbugs to pesticides.

BugOut is an extermination company with more than 350 service centers in the U.S. In 2016, they conducted a study based on the number calls they received and came up with a list of the top 15 U.S. cities to have bedbugs.

Curt Lamb, entomologist for Bugout has more.

SOUNDBITE

“It’s no surprise that highly trafficked cities such as New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles

are on the list. The bedbug problems in these cities outpace markets of far greater size

despite their having a fraction of the population and typically fewer travelers and hotels.”

The EPA says that bedbugs can cause public health issues but do not transmit or spread diseases.

Bedbugs are as tiny as an apple seed, have long bodies, are brown and have a “musty-sweetish” smell, according to the EPA. You can look for bedbugs by looking for dark red spots, egg sacks which are very small and yellow and for live bugs.

Some tips for travelers to avoid bringing bedbugs home include:

• Check headboards, mattresses and box springs for bedbugs.

• Avoid unpacking clothing when staying at hotels and on cruise ships and avoid storing them in furniture drawers.

• Use the luggage rack and avoid putting your suitcase on the floor or furniture.

• BugOut suggests ways to avoid bringing bedbugs home by

• Vacuuming out suitcases and immediately washing your clothes in hot water after your trips.

• Never pick up used furniture left on the curbside.

• Inspect furniture, antiques, used appliances or consignment items for signs of bedbugs before bringing them into your home.

If you suspect you have bedbugs, have your home inspected by a trained professional. Over the counter remedies are not suggested and do little to nothing to help the infestation.

For more information on how to prevent or get rid of bedbugs, go to www.getthebugsout.com.

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Note to news director: Curt Lamb’s soundbite can be found from BugOut’s media center at www.bugout.com/media.