Bedbugs are a formidable foe

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — Bedbugs, once thought of as a problem only in cheap hotels with poor sanitation, can actually infest anywhere individuals move in and out frequently, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

According to the article, bedbugs can be found in hotels, college dorms, apartment buildings and other places and, from there, they easily hitchhike on clothing or in luggage to a home or office.

For decades, bedbugs were largely controlled with powerful insecticides, but they have reemerged since dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and other such chemicals were banned and classified as harmful to humans, the story stated.

Clay Scherer, an entomologist with the DuPont Company, said: "It doesn't matter whether it's a high-end or low-end hotel; all are at risk, and all types have been known to be infested. [Because no substitutes for older insecticides have been developed,] there is no surefire way to control bedbugs yet."

Experts like Richard Cooper of Cooper Pest Solutions Inc. say it is unlikely one will be able to detect bedbugs with just a cursory inspection of a hotel room, and because of this, it becomes extremely difficult for hotel housekeepers to note a possible infestation and act accordingly to remediate the problem, the story noted.

Many properties do not have a problem with bedbugs because they are proactive against an infestation by adhering to a pest control program; however, with the increase in international travel, concerns are slowly rising, the story added.

Ed Grose, executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association, said: "They're very guarded about it. But if I put on a seminar about bedbugs, they're very interested."

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