As bed bugs continue to take a major toll on homes, apartments, hotels, universities and other public venues across the nation, people are asking a lot of questions and Protect-A-Bed is offering a lot of answers – in 140 characters or less.
Beginning at 2 p.m. EST, on Tuesday, June 23, Protect-A-Bed is inviting the general public to log on to Twitter for a live Q&A session, where they can get instant answers to all of their burning bed bug questions. A leading provider of mattress protection products has partnered with BedBugCentral.com experts, entomologists Rick Cooper and Jeff White, who will be fielding questions and providing immediate feedback to participants during the discussion.
“The number of bed bug mentions on Twitter right now is right in sync with the recent surge in bed bug conversations taking place all across the board in other online communities,” said James Bell, CEO of Protect-A-Bed. “It all adds up to an incredibly troublesome issue and Protect-A-Bed is committed to educating the public on ways to control the problem before it gets even worse.”
The Protect-A-Bed Twitter account at www.twitter.com/protect_a_bed is currently a daily resource for other Twitter users with questions about bed bugs and general mattress protection, but the upcoming Q&A session is making two of the nation’s most notable entomologists just a tweet away. By using the hash tag “#PAB” in their tweets, participants’ questions will automatically be added to the queue of questions and answered in the order they are submitted. Participants will also be entered in a random drawing to win one of three prize giveaways, each including a Protect-A-Bed mattress encasement and set of pillow protectors.
Mattress encasements and pillow protectors are one of many bed bug management tools Cooper and White will likely address in their responses during the Q&A session on Twitter. Even before the issue held as prominent a spot as it does now at the national level, the experts have been immersed in the subject matter and have seen the drastic effects the pests can have on both private homes and public establishments all across the country.
“Getting rid of bed bugs is no easy task, but what so many people don’t realize is how easy it is to prevent an infestation in the first place,” said Cooper, co-author of Bed Bug Handbook- The Complete Guide to Bed Bugs and Their Control, which is the only comprehensive text about bed bugs and their control. “We’re hoping Protect-A-Bed’s Q&A will prompt some questions and conversations that get people thinking about ways they can prevent the onset of bed bugs, or at least identify an infestation before it gets out of hand. Jeff and I have a wealth of knowledge to share on this topic and we are excited to give people the opportunity to interact with us one-on-one in a space as popular as Twitter.”
But regardless of all the bed bug bashing that may ensue during the Q&A, Protect-A-Bed fully expects bed bugs to make an appearance at the event – even if it is an unwelcome one. In fact, one big bad bed bug (www.twitter.com/bigbedbug) has already RSVP’d for the affair, promising to keep his commentary bite-free. Even so, participants are advised to follow the bed bug, but keep their distance.
Protect-A-Bed was the first company to launch Bed Bug proof mattress encasements and the first to have scientific tests by an independent laboratory to prove the products were bed bug entry, escape and bite proof.
To learn more about Protect-A-Bed’s full line of mattress encasements and pillow protection products for the prevention of bed bugs, visit www.protectabed.com. For more information about the growing problem of bed bugs and Twitter Q&A hosts, Rick Cooper and Jeff White, please visit www.bedbugcentral.com.
About Protect-A-Bed®: Protect-A-Bed produces mattress protectors that provide consumers with a healthy and comfortable sleep environment. The product was developed in South Africa in 1980 and Protect-A-Bed was first established in the USA in 2000, and offers bedding protectors to help create a dry, bed bug free, anti-allergy sleep zone for people of all ages. The product is now sold in 27 countries and Protect-A-Bed is the leader in mattress protection innovation. The company developed the proprietary Miracle Membrane® and patent pending Bug Lock® Secure Seal for bed bug protection. Protect-A-Bed products are listed as a Class 1 Medical Device with the Food and Drug Administration and have received the Good Housekeeping Seal. For more information, visit www.protectabed.com.