I dare you to try to say that heading ten times fast. But there is an important reason for this fanciful alliteration. According to the 2015 biennial report, Bugs Without Borders, which surveys U.S. pest professionals on the prevalence of bed bugs in America, ⅔ of respondents reported that bed bugs are worse in the summer, and that 75% of bed bugs found were found in hotels/motels. This makes visiting beaches during the summer months a notable danger zone for picking up bed bugs.

Not only do these reports show that bed bugs are particularly troublesome for families taking summer vacations to the beaches, they also indicate that bed bug cases are on the rise. In this recent report 99.6% of pest professionals surveyed cited that they had treated for bed bugs in the past year. That is up dramatically from 15 years ago, when only 25% indicated that they had treated for bed bugs within the year.

Why the increase in bed bugs? Many pest controllers believe it is a mixture of an increase in travel and a lack of public awareness. They also point out that these are hard bugs to get rid of. Seriously. Pest professionals have reported treating for bed bugs in a prosthetic leg, a casket with a deceased body, a vent above a bathtub, a dance club, a 911 call center, a tow boat on the Ohio River, and more. These are challenging bugs to get rid of.

Are beaches any worse than other areas with hotels and motels? Bed bugs don’t swim in the ocean. They live predominantly inside where they have access to people. You’re not going to have too much trouble with these bugs on the beach, unless you brought them from your room.

Do bed bugs only bite people while they sleep? Though bed bugs are mostly found where people sleep, like hotels, motels, nursing homes, hospitals and such, they can also be found in office buildings, movie theaters, retail stores, day care centers, schools, trains, buses, taxis and even airplanes.

How do bed bugs live in places where people don’t sleep? These bugs can feed on a fully awake human without detection. Their mouthparts slip in through the skin and deposit an anticoagulant that thins blood for painless extraction. While you’re munching on a tall bag of popcorn, those bed bugs can easily be munching on you.

How do I keep the bed bugs at the beach? Here is the most important question of all. Any time you travel you want to be sure to do an inspection of your room. Search for dried, brown blood stains on pillowcases and sheets and for black areas on the seams and corners of mattresses, or in the stitching of upholstered furniture. Use a flashlight to do an inspection for tiny, rust-colored bugs in the bed or on the backboard. Keep a wary eye out for anyone who has a line of mosquito-type bites on their body. These bites can be a warning sign for you and your family.

Enjoy the summer and enjoy the beach, but don’t let those bed bugs ruin your fun or hitch a ride home with you. Awareness is the key to prevention. If you suspect that you may have been unfortunate enough to bring them to your home or business here in Georgia, contact the professionals here Active Pest Control and we will help you get rid of bed bugs for good, beach or no beach!