As we mentioned in our most recent blog, bed bugs target no socioeconomic class. They don't care whether you have a maid, whether you don't have time to pick crumbs off the floor because you're rushing to your third full-time job, or whether you have a king-size canopy bed or sleep on a futon. People of all economic levels need natural bed bug treatment.

There may be an economic difference, but it's not what you think. Sometimes, people who are actually more well-off and susceptible to bed bugs need to purchase eco-friendly, natural bed bug killer spray. How can that be? Before we look at a scenario in which this can happen, we have to start with a short history of the bed bug infestation.

1. When They Were In Rapid Decline

No one knows where Cimex lectularius, aka the common bed bug, originally came from. But as the world got smaller with the increase of international travel, bed bugs traveled all over Earth. They are most commonly found in crowded cities where they can travel more easily from apartment to apartment and hotel room to hotel room.

Bed bugs were in decline for decades between the 1930s and the 1980s. That’s because heavy pesticides were used to kill insects in apartment buildings and hotels. While we agree that these poisons, such as DDT, were banned, their disuse led to a resurgence in bed bug populations during the 1990s and beyond.

2. Why Fancier Hotels Might Have More Bedbugs

There are two reasons. First, fancier hotels are more likely to have international travelers and those constantly staying in hotels. A traveler might pick up bed bugs in their luggage in Canada, drop some off in New York, and then infect a hotel in London or Paris. If a fancy hotel notices bed bugs, it might jump on the problem to protect its reputation—only to discover that an international traveler could reinfect it within the week.

Second, a hotel that notices the bed bugs will try to deal with it, but they’re often reluctant to bring out the strongest bed bug killers. While a $30-a-night dump of a motel might not care about the smell associated with strong insecticides, a higher-end hotel might baby the situation a little too much to avoid the smelly stigma. 

3. Taking Them Back Home

All right, let’s get back to the international traveler. These jobs often pay well, and once they pick up those bed bugs and drop them off at major cities, they head home. They have a lovely house, and sure that house might get weekly maid service and look sparkling clean on every surface, the suitcase drops off its final invaders into the white carpet, where they crawl up the bedpost and then start feasting on the international traveler’s blood (which has hints of poutine, thin-crust pizza, fish and chips, and escargot.)

So, are those well-off travelers always more likely to get bed bugs? Probably not. But we do hope this goes to show that it’s certainly not just those who are poor that are the ones with bed bugs.

What is it if it doesn’t have to do with cleanliness? The closest thing we can call it is “bad luck.” You didn’t do anything wrong to pick them up. You didn’t pick a bad hotel; you didn’t stay in the wrong city. Bed bugs are in every state in America, and we can verify that because we have shipped hundreds of orders to every one of them! 

Do your research before traveling. Here is the Bed Bug Hotel registry site. Save it if you are a constant wanderer.

Our natural, plant-based Bed Bug Patrol Killer Spray provides an all-natural solution to infestations of bed bugs, as well as fleas, spiders, and other common indoor bugs. Our 100% natural solution is made in the USA. It relies on the power of natural ingredients like citric acid, clove oil, and peppermint oil to naturally deter these bugs from living in your furnishings and upholstery. Just spray our solution on affected surfaces twice per day, and it will get to work on exterminating your bed bugs and preventing their return. To keep you safe from bed bugs on your travels, arm yourself with our Bed Bug Blasting Travel Spray, which comes in a handy, TSA-approved travel-size bottle for your convenience.