Bed Bug Blues: Shreveport is the Only Louisiana City on the List

SHREVEPORT, LA - I love to travel and I typically stay at nice hotels. But I have stayed in a few sketchy places over the years. And the one thing I am most concerned about is bed bugs. We have some bad news on that front today. Shreveport is one of the 50 cities in the country that is listed as having a problem with bed bugs. This data from Terminix is based on service calls for the pesky bugs.

This is one critter you don't want in your home. They are disgusting and really tough to get rid of. It also costs a pile of money to get them out.

How to Check for Bed Bugs

Terminix says bed bugs are typically 3/16 inch long, red to dark brown. They are usually nocturnal and will come out at night to find you in a deep sleep and they will pounce. The only food they want is blood, so you are their food supply.

I avoid putting my purse or luggage on hotel beds just in case there are bed bugs. These critters will jump on your property and hitch a ride to your home where you will be facing massive headaches.

How Fast Can Bed Bugs Spread

These critters are bountiful. A female bed bug can lay up to 5 eggs per day and up to 500 in their lifetime. That's a ton of bugs crawling around on your mattress and in your carpet. Getting them out of your house can cost hundreds of dollars.

Shreveport is #36 on the list and is the only Louisiana city to make the list. There are some other communities in the region on this nasty list. Dallas is #6 and has a pretty serious bed bug problem. Little Rock is #15. And Tyler-Longview is at #41 on the list. Houston checks in at #11.

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Here Are the Top 5 Cities for Bed Bug Problems:

Philadelphia
Chicago
New York
Cleveland-Akron (Canton)
Atlanta

If you think you might have brought bed bugs into your home, be sure to launder clothing and other belongings in hot water. You should also keep luggage and purses in a plastic bag to prevent the insects from spreading to other belongings in your home.