UK officials say they are double-checking all areas of campus before the back to school rush after three more bed bugs were found in a campus building, this time at the W.T. Young Library.
Officials say three bed bugs, two dead and one live, were found near a computer studying area inside the library last Friday. That's the same day pest control treated a room in the new addition of the student center after 20 bed bugs were found there in a couch cushion.
Officials say this is probably the best time for UK to be dealing with the problem, as there aren't as many students on campus for summer session. But, by this fall UK officials say before all the students return, they plan to train every custodian to be able to spot bed bugs.
UK officials say just like the student center lounge was given a heat treatment to rid the bed bugs, the library will be combed over later this week.
Since there are no legal pesticides that can be used on bed bugs, treatment involves heating the area the bugs are found.
For more information on bed bugs in preventing them and treating them, go to http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/topics/bedbugs.htm.
Bed Bug Solutions
Monday, August 1, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Bed Bug Checklist for Property Managers and Homeowners
Be Proactive. Take steps to deal with bed bugs before they become a problem.
1. Maintain the building to prevent pest problems.
2. Develop a “Bed Bug Action Plan” for your property or properties, even if bed bugs are not currently an issue.
3. Educate tenants and staff about bed bugs.
4. If bed bugs are a recurring problem, consider having the building inspected periodically, investing in a steam cleaner that heats to at least 170 degrees and training staff to operate it, or altering the building to discourage pest problems (such as replacing carpets with hard-surface flooring).
Respond to complaints
1. Respond sympathetically and avoid blame
2. Arrange for a professional inspection
3. Educate tenants on what they should do immediately
Once an infestation is confirmed…
1. Educate tenants on how to prepare for treatment
2. Educate staff on their role
3. Prevent the spread of an infestation by doing the following:
4. Seal and make repairs to infested and adjacent apartments:
When hiring a pest control company…
1. Make sure they are licensed and insured.
2. Ask for and check references for bed bug work.
3. Insist on an Integrated Pest Management approach (no “spray and pray” pesticide applications).
4. Ask for a detailed action plan that recommends pre-treatment preparation activities.
5. Beware of the lowest bidder.
6. Beware of any “guarantees.”
More information on all of these topics can be found at the SPCP’s website.
If you are looking for more comprehensive coverage of the bed bug infestations in the USA, please go here:
Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
1. Maintain the building to prevent pest problems.
- Caulk baseboards, loose tiles, and chair-rail moldings
- Remove carpeting when possible
- Fix storage and clutter issues in common areas
2. Develop a “Bed Bug Action Plan” for your property or properties, even if bed bugs are not currently an issue.
- Responding to reports or complaints
- Containing and eliminating infestations
- Disposing of infested funiture
- Educating and advising tenants
- Managing requests for relocation
3. Educate tenants and staff about bed bugs.
- The reappearance of bed bugs as a problem around the world and in Chicago specifically
- What bed bugs are and what they look like
- What a bed bug problem looks like and how to recognize it
- How to prevent bed bugs from becoming a problem (ex. discourage picking up furniture from the street; reduce clutter in living areas)
- What to do when a bed bug problem is suspected, and what NOT to do (a list of dos and don’ts for tenants is located on our website here, and more information for you and your tenants is available from the Safer Pest Control Project here)
4. If bed bugs are a recurring problem, consider having the building inspected periodically, investing in a steam cleaner that heats to at least 170 degrees and training staff to operate it, or altering the building to discourage pest problems (such as replacing carpets with hard-surface flooring).
Respond to complaints
1. Respond sympathetically and avoid blame
2. Arrange for a professional inspection
- Inspect all adjacent apartments (above, below, and on both sides) of the likely infested unit
- Schedule an intervention for all apartments where bed bugs are found
3. Educate tenants on what they should do immediately
- Give them a tenant checklist, bed bug fact sheet, or direct them to online resources here or at the SPCP’s website
- Explain how to prepare for the pest control company’s inspection
- Discourage them from throwing away belongings and/or furniture, OR explain to them how to do so properly
Once an infestation is confirmed…
1. Educate tenants on how to prepare for treatment
2. Educate staff on their role
3. Prevent the spread of an infestation by doing the following:
- Inspect all adjacent apartments above, below, and on both sides on a regular basis
- Consider buying or encouraging tenants in adjacent units to buy bed bug resistant mattress covers
- Encourage tenants in adjacent units to be aware and report signs or symptoms of bed bugs immediately
4. Seal and make repairs to infested and adjacent apartments:
- Caulk or seal cracks and crevices near beds (baseboards, pipe chases, heating/AC units, etc.)
- Repair holes and other wall damage
- Repair molding, peeling wall paper; chipping paint; and any other damage that may hide bed bugs
- Develop a system for furniture disposal
- Paint or seal hardwood floors and encourage tenants to do the same to bed frames
When hiring a pest control company…
1. Make sure they are licensed and insured.
2. Ask for and check references for bed bug work.
3. Insist on an Integrated Pest Management approach (no “spray and pray” pesticide applications).
4. Ask for a detailed action plan that recommends pre-treatment preparation activities.
5. Beware of the lowest bidder.
6. Beware of any “guarantees.”
More information on all of these topics can be found at the SPCP’s website.
If you are looking for more comprehensive coverage of the bed bug infestations in the USA, please go here:
Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
Bed Bugs in New Haven Connecticut Apartment Complexes
A New Haven apartment building is dealing with some unwelcome guests: bed bugs.
Residents at 114 Bristol St. have been complaining about the pests for some time. While not every apartment has bed bugs, it seems everyone in the building knows about them.
“They’re itchy and some were biting,” said resident Kezzie Staton, who so far has only heard about the bugs.
Residents said exterminators have been inside the building over the past week, although they are not sure if the exterminators have been able to kill the bed bugs.
Neighbors hope the problem is taken care of soon, before the problem spreads to everyone.
“Management sent them over to do something about it, but the point is, are they doing a good job? We don’t know,” said one resident who goes by the name Robinson.
The management company would not comment on the situation.
Bed Bugs Infest Senior Citizen Housing
Darlene Taylor is diabetic and 80 percent blind. So she couldn’t see them. But for weeks she felt their biting and the itching.When her regular nurse’s aide visited her 12th floor apartment last Thursday and lifted up papers on the dining room table, the aide saw them: Bed bugs. Swarms of them.
