Bed bugs are a concern for travelers this holiday season. E.P.A. district administrator, Karl Brooks, says bed bugs have made a resurgence as older pesticides used against them were retired. Brooks says the old pesticides had major down sides and public health risks and the bugs have developed immunities to the commonly used pesticides. Brooks says you can take some steps to prevent spreading the bed bugs.
Brooks says the main way the bugs get around is on your luggage. He says put your luggage in a tub or up on a rack, and when you get home, anything on the floor should be washed. Brook says there is plenty of information available on dealing with bedbugs. He says you can go to EPA.gov on-line and look for the bed bug button, or go to the Iowa Department of Public Health website. Brooks says it doesn’t matter if you stay in an expensive hotel or a bargain bed.
Brooks says some of the “really pricey” hotels in big cities have had some of the worst bed bug outbreaks, as the bugs don’t care how much money you have, they just want to be around people. Brooks says the only good news about bed bugs, is that they don’t carry diseases that can pass on to you.
Brook says they are basically really irritating and the E.P.A. does not know of any disease they spread like at tick or mosquito does. Brooks supervises E.P.A. operations in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska.