Move over, personal injury lawyers, there’s a new player in town: the bed bug attorney. That’s right, these biting nocturnal pests (bedbugs, that is) with a penchant for human skin have become so pervasive in hotels, homes, and, yes, airplanes, that legal services are now helping victims sue their accommodation or air carrier providers for damages. The effects aren’t limited to the nasty red marks that recently appeared on an irate Hollywood actress, potentially costing her roles; bed bug victims also undergo substantial emotional trauma—as did the family whose children looked like they had the mumps after flying from the United States to India in business class! As the epidemic worsens, travelers and the hospitiality industry may be interested in a revolutionary new technology recently developed in a Kentucky textile factory. Revered textile inventor Dan Short was developing a fabric for high-level athletes when he observed that the tightly latticed material was so sharp it could actually cut into the exoskeleton of bed bugs, ticks, and other arthropods. The pesticide-free material is also completely safe for people and their pets. He co-founded LayerOne Industries to begin manufacturing the materials and developing other bed bug eradication solutions. “I hoped to be remembered for something cool,” the inventor joked. “But noooo, I am going to be remembered for bed bugs.” Short notes that this textile technology was actually discovered in 1938, but it was ignored. After undergoing several years of R&D and receiving full EPA approval to operate in all 50 states, LayerOne is now manufacturing products to stymie the spread of bed bugs across America and the world. The “bed bug myth”—that they infest only poorly maintained domiciles with substandard hygiene practices—has also been widely debunked as well-known chain hotels and luxury brands have fallen victim, receiving terrible PR when guests have been attacked by the small, heat-seeking, dark-space-loving insects. https://youtu.be/kUtR2X-2Dqw The preponderance of bed bugs in hotels is downright scary. Hotels are required by law to maintain cleanliness standards in rooms, common areas, dining facilities, and anywhere else on the premises. But bed bugs don’t honor certificates or health codes. Like most insects, they are opportunists that thrive in warm, dark areas with an available food source: our skin. In other words, hotels and motels host bed bugs just as well as they host people. Experts encourage travelers to scan the premises for these insects as part of their check-in routine. Here are several signs: Bloodstains on sheets or pillowcases Dark or rust-colored spots of bed bug excrement on sheets or mattresses Musty odor caused by bed bugs’ scent glands Fecal spots, egg shells, or shed skin Remember, bed bugs prefer dark, warm environments, so look in closets and near thermostats too. Like the insect population itself, “bed bug litigation” has also seen a significant rise in recent years as unsuspecting victims have begun demanding compensation for physical, mental, and emotional distress due to being repeatedly bitten. The many problems for which compensation is being sought include property damage, including property discarded to prevent bedbug migration; lost wages due to missed work; pain and suffering; emotional distress and anxiety-induced insomnia; the cost of a destroyed or curtailed vacation; and perhaps most heinous of all, permanent scarring or disfigurement as a result of being bitten. The Layer One Box Spring Encasement is made with Arthroshield 880, a “razor wire” for bed bugs that rips their exoskeletons due to the size and shape of the holes in the fabric, which were designed by an entomologist. Most bed bugs die within 48 hours of encountering Arthroshield 880, a material that mimics human skin. Layer One’s Mattress Encasement further destroys bed bugs and other arthropods by damaging the insects’ outer layers, causing dehydration and death. A third product, the Arthropad, is placed between the box spring and mattress to halt the “bed bug interstate system” and kill more of the insects. It also prevents movement from box springs to sleeping humans. Layer One has also just released a new Arthroshield portable spray bottle that is easy to pack and that can be applied to any fabric, from mattresses to armchairs and sofas. Bed bug hotel infestation has become such common news it no longer makes the front page. With even airlines encountering bedbugs—understandable, given that business class is essentially a flying hotel—this epidemic calls for a revolutionary solution. Enter Layer One, a system designed specifically to destroy bed bugs in their own habitats without the use of chemicals. Travel is one of the great virtues of living in the 21st century, a luxury that has been tainted recently by so many hotel-based infestations. Layer One Industries could very well restore our trust in the hospitality industry.