Hotels and motels around the United States, even the upscale ones, this year report the worst infestation of bedbugs in 50 years.
The Nando Times says the situation is most troublesome in states that attract the most international tourists. Pest-control companies in Florida, for instance, report a 10-fold increase in service calls over the last two years. Entomologists say the prolific creatures, about the size of ladybugs, usually arrive in the luggage of foreign travelers. The number of international visitors to the United States has been climbing steadily, reaching a record 51 million last year, the story says.
The bugs, which tend to live in family groups, don't transmit any diseases to humans, but their bites produce irritating and persistent itching. The uninvited little guests are getting free room and board by hiding in virtually undetectable cracks and crevices and feeding on the blood of sleeping humans, reports this ChekTV story.
To learn more about bedbugs, read this About.com report.
