Bed Bugs Found In Department Store At A North Carolina Mall

It seems almost nothing strikes icky feelings among people like hearing the two words 'bed bugs.'  Apparently, the pesky little critters were found at a Belk Department Store in the Wilmington, North Carolina mall.  According to the News & Observer, the bugs appeared at Independence Mall.  But, officials say the bed bugs at Belk are no more.

They told the News & Observer, "Upon learning of bed bugs in our Wilmington store, we partnered with a professional pest company to eliminate the issue.  There is now no current pest activity."   There's really no word on how the bed bugs at Belk made it into the store in this North Carolina mall.

However, having a few semesters under my belt as a college parent there are some probable guesses.  The university my son attends is very stern about restricting upholstered items in campus housing.  And, I never knew that before he started his college journey.  Luckily, we never experienced bed bugs personally.  But, the school says they often come into dorms when students bring in upholstered items.

Many kids like attaching upholstered headboards to their beds.  But, once resident advisors spot them it's a no go.  The same goes for ottomans or upholstered chairs and couches.  So, with department stores sometimes housing upholstered furniture and other items, that could be possible.

WebMd.com says bedbugs are hard to spot.  And, they sometimes hide in seams of furniture or mattresses.  Plus, they feast on blood rather than discarded food or unclean spaces.   So, they are not considered a sign of dirtiness or a messy home.  While considered fairly harmless, they cause itchy irritation and rash.

Therefore, you want to rid them by washing items in hot water and scrub mattress seams with a stiff brush. The site recommends putting stuffed animals and items that can't be washed into a dryer on high for 30 minutes.   And, for more tips see the full article.

If it's one thing we can all agree on, no one wants to live near a lot of bugs. At least I would hope the majority of us are not fans of living within the vicinity of too many bugs. Who would really want to be near that many bugs, for fun? Anyways, did you know of Termite Awareness Week? Well, me neither! But, Termite Awareness Week runs March 5-March 11 each year. The week serves as a reminder of how much damage termites can do to a person's living space. Termites can damage your home, your office building, or your favorite business. They never sleep which makes them even worse because the damage never stops!

Orkin knows how much termites can be a hassle to many people and their lives. So, they curated a list of the top 50 most termite-infested cities across the country. Now, I know you're like me probably hoping you're not in that area. Well, unfortunately, a few Carolina cities made the top 20. One North Carolina city, in particular, made the top 5. YIKES! No worries, I give you the Carolina cities we all know and love and their placement on the list. If you're interested in the full list of cities, click here to read the full article by Orkin.

Well, how about Greenville, North Carolina came in at No. 44 on the list. Remember, I am only sharing which Carolina cities made the list and their placement. Greenville was on the list last year, but this year they moved up one spot in the ranking. Guess this part year rang in a bit more damage than the year prior.

Here we are ranking in at No. 34 is a South Carolina favorite, Columbia. Columbia seems to have had a good year as they went down 6 spots compared to their ranking the year prior. Now, being on the list may still suck for termites but at least they're getting a little better it seems.

We're still in South Carolina with a beach town favorite coming in at No. 27. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina not only is one of the country's top termite cities, but things seem to have gotten worse. They made the prior year's list but this year, they moved up 7 spots. Whew, be careful Myrtle Beach!

South Carolina is just booming with termite cities it seems like. Another South Carolina favorite, Charleston is coming in at No. 26. The city also had a big year in which it moved up 15 spots compared to the year prior's rankings. Now, I am from Charleston and fortunately have never dealt with termites in any of my previous residents but I have heard stories from many in the area before.

Well, guess what? We're still talking South Carolina! Coming in at No. 20 is Greenville. This city has seen a big spike in growth over the last few years, so that means tons of new buildings and houses being built in the area. Plenty new spots for termites to latch onto.

Now, we're home! Charlotte made the list for the top 20 as some of the top termite cities. Luckily, the city did drop down two slots from their rankings in the previous year but we are still pretty high up, unfortunately.

Well, the highest ranking Carolina city is right here in the Tar Heel state. Raleigh, North Carolina ranked in the No. 5 spot for top termite cities across the country. The city went up on slot compared to the year before, so looks like the growing city is also growing in termite infestations as well.