Now the mattress and box spring are gone. All Taylor’s clothes are wrapped in plastic. Taylor (pictured above) is sleeping on the couch and worried what’s going to happen next.
Many of Taylor’s neighbors in apartments at Edith Johnson Towers on Bristol Street between Dixwell and Ashmun are worried, too.
More than 20 of the apartments have been or are slated to be treated for bed bug infestation.
“The unit was infested in a way we’d never seen before: 100 bed bugs per square foot,” said Rafael Ramos of City Hall’s Livable City Initiative (LCI).Last week Ramos called BCJ Management, the private company that owns and manages the senior tower.
BCJ treated Taylor’s apartment, removed her bed (except the fame), and readied her clothes.
By end of day Friday LCI issued an order to BCJ, delivered by marshal: Bring in a licensed contractor to treat Taylor’s apartment and another found infested on the second floor. The order also called for inspection of the entire building and treatment where necessary.
BCJ property manager Dana Proctor did not return several calls to the Independent to discuss the extent of the bed bug problem at 114 Bristol. She did speak to Ramos (pictured) by phone Friday afternoon.According to what Proctor conveyed to Ramos, since December ten to 15 apartments have been treated. Currently six more are slated to. That’s close to one quarter of the tower’s 96 apartments.
Since treatment of one apartment usually involves spraying and treatment of the four apartments surrounding it, in effect the entire building is being treated.
“That’s an infestation,” said Ramos.
BCJ, a private company headquartered in Boston, also manages the nearby Monterey Place development for the housing authority.And that may explain how the situation has gotten so out of hand.
A perusal of the file of complaints to LCI reveals that before Taylor and her daughter called LCI, only one other bedbug complaint from 114 Bristol was on file in the past six months. That proved to be a false alarm.
All the complaints appropriately had gone to BCJ instead of to LCI—and the problem continued.
Asked for comment about the problem, HANH Executive Director Karen DuBois-Walton referred questions to BCJ.
Last week reddish stains were still visible around the legs of the metal frame in Darlene Taylor’s now abandoned bedroom.“They said put them [all her clothing] in the dryer. It’ll kill ‘em [the bugs],” Taylor said.
On Friday the clothes remained in several large plastic bags by the apartment door pending a visit by the aide or Taylor’s daughters, all of whom work.“It was only one year old,” Taylor said of the mattress. She said she troubled that no one offered to replace it. She didn’t cause the bed bug problem, she said as she led a tour of her apartment for a reporter and for Ward 22 Democratic Ward Committee Co-Chair Cordelia Thorpe, whom she had earlier contacted for help with the problem.
“It’s been going on since December” at the tower, she said.
While individual apartments have been treated, Thorpe said, “It’s escalating. They don’t have a clear plan in place to solve it” building- wide, she added.“If they made a plan ... I have to depend on other people to see,” added Taylor.
Last year HANH investigated purchase of a mobile “thermal radiation” unit, the technology du jour to deal with the bug du jour. Click here to read that story.
Five people sitting for sun-relief beneath the awnings in front of the building one afternoon last week offered varying opinions—and rumors—- on the problem and on how the management has handled it.“I know it’s been happening since December,” Sonia Torres said. “As soon as I heard about it, I bought a plastic cover for the bed.”
She doesn’t think she’s been affected yet, but she was concerned enough to move from the seventh floor, where “I was feeling itchy,” to the 11th, she said .
“But do you know what to do [about the bed bugs], Sonia?” asked Thorpe.
“No,” came the answer.
Thorpe said she had been trying repeatedly to reach BCJ to discuss a building-wide approach to the infestation, with no success.
Susan Lemoine has lived at the towers for five years. A former Peace Corps volunteer in the 1960s who has lived in tough conditions, she praised the way the exterminating company had been treating affected apartments.“The person below me had them, and it was treated. They sprayed and then came back several times, after two weeks, and sprayed again,” she said
She described herself a mad sprayer. To several of the other tenants under the awnings who seemed confused about what to do, she said, “They’re attracted to carbon dioxide [emitted by our breathing] near beds.”
“The residents wonder if [ultimately] they’ll have to move out. They’re doing it [the treatment] on a case-by-case basis. [As a result] the bugs are migrating. The instruction needs to come from management, not Ms. Limoine,” said Thorpe.
Before the weekend began Ramos contacted BCJ again and told Proctor that the order requires a licensed contractor to inspect all units of the building.
Procor told him that one had already been ordered, a canine unit arriving to do the work on Aug.1 and 2. Depending on what the sniffers find, treatment will be provided where needed, she said.
Ramos said that when the work concludes, he wants a copy of the report.
Citywide, he said, LCI receives about eight bed bug complaints per month. Sometimes the bugs turn out to be something else.
Ramos said he wishes he had learned earlier about Taylor’s problem. Noting her blindness, he asked aloud, “Where were the CNAs [the certified nurse’s aides]?”
Now the mattress and box spring are gone. All Taylor’s clothes are wrapped in plastic. Taylor (pictured above) is sleeping on the couch and worried what’s going to happen next.
Many of Taylor’s neighbors in apartments at Edith Johnson Towers on Bristol Street between Dixwell and Ashmun are worried, too.
More than 20 of the apartments have been or are slated to be treated for bed bug infestation.
LCI
BCJ treated Taylor’s apartment, removed her bed (except the fame), and readied her clothes.
By end of day Friday LCI issued an order to BCJ, delivered by marshal: Bring in a licensed contractor to treat Taylor’s apartment and another found infested on the second floor. The order also called for inspection of the entire building and treatment where necessary.
Since treatment of one apartment usually involves spraying and treatment of the four apartments surrounding it, in effect the entire building is being treated.
“That’s an infestation,” said Ramos.
A perusal of the file of complaints to LCI reveals that before Taylor and her daughter called LCI, only one other bedbug complaint from 114 Bristol was on file in the past six months. That proved to be a false alarm.
All the complaints appropriately had gone to BCJ instead of to LCI—and the problem continued.
Asked for comment about the problem, HANH Executive Director Karen DuBois-Walton referred questions to BCJ.
“It’s been going on since December” at the tower, she said.
LCI
Last year HANH investigated purchase of a mobile “thermal radiation” unit, the technology du jour to deal with the bug du jour. Click here to read that story.
She doesn’t think she’s been affected yet, but she was concerned enough to move from the seventh floor, where “I was feeling itchy,” to the 11th, she said .
“But do you know what to do [about the bed bugs], Sonia?” asked Thorpe.
“No,” came the answer.
Thorpe said she had been trying repeatedly to reach BCJ to discuss a building-wide approach to the infestation, with no success.
(l) Cordelia Thorpe & Susan Limoine.
She described herself a mad sprayer. To several of the other tenants under the awnings who seemed confused about what to do, she said, “They’re attracted to carbon dioxide [emitted by our breathing] near beds.”
“The residents wonder if [ultimately] they’ll have to move out. They’re doing it [the treatment] on a case-by-case basis. [As a result] the bugs are migrating. The instruction needs to come from management, not Ms. Limoine,” said Thorpe.
Before the weekend began Ramos contacted BCJ again and told Proctor that the order requires a licensed contractor to inspect all units of the building.
Procor told him that one had already been ordered, a canine unit arriving to do the work on Aug.1 and 2. Depending on what the sniffers find, treatment will be provided where needed, she said.
Ramos said that when the work concludes, he wants a copy of the report.
Citywide, he said, LCI receives about eight bed bug complaints per month. Sometimes the bugs turn out to be something else.
Ramos said he wishes he had learned earlier about Taylor’s problem. Noting her blindness, he asked aloud, “Where were the CNAs [the certified nurse’s aides]?”
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Bed Bugs or Bat Bugs-There IS A Difference
SASKATOON,SK--MAY 07/2011-- Dave Wilson shows off a bat bug which he encounters in his job as an exterminator Thursday, July 07, 2011. (GREG PENDER/STAR PHOENIX)
Photograph by: Greg Pender, Saskatoon Star Phoenix
A cluster of red and inflamed bites on your skin after a night of slumber may not be from the increasingly prevalent bed bug.
Have you ever heard of a bat bug?
A sibling of the bed bug, with differences invisible to the naked eye, the bat bug prefers to stay in the company of winged rodents, feasting on their blood. But bats are meandering creatures who roam from roost to roost. When the nocturnal creatures fly away, the bugs get hungry, and you might be their next best source for a snack.
“Don’t panic,” says David Wilson, owner of Kreepy Kritterz pest control business. “Get it verified before you react.”
There is anecdotal evidence bat bug populations may be on the upswing in Saskatoon. Wilson said he found bat bugs in only two homes last year. But in the past two weeks, about 20 calls to his business for help with bed bugs turned out to be bat bug infestations.
Different bat bug, same bat place.
Wilson hypothesizes this moist spring and summer, which has spawned an increase in bugs like mosquitoes, ants, beetles, and other bat food, is responsible for a bat boom. One bonus of having more bats right now in Saskatoon — one of them can eat 600 mosquitoes in an hour. Logically, more bats lead to more bat bugs, Wilson says.
On the plus side, bat bugs are sometimes easier to spot than bed bugs. After a delicious blood buffet, bed bugs want to burrow into a mattress or other cozy hiding place.
“The bat bug isn’t as fearful,” Wilson said. “Usually, people are just finding them on the bed, on the floor. Most common is on the wall.”
James Armstrong, a University of Saskatchewan biology student who has worked as a curator with the university’s insect collection, says recent surges in the number of bed bugs could also mean bat bugs are booming. He hasn’t heard of the growing population, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening, he says.
“The good news is that bat bugs don’t spread any diseases, or are known to, anyway,” he said. “It’s really just the irritation from the bites that they cause, and the social stigma attached.”
Scott Hartley, provincial specialist for insect pests with the provincial Ministry of Agriculture, also says a surge in bat bugs would be news to him, but it’s not something the ministry tracks. Bat bugs show up in the southern parts of the province, but it’s not an insect he gets many reports about, he says. They’re most prevalent in the Southern U.S., he says.
Hartley does point out that even tiny variations in average temperatures, prompted by climate change, can have profound effects on how far north insects can survive and thrive.
Fortunately, bat bugs don’t want to be feasting on humans any more than we want to be their next meal. We’re a snack to tide them over until they can get back to the bat roost, Wilson said.
Getting rid of bat bugs begins with sealing off bat habitat from human habitat. Often, bats make their roosts in house attics or hollow apartment building walls. Sealing any crack a bug can squeeze through is an important start, and putting temperature-rated foam into heating pipes and hollow walls can help keep bugs out, too, Wilson said. Unlike bed bug fumigation, which involves bagging up clothes and covering up furniture, bat bugs can be eliminated with a basic chemical spray, Wilson said.
Have you ever heard of a bat bug?
A sibling of the bed bug, with differences invisible to the naked eye, the bat bug prefers to stay in the company of winged rodents, feasting on their blood. But bats are meandering creatures who roam from roost to roost. When the nocturnal creatures fly away, the bugs get hungry, and you might be their next best source for a snack.
“Don’t panic,” says David Wilson, owner of Kreepy Kritterz pest control business. “Get it verified before you react.”
There is anecdotal evidence bat bug populations may be on the upswing in Saskatoon. Wilson said he found bat bugs in only two homes last year. But in the past two weeks, about 20 calls to his business for help with bed bugs turned out to be bat bug infestations.
Different bat bug, same bat place.
Wilson hypothesizes this moist spring and summer, which has spawned an increase in bugs like mosquitoes, ants, beetles, and other bat food, is responsible for a bat boom. One bonus of having more bats right now in Saskatoon — one of them can eat 600 mosquitoes in an hour. Logically, more bats lead to more bat bugs, Wilson says.
On the plus side, bat bugs are sometimes easier to spot than bed bugs. After a delicious blood buffet, bed bugs want to burrow into a mattress or other cozy hiding place.
“The bat bug isn’t as fearful,” Wilson said. “Usually, people are just finding them on the bed, on the floor. Most common is on the wall.”
James Armstrong, a University of Saskatchewan biology student who has worked as a curator with the university’s insect collection, says recent surges in the number of bed bugs could also mean bat bugs are booming. He hasn’t heard of the growing population, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening, he says.
“The good news is that bat bugs don’t spread any diseases, or are known to, anyway,” he said. “It’s really just the irritation from the bites that they cause, and the social stigma attached.”
Scott Hartley, provincial specialist for insect pests with the provincial Ministry of Agriculture, also says a surge in bat bugs would be news to him, but it’s not something the ministry tracks. Bat bugs show up in the southern parts of the province, but it’s not an insect he gets many reports about, he says. They’re most prevalent in the Southern U.S., he says.
Hartley does point out that even tiny variations in average temperatures, prompted by climate change, can have profound effects on how far north insects can survive and thrive.
Fortunately, bat bugs don’t want to be feasting on humans any more than we want to be their next meal. We’re a snack to tide them over until they can get back to the bat roost, Wilson said.
Getting rid of bat bugs begins with sealing off bat habitat from human habitat. Often, bats make their roosts in house attics or hollow apartment building walls. Sealing any crack a bug can squeeze through is an important start, and putting temperature-rated foam into heating pipes and hollow walls can help keep bugs out, too, Wilson said. Unlike bed bug fumigation, which involves bagging up clothes and covering up furniture, bat bugs can be eliminated with a basic chemical spray, Wilson said.
If you spray for bed bugs, but don’t seal the house off from bats, the bat bugs will come back, he said. He also points out residents who live near the river or in an apartment or condo building are more likely to have bats.
Bat expert Melanie Elliott, who works as an educator and program manager at the U of S, says she’s not sure if bat populations are booming in Saskatoon, because no one is tracking them.
Elliott works with the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan, which has been getting more questions about bats from residents this year.
For more information about removing bats from your home humanely, or other bat information, contact the society’s hotline from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily at 242-7177.
Bat expert Melanie Elliott, who works as an educator and program manager at the U of S, says she’s not sure if bat populations are booming in Saskatoon, because no one is tracking them.
Elliott works with the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan, which has been getting more questions about bats from residents this year.
For more information about removing bats from your home humanely, or other bat information, contact the society’s hotline from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily at 242-7177.
© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix
Monday, July 4, 2011
Controlling Bed Bug Infestations
CONTROLLING INFESTATIONS. Bed bugs are challenging
pests to control. Since they can hide in so many places,
treatments must be thorough and elimination is not always
a certainty. In most cases, it will be prudent to enlist
the services of a professional. Experienced pest control
firms know where to look for bed bugs, and have an assortment
of management tools at their disposal.
Owners and occupants have an
important role and will need to assist
the professional. Affording access for
inspection and treatment is crucial,
and excess clutter will have to be
removed. Belongings strewn about rooms afford many
places for bed bugs to hide, and impedes inspection and
treatment. Some pest control firms want furniture moved
away from walls and mattresses and box springs stood on
edge before they arrive; others prefer to inspect first and
move these items themselves. Since bed bugs can disperse
throughout a building, it often will be necessary to inspect
adjoining rooms and apartments.
Infested and infestation-prone bedding and garments
will need to be bagged and laundered (120°F minimum)
since these items cannot be treated with insecticides. Another
option is to place clothing, toys, shoes, backpacks,
etc., in a clothes dryer set at medium to high heat for 10
to 20 minutes. This will kill all bed bug life stages and can
be done alone or in conjunction with laundering. Items
which cannot be put in a washer or dryer can sometimes
be de-infested by wrapping in plastic and placing them
outdoors in a hot, sunny location for at least a day. If
this method is attempted, packing fewer items per bag
makes it harder for the bugs to find cooler places to hide.
Your Guide To Bed Bugs
Bed
pests to control. Since they can hide in so many places,
treatments must be thorough and elimination is not always
a certainty. In most cases, it will be prudent to enlist
the services of a professional. Experienced pest control
firms know where to look for bed bugs, and have an assortment
of management tools at their disposal.
Owners and occupants have an
important role and will need to assist
the professional. Affording access for
inspection and treatment is crucial,
and excess clutter will have to be
removed. Belongings strewn about rooms afford many
places for bed bugs to hide, and impedes inspection and
treatment. Some pest control firms want furniture moved
away from walls and mattresses and box springs stood on
edge before they arrive; others prefer to inspect first and
move these items themselves. Since bed bugs can disperse
throughout a building, it often will be necessary to inspect
adjoining rooms and apartments.
Infested and infestation-prone bedding and garments
will need to be bagged and laundered (120°F minimum)
since these items cannot be treated with insecticides. Another
option is to place clothing, toys, shoes, backpacks,
etc., in a clothes dryer set at medium to high heat for 10
to 20 minutes. This will kill all bed bug life stages and can
be done alone or in conjunction with laundering. Items
which cannot be put in a washer or dryer can sometimes
be de-infested by wrapping in plastic and placing them
outdoors in a hot, sunny location for at least a day. If
this method is attempted, packing fewer items per bag
makes it harder for the bugs to find cooler places to hide.
Your Guide To Bed Bugs
Bed
Bed Bug Bites and Concerns
Bed bugs usually bite people at night while
they are sleeping. They feed by piercing the
skin with an elongated beak through which they
withdraw blood. Engorgement takes about three
to 10 minutes, yet the person seldom knows they
are being bitten. Bed bugs normally do not reside
on people like head or body lice — immediately
after feeding they crawl off and reside elsewhere to
digest their meal. Symptoms after being bitten vary
with the individual. Many develop an itchy red welt
or localized swelling within a day or so of the bite.
Others have little or no reaction, and in some people
the reaction is delayed. Unlike flea bites that occur
mainly around the ankles, bed bugs feed on any skin
exposed while sleeping (face, neck, shoulders, back,
arms, legs, etc.). The welts and itching are often
wrongly attributed to other causes, such as mosquitoes.
For these reasons, infestations may go a long
time unnoticed, and can become quite large before
being detected. The likelihood of bed bugs increases
if the affected individual has been traveling, or had
acquired used beds or furnishings before symptoms
started to appear. Bed bugs also are suspect if you
wake up with itchy bites you did not have when you
went to sleep. Conversely, it is important to recog-
BITES &
Concerns
Bed Bug Fact Sheet
Your Guide To Bed Bugs nize that not all bites or bite-like reactions are due to
bed bugs. Confirmation requires finding and identifying
the bugs themselves, which often requires the
help of a professional.
A common concern with bed bugs is whether they
transmit diseases. Although bed bugs can harbor
pathogens in and on their bodies, transmission to
humans is considered unlikely. Their medical significance
is chiefly limited to the itching and inflammation
from their bites. Antihistamines and corticosteroids
may be prescribed to reduce allergic reactions,
and antiseptic or antibiotic ointments to prevent
infection. Though not known to carry diseases, bed
bugs can severely reduce quality of life by causing discomfort,
sleeplessness, anxiety, and embarrassment.
they are sleeping. They feed by piercing the
skin with an elongated beak through which they
withdraw blood. Engorgement takes about three
to 10 minutes, yet the person seldom knows they
are being bitten. Bed bugs normally do not reside
on people like head or body lice — immediately
after feeding they crawl off and reside elsewhere to
digest their meal. Symptoms after being bitten vary
with the individual. Many develop an itchy red welt
or localized swelling within a day or so of the bite.
Others have little or no reaction, and in some people
the reaction is delayed. Unlike flea bites that occur
mainly around the ankles, bed bugs feed on any skin
exposed while sleeping (face, neck, shoulders, back,
arms, legs, etc.). The welts and itching are often
wrongly attributed to other causes, such as mosquitoes.
For these reasons, infestations may go a long
time unnoticed, and can become quite large before
being detected. The likelihood of bed bugs increases
if the affected individual has been traveling, or had
acquired used beds or furnishings before symptoms
started to appear. Bed bugs also are suspect if you
wake up with itchy bites you did not have when you
went to sleep. Conversely, it is important to recog-
BITES &
Concerns
Bed Bug Fact Sheet
Your Guide To Bed Bugs nize that not all bites or bite-like reactions are due to
bed bugs. Confirmation requires finding and identifying
the bugs themselves, which often requires the
help of a professional.
A common concern with bed bugs is whether they
transmit diseases. Although bed bugs can harbor
pathogens in and on their bodies, transmission to
humans is considered unlikely. Their medical significance
is chiefly limited to the itching and inflammation
from their bites. Antihistamines and corticosteroids
may be prescribed to reduce allergic reactions,
and antiseptic or antibiotic ointments to prevent
infection. Though not known to carry diseases, bed
bugs can severely reduce quality of life by causing discomfort,
sleeplessness, anxiety, and embarrassment.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Backpackers cop blame for plague of bedbugs
Backpackers cop blame for plague of bedbugs
By Jeff Bell 5:30 AM Thursday Jun 30, 2011
Bedbugs are back - experts say a plague is affecting hotels, apartments and student housing. 
Exterminators are doubling their work and hotel staff are being trained to spot the pests.
New Zealand's popularity with backpackers and tourists is partly to blame, but experts say poor hygiene is not necessarily to blame for their arrival.
Motel Association chief executive Michael Baines said hotel staff were being trained to search for the bloodsucking pests, which have also become a problem in New York and some parts of Europe.
"We have some fairly significant training programmes that we go through to make sure motels are aware what bedbugs are," he said.
"We've even gone so far as to take dead bedbugs around New Zealand so they can identify them."
The technical support manager for the pest control company Kiwicare, David Brittain,, said bedbug problems were increasing around the world, and New Zealand had been hard hit because of its popularity with backpackers.
"The thing about bedbugs is they will find anywhere, usually within 5m of the bed, which usually means the bedroom or adjacent rooms."
Mr Brittain also blamed the increase in second-hand furniture exchanges and the resistance bugs had developed to weak insecticides.
He said Kiwicare had sold more than 20,000 bedbug products in the past year, double its expectation.
Poor hygiene was rarely associated with an infestation - the bugs were found in expensive hotels and upmarket apartments.
Mr Brittain recommended a combination of pesticides, vacuuming, heat treatment and plastic wrappings that suffocate the bugs to fully eliminate bedbugs and their eggs.
Eric Van Essen, technical director of Ecolab, which provides cleaning services to the hospitality industry, said the insect did "not discriminate between five-star accommodation and backpackers accommodation".
"If you don't eradicate the problem by getting rid of every last bedbug - as in very, very thorough searching of all of their harbourages and not underestimating how small a crack or crevice they can hide in - then there's the risk that it's just going to keep on becoming a problem," he said.
The Auckland Council said it was hard to determine the number of yearly bedbug complaints since it was mainly the individual responsibility of the accommodation providers.
BATTLING THE BUGS
* Infestations rarely caused by lack of hygiene.
* Bites occur on arms, shoulders and legs, with itching that may last several days.
* Treating infestation requires a combination of strong pesticides, vacuuming, heat treatment and plastic wrappings that suffocate the bugs.
* Bugs mostly infest mattresses but also nearby carpets and baseboards. Increased travel and resistance to insecticide are factors
By Jeff Bell
Avoiding bed Bugs While Traveling
CHICAGO (CBS) — Before you hit the road for your summer vacation make sure to take steps that you don’t bring back any unexpected souvenirs in the form of bed bugs.
As WBBM Newsradio 780′s Nancy Harty reports, Chicago was recently ranked as the fourth most bedbug-infested U.S. city, behind New York, Cincinnati and Detroit, in a study by the pest control company Terminix.
But even more important is the ranking of your summer vacation destination.
Purdue University entomologist Timothy Gibb says bedbugs have been around since the time of the pilgrims, and are not going away.
“I would not believe it’s on its way out,” he said. “In fact, I’m not even sure we have peaked with bedbug infestations yet.”
Gibb appeared on the CBS 2 Morning News Wednesday with some advice for preventing bedbug infestations if you’re traveling.
“When you check into a hotel, look for bedbug signs, and if you find bedbugs, do something about it,” he said. “Certainly in a hotel situation, you could ask to be relocated. In a home or an apartment, you can use a product called Hot Shot that will actually take them out if applied directly to them.”
Anyone will know bedbugs are present by their bites, but they can be found visually too, Gibb said.
“Sometimes they will leave little black spots when they harbor, where they live, and that’s also a good sign, as are cast skins – if they grow, they leave skins behind,” Gibb said.
If you do discover bedbugs on your vacation, how do you avoid not bringing them home?
“Inspection – actually understanding where the bedbugs are,” Gibb said. “If you put luggage, or suitcases, or clothing on a bed, and then bring it back to your bed, that’s how bedbugs are transported from one area to the other.”
Taking off bedspreads in hotels is also a good idea, given that they are the least laundered bedding items in hotels.
Also, it’s important to remember that bedbugs don’t only lurk in beds, but anywhere people sleep. Couches, chairs, futons and other furniture could also be affected.
As WBBM Newsradio 780′s Nancy Harty reports, Chicago was recently ranked as the fourth most bedbug-infested U.S. city, behind New York, Cincinnati and Detroit, in a study by the pest control company Terminix.
But even more important is the ranking of your summer vacation destination.
Purdue University entomologist Timothy Gibb says bedbugs have been around since the time of the pilgrims, and are not going away.
“I would not believe it’s on its way out,” he said. “In fact, I’m not even sure we have peaked with bedbug infestations yet.”
Gibb appeared on the CBS 2 Morning News Wednesday with some advice for preventing bedbug infestations if you’re traveling.
“When you check into a hotel, look for bedbug signs, and if you find bedbugs, do something about it,” he said. “Certainly in a hotel situation, you could ask to be relocated. In a home or an apartment, you can use a product called Hot Shot that will actually take them out if applied directly to them.”
Anyone will know bedbugs are present by their bites, but they can be found visually too, Gibb said.
“Sometimes they will leave little black spots when they harbor, where they live, and that’s also a good sign, as are cast skins – if they grow, they leave skins behind,” Gibb said.
If you do discover bedbugs on your vacation, how do you avoid not bringing them home?
“Inspection – actually understanding where the bedbugs are,” Gibb said. “If you put luggage, or suitcases, or clothing on a bed, and then bring it back to your bed, that’s how bedbugs are transported from one area to the other.”
Taking off bedspreads in hotels is also a good idea, given that they are the least laundered bedding items in hotels.
Also, it’s important to remember that bedbugs don’t only lurk in beds, but anywhere people sleep. Couches, chairs, futons and other furniture could also be affected.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Bed Bugs 101: Basics of Cimex lectularius.
Bed Bugs 101:
the Basics of Cimex lectularius.
Harold J. Harlan
100 American Entomologist • Summer 2006
in public shelters in the last half, as
compared with the first half, of the
year (Hwang et al. 2005). In Great
Britain, reported infestations more
than quadrupled each year from
1998 to 2002 (Burgess 2002). In
Berlin, Germany, a 10-fold increase
in bed bug infestations has been
reported, rising from 5 reported
cases in the 1992 to 76 cases in 2004
(Bauer-Dubau 2004). An Australian
government public health agency
reported a 400% increase in bed
bugs submitted in 2001–2004
compared with 1997-2000. They
also reported increased interceptions of bed bugs
in luggage by quarantine inspectors from 1986 to
2003, with 74% of those occurring from 1999 to
2003 (Doggett et al. 2004). The continued spread
and increased problems due to bed bugs seem to
be inevitable.
Public Health Aspects
Bed bugs consume only blood from mammals
(e.g., humans) or birds. Adults need at least one
blood meal of adequate volume for nutrition and
reproduction. Each active instar may feed multiple
times if hosts are readily available. Adults may
feed every 3–5 d throughout their typical 6–12-
mo life span.
Vector Potential
Although 28 human pathogens have been found
naturally occurring in common bed bugs, they have
never been proven to biologically or mechanically
transmit any of them (Usinger 1966, Jupp et al.
1991, Blow et al. 2001).
Health Effects of Bites
Bed bug bites can cause physical and psychological
discomfort. Although their feeding usually
is never felt, the saliva contains biologically active
proteins, which may cause progressive, allergenic,
visible symptomatic skin reactions to repeated
bites. Typical symptoms include a raised, inflamed,
reddish weal at each bite site, which may itch intensely
for several days. Immediate reactions may
appear from 1 to 24 h after a bite and may last
1–2 d; delayed reactions usually appear 1–3 d (or
more) after a bite and may last 2–5 d (Feingold et
al. 1968). There can also be a social stigma attached
with having a bed bug infestation (Usinger 1966,
Krinsky 2002). There is no current requirement to
report bed bug infestations to any public health or
government agency.
Importance as Pests
Bed bugs are often hard to control because
they are nocturnal, seek cryptic harborages, are
very small and elusive, and can detect and avoid
many chemicals, including cleaning agents. They
are easily transported on or in luggage, furniture,
boxes, and clothes. Because they are very thin,
except just after a blood meal, they can fit through
or hide in very narrow cracks. Adults can live for
several months (some more than a whole year), and
nymphs can survive for 3 mo or longer without
feeding. Complete elimination of an established
infestation is almost impossible to accomplish in
a single service visit by most PMPs. The bed bug’s
importance as a pest has increased because of its
biting and associated effects, its characteristic odor,
and the public fear of them.
Conditions in which bed bugs thrive include
an adequate supply of available hosts, abundant
cracks or harborages within about 1.5 m of a
host, and ambient temperatures between 28 and
32 ºC and 75–80% RH. Currently occupied, cluttered
bedrooms with little air movement are ideal.
Although sanitation alone will not eliminate an
infestation, eliminating clutter, removing accumulated
dirt and debris, and sealing cracks and
crevices reduce available harborages, make it easier
to detect remaining bug populations, and increase
the probability of successful treatment.
Detailed inspection is essential to any effective
control effort. The bugs must be found promptly
and correctly identified; and their harborage sites
and extent of infestation, including a rough estimate
of the population size, must be determined as
rapidly as possible.
the Basics of Cimex lectularius.
Harold J. Harlan
100 American Entomologist • Summer 2006
in public shelters in the last half, as
compared with the first half, of the
year (Hwang et al. 2005). In Great
Britain, reported infestations more
than quadrupled each year from
1998 to 2002 (Burgess 2002). In
Berlin, Germany, a 10-fold increase
in bed bug infestations has been
reported, rising from 5 reported
cases in the 1992 to 76 cases in 2004
(Bauer-Dubau 2004). An Australian
government public health agency
reported a 400% increase in bed
bugs submitted in 2001–2004
compared with 1997-2000. They
also reported increased interceptions of bed bugs
in luggage by quarantine inspectors from 1986 to
2003, with 74% of those occurring from 1999 to
2003 (Doggett et al. 2004). The continued spread
and increased problems due to bed bugs seem to
be inevitable.
Public Health Aspects
Bed bugs consume only blood from mammals
(e.g., humans) or birds. Adults need at least one
blood meal of adequate volume for nutrition and
reproduction. Each active instar may feed multiple
times if hosts are readily available. Adults may
feed every 3–5 d throughout their typical 6–12-
mo life span.
Vector Potential
Although 28 human pathogens have been found
naturally occurring in common bed bugs, they have
never been proven to biologically or mechanically
transmit any of them (Usinger 1966, Jupp et al.
1991, Blow et al. 2001).
Health Effects of Bites
Bed bug bites can cause physical and psychological
discomfort. Although their feeding usually
is never felt, the saliva contains biologically active
proteins, which may cause progressive, allergenic,
visible symptomatic skin reactions to repeated
bites. Typical symptoms include a raised, inflamed,
reddish weal at each bite site, which may itch intensely
for several days. Immediate reactions may
appear from 1 to 24 h after a bite and may last
1–2 d; delayed reactions usually appear 1–3 d (or
more) after a bite and may last 2–5 d (Feingold et
al. 1968). There can also be a social stigma attached
with having a bed bug infestation (Usinger 1966,
Krinsky 2002). There is no current requirement to
report bed bug infestations to any public health or
government agency.
Importance as Pests
Bed bugs are often hard to control because
they are nocturnal, seek cryptic harborages, are
very small and elusive, and can detect and avoid
many chemicals, including cleaning agents. They
are easily transported on or in luggage, furniture,
boxes, and clothes. Because they are very thin,
except just after a blood meal, they can fit through
or hide in very narrow cracks. Adults can live for
several months (some more than a whole year), and
nymphs can survive for 3 mo or longer without
feeding. Complete elimination of an established
infestation is almost impossible to accomplish in
a single service visit by most PMPs. The bed bug’s
importance as a pest has increased because of its
biting and associated effects, its characteristic odor,
and the public fear of them.
Conditions in which bed bugs thrive include
an adequate supply of available hosts, abundant
cracks or harborages within about 1.5 m of a
host, and ambient temperatures between 28 and
32 ºC and 75–80% RH. Currently occupied, cluttered
bedrooms with little air movement are ideal.
Although sanitation alone will not eliminate an
infestation, eliminating clutter, removing accumulated
dirt and debris, and sealing cracks and
crevices reduce available harborages, make it easier
to detect remaining bug populations, and increase
the probability of successful treatment.
Detailed inspection is essential to any effective
control effort. The bugs must be found promptly
and correctly identified; and their harborage sites
and extent of infestation, including a rough estimate
of the population size, must be determined as
rapidly as possible.
All About Bed Bugs- How To Avoid and Remove Bed Bugs
Bed Bugs | Printer friendly version (PDF 47KB) |
| |||
What are bed bugs? Bed bugs are small, flat insects that feed on our blood, typically at night, while we are sleeping. Adult bed bugs are about 1/4 of an inch long, have flat, rusty-red-colored oval bodies, and look like an apple seed. They feed for about 3-10 minutes and their bodies swell and become bright red. During the bed bug life cycle, a female can lay 200-400 eggs depending on food supply and temperature. Bed bugs don't fly, but can quickly walk across floors, walls, and other surfaces. Can I get a disease from bed bugs? No, there are no known cases of infectious disease transmitted by bed bug bites. However, some people are more sensitive to the bites and develop itchy, red welts. Scratching the bites can lead to infection. Bed bugs may also affect a person's mental health. Anxiety, insomnia, and irritability have been reported in some people. How do I prevent bed bugs from entering my home? People often bring bed bugs into their homes via infested luggage, furniture, bedding, or clothing. Bed bugs can hitch a ride on items purchased second-hand, or from furniture and bedding that is delivered to your home. Bed bugs may also travel between apartments through small crevices, cracks, and ventilation ducts in walls and floors.
When traveling, how do I avoid bed bugs?
How do I know if my home has bed bugs? Itchy swollen bites may be the first sign of a bed bug problem. However, these itchy bites can take as long as 14 days to develop in some people, so it's important to look for other clues if you are concerned about an infestation. Bed bugs typically infest mattresses, box springs, bed frames, and couches. You may be able to find them hiding within the cracks and crevices of beds, furniture, floors, and walls. Bed bugs often leave evidence of small dark stains (fecal droppings) and rusty red spots (bloodstains) on bedding sheets, mattresses, and other areas they hide in or travel along. Heavy bed bug infestations can cause a sweet, musty smell. If you suspect a bed bug problem, it's important to first confirm that you really have bed bugs. Contact a pest control company for bed bug identification help. | |||||
What do bites from bed bugs look like? Skin reactions from bed bug bites vary from person to person. Bites may go unnoticed or may be mistaken for flea or mosquito bites or other skin conditions. The most common skin reaction to bed bug bites are itchy red bite marks that appear clustered or in a straight line, often along the edge of clothing or where sheets were pulled up to a person's skin. Small swollen red bumps are also common. In rare cases, people may develop large, often itchy, red welts. A single bed bug bite is similar to a flea bite, except that a red area does not occur in the center. Flea bites tend to be found around the ankles while bed bugs tend to bite any exposed area of the body while a person is sleeping, such as the face, neck, arms, hands, or legs. How do I stop itching from bed bug bites? Most bed bug bites go away by themselves and don't need treatment. Keep the skin clean and try not to scratch. Over-the-counter, anti-itching cream for insect bites can help relieve the itching. If the bites are very itchy, your health care provider may prescribe cream or antihistamines to relieve the itchiness. Oral antibiotics may be prescribed for any secondary skin infection from excessive scratching. How do I get rid of bed bugs? The best way to control bed bugs is to use an integrated pest management approach, which combines a variety of control techniques that pose the least risk to human health and the environment. The use of pesticides is just one part of the potential control strategy for bed bugs.
Hiring a Pest Control Company Consider hiring a pest control company, especially if there appears to be a significant infestation of bed bugs. | |||||
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Getting Rid Of Bed Bugs
Get Rid of Bed Bugs Once and for All
Know the steps you need to take to clear out these uber-pests.
The United States is under siege. A growing infestation of bed bugs has moved beyond being a mere itchy, painful annoyance in major cities to become a threat to the health of citizens around the country.Bed bugs look like small cockroaches, and they’re darker after they feed. They congregate where they can find blood, especially in beds and on furniture—but they can also live on hard surfaces such as bookshelves, picture frames and walls. Their bites, which are raised itchy bumps, may be mistaken for flea or mosquito bites, so bed bugs often go undetected for some time. The dark blotches of blood and fecal matter that they leave on bedclothes and in the crevices of other surfaces are often the first sign of an infestation.
Researchers recently found bed bugs carrying two types of drug-resistant bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE). Even more frightening is the fact that these nasty little critters are developing a resistance to pesticides. Compared to ten years ago, today's bed bugs are a thousand times more resistant to the chemicals used to fight them.
So how does one battle uber-bed bugs like those found today?
First and foremost, do all you can to prevent bed bugs from entering your home. Bed bugs tend to move from one location to the next by means of hitchhiking, often grabbing a ride on suitcases, moving boxes or even clothes.
A few precautions may be warranted if you stay at a hotel or other location where bed bugs might exist.
For starters, do not put your suitcase on the bed. Instead place it on a hard wooden surface or metal rack. If that’s not an option, wrap your bag in a large plastic bag before departure. When you get home empty the contents directly into the washing machine and wash at the highest temperature possible. Similarly, use the highest heat setting on the dryer. If it's below freezing out, place your bagged suitcase outside for a few cold nights to freeze the bugs out. Otherwise, vacuum your luggage thoroughly on a hard surface where escaping bugs will be visible. Dispose of the vacuum bag immediately.
If you suspect bed bugs have found their way into your mattress, act fast. Begin by stripping your bed and washing and drying your bedding at the highest heat possible. Next, vacuum the mattress and box spring thoroughly to remove bugs and eggs. When you re-make the bed, make sure none of the bedding touches the floor.
If that doesn't resolve the problem, place your box spring and mattress in a zippered, vinyl cover for at least a year. If you're a tenant, notify your landlord and ask for assistance. If you're a homeowner, contact a professional pest company for a full assessment and recommendation.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Spotting Bed Bug Bites In Health Care Facilities
Spotting bedbug bites in primary care
Bryant Furlow
June 25 2011
Bedbug infestations have increased 10-fold since 1999, with reports of the parasite in 28 states and four Canadian provinces since 2003, according to Douglas Sutton, EdD, ARNP, ANP-C, ACNS-BC, an assistant professor at Florida Atlantic Unversity's Christine Lynn College of Nursing in Boca Raton, Fl. But that number is likely a gross underestimate, he warned.
Because bedbugs pose no communicable disease risk to public health, infestations are not reportable to the CDC. “This makes it difficult to track the real incidence and it's probably much higher than reported,” Sutton said.
Once considered eradicated in the 1950s and 60s, bedbugs have mounted a comeback since the United States pulled the pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) off the market in the early 1970s due to toxicity concerns.
But bedbugs are not just a problem in the United States. “No one is exempt,” Sutton said.
In the United Kingdom, reported infestations have quadrupled annually. Hotels are frequently the hardest-hit because of the influx of travelers from developing nations, but infestations have been reported in residential and office buildings, cruise ships and retail shops.
Between nocturnal feedings on sleeping humans, bedbugs take shelter in bedding, curtains, clothing, carpets, furniture and even children's toys. “Any dark location to wait out the day, usually close to beds,” Sutton said.
Bedbug bites look similar to scabies, but bedbugs do not live on their hosts, so clinicians are unlikely to spot a one of the blood suckers on a patient – a characteristic that can help clinicians differentiate between this parasite and other insects.
Bedbug bites can also resemble those of mosquitoes or fleas. “Their bites are painless but can trigger subsequent painful and irritating skin reactions and pruritus. Tell-tale blood spotting at the site of bites result from natural anticoagulants in the insect's saliva,” Sutton said.
If you suspect that a patient has been bitten by a bedbug advise him or her to inspect household bedding and look behind headboards for the insects, which are usually brown or red depending on the time of their last blood meal, and resemble an appleseed in shape and size. Small dark stains on the mattress and bedding – evidence of blood meal feces – are other indicators of infestation.
Remember that bedbugs are equal-opportunity parasites and do not prefer hosts of a particular socioeconomic status, ethnicity or age. A warm body expiring carbon dioxide seems to be the only criteria, according to Sutton, though movement and perspiration can also get their attention.
“Once lesions are confirmed to be bedbug bites, the priority becomes one of containment to minimize further spread,” Sutton said, adding that patients should be discouraged from using pesticides on their bedding or clothes.
Bedbugs thrive in the cold but are killed by heat and sunlight. An “old-time eradication” strategy is to “just drag your mattresses and bedding out into the sunshine for an afternoon,” Sutton said.
But that strategy will not kill the parasites living under the baseboards or in closets. “What's really required is an extensive eradication effort by professional exterminators,” Sutton said.
Sutton reported no conflicts of interest.
Sutton D. “Bedbug Invasion: Ramifications in Primary Care.” Presented at: 26th Annual American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Conference, 2011: Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bryant Furlow is a medical writer and award-winning investigative healthcare journalist based in Albuqu
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Bed Bugs-EPA and DDT. Can We Beat These Bugs
Bed Bugs Now With Super Bug: Still Just a “Nuisance,” EPA?
Clearly Ms. Jackson hasn’t spent much time speaking with people who have had bed bugs. More than a mere nuisance, they can force families to shell out thousands of dollars in repeat treatments, hospital visits (if reactions to the bites are severe), medication such as antibiotics, damaged relationships, damaged psyches, and damaged careers. Despite her sympathy, Ms. Jackson denied Ohio’s request for an emergency exemption.
At the time, Jackson believed that bed bugs do not carry disease. Unfortunately, we know better now. A recent study out of Canada found bed bugs carrying the drug-resistant strain of the Staphylococcus bacterium (also known as the MRSA and a “superbug”). While they have not been able to conclusively prove that the bed bugs are spreading the disease to their human hosts, their carrying the disease while causing the host to scratch the skin certainly seems like it would increase the likelihood of infection. In an article in the June 2011 issue of Emerging Infectious Disease, a CDC public health journal, discussed the possible correlation between increasing rates of MRSA infection and increasing infestations of bed bugs.
So far, the EPA has continued to deny the requests to allow the use of effective pesticide treatments to deal with bed bug infestations. In her response to Ohio’s Gov. Ted Strickland who had requested an emergency exemption to use the chemical propoxur to treat the state’s bed bug epidemic, Jackson’s coldly replied:
Although EPA recognizes the severe and urgent challