Bed bugs were a huge problem years ago and have become a problem again. The hotel and travel industry have been hit the hardest because bed bugs are commonly found in areas with many guests like hotels, universities or hospitals. People who travel a lot are at a higher risk of having a bed bug problem.

Bed bugs are most active at night and bite any exposed skin. The bites are painless but if the bites are scratched it can cause infections. Bed bug bites are commonly mistaken for flea or mosquito bites or other rashes. Studies are currently being conducted to determine if bed bugs carry any disease.

Treatment for bed bugs can be a very involved process from bed bug detection to treatment to removal. Bed bugs live in any articles of furniture, clothing, or bedding. They can spread to multiple rooms within a home of even multiple dwellings in a building. Moving does not solve the problem because bed bugs can be found in suitcases or boxes. They may have an odor and commonly leave dark spots on bed sheets or around their hiding places.

Bed bugs are more common than most people realize. And as more people travel throughout the US and abroad, bed bugs are traveling with them.

Just recently Orkin, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rollins Inc., released a list of cities ranked in order by the number of bed bug treatments Orkin performed from January – April 2011.

If you're arriving home from one of these cities, contact a local exterminator like Killingsworth for bed bug detection to make sure you don't carry bed bugs into your home.

1.     Cincinnati
2.     Chicago
3.     Columbus, Ohio
4.     Denver
5.     Detroit
6.     Washington, D.C.
7.     New York
8.     Dayton, Ohio
9.     Philadelphia
10.     Baltimore
11.     Lexington, Ky.
12.     Cleveland/Akron/Canton, Ohio
13.     Las Vegas
14.     Richmond/Petersburg, Va.
15.     Hartford/New Haven, Conn.
16.     Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.
17.     Buffalo, N.Y.
18.     Houston
19.     Los Angeles
20.     Boston/Manchester, N.H.
21.     Omaha, Neb.
22.     Indianapolis
23.     Albany/Schenectady/Troy, N.Y.
24.     Cedar Rapids/Waterloo, Iowa
25.     Pittsburgh
26.     Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, N.C.
27.     Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, Mich.
28.     San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, Calif.
29.     Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas
30.     Phoenix/Prescott, Ariz.
31.     New Orleans
32.     Des Moines/Ames, Iowa
33.     Lincoln/Hastings/Kearney, Neb.
34.     Seattle/Tacoma, Wash.
35.     Milwaukee
36.     Charleston/Huntington, W.Va.
37.     Charlotte, N.C.
38.     Louisville, Ky.
39.     San Diego
40.     Norfolk/Portsmouth/Newport News, Va.
41.     Sioux City, Iowa
42.     Tulsa, Okla.
43.     Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
44.     Austin, Texas
45.     Ft. Wayne, Ind.
46.     Colorado Springs/Pueblo, Colo.
47.     Syracuse, N.Y.
48.     Atlanta
49.     Davenport, Iowa/Moline, Ill.
50.     Salt Lake City, Utah

People who travel a lot are at a higher risk of having a bed bug problem. Although bed bugs are common, Killingsworth offers the following 10 steps to help you avoid bed bugs while you travel.

1.     Pull back linens to check for signs of bedbugs, exoskeletons, and spotting.
2.     Always look behind the headboard if possible.
3.     Always check the dust ruffle on the bed.
4.     Try not to ever use the dressers supplied by the hotel.
5.     Leave all clothing in your luggage at all times.
6.     If you can, put your luggage in the bathroom at night.
7.     When you return home always run any clothing through dryer for 30 mins.
8.     Leave luggage outside the home (i.e. garage, storage building, etc.)
9.     Inspect all belongings for any signs of bedbugs.
10.     Contact an exterminator for bed bug services

Killingsworth provides a unique service with its K-9 bed bug team. Schedule an appointment for when you will be returning home and simply leave your bags outside and the K-9 team will come to your home or office and check your luggage for signs of bed bugs. This bed bug service team is specially trained to sniff out bed bugs.