A Bed Bug Bonanza? Covid-19 Might Have One Punch Left to Deliver

Bed bugs cases likely to rise thanks to Covid

Customers will agree that even one bed bug infestation is one too many, but things get especially worrisome when there’s an explosion of cases all at once, a troubling health threat that appears to be just on the horizon.

Generally speaking, the statistics of bed bug incidents are relatively stable, constant and predictable, which has helped keep the problem manageable. There is reason to believe there is an increase in infestations in mid-to-late summer every year, but not for biological reasons. Instead, this annual uptick in bed bug activity can be explained by human activity.

Bed bugs can’t travel on their own. Rather, they have to hitch a ride with a host. As people leave their homes for vacation during the summer, bed bugs get their chance to travel far and wide, even across oceans. An infested hotel room may host several guests before anyone is alerted to the problem, and then they all travel back home before autumn, when the problem is likely to spread to family members, neighbors, colleagues and others.

Now, the same principles that drive this yearly boom for bed bugs appear set to cause a much worse problem and, like so much else these days, it’s all thanks to COVID-19.

When the coronavirus first reared its ugly head, one of the few unexpected upsides was a dramatic decrease in the spread of bed bugs. Why? Because the world was experiencing the opposite of the usual summer-time bonanza. Lockdowns, strict travel restrictions and anxiety over meeting in large groups meant that fewer bed bugs could take advantage of increasingly rare opportunities to find new hosts. Bed bug infestations were down by a full 20%.

Now, though, the world is opening back up and tourism is on the rise. We may have learned a thing or two about trying to keep public spaces cleaner due to the pandemic, but the fact remains that more travelers in more hotel rooms and AirBnbs are likely to spread more bed bugs.

But wait! If bed bugs weren’t able to spread effectively during the pandemic, those who went without a host for long enough should have died, right?

Unfortunately, this is an unlikely scenario. Bed bugs can live without feeding for around 400 days, which suggests that despite slower rates of spread, the overall bed bug population has probably changed very little, if at all, as a result of the pandemic. Instead, they’ve gone hungry for longer than normal and are now just waiting for the right opportunity to find a new host.

What can customers do to protect themselves against this new wave of bed bugs?

●     Avoid taking home used clothing, furniture and books

●     Conduct regular, thorough checks of their home

●     Examine hotel rooms and other accommodations carefully when traveling

●     Stock up on an easy-to-use pest control product like Sterifab

Bed bugs may be on the rise as Covid falls, but with a bit of diligence and the right tools, you can help your customers protect their homes and businesses against a “pandemic” of bed bugs.

AUTHOR BIO:
John-Michael Kibrick

A staff writer at Sterifab, John-Michael Kibrick is a writer, editor and Hebrew-English translator. Formerly a journalist and news editor for the Israeli publications Haaretz and Ynet, John-Michael has since expanded his knowledge to include pest control and disinfectants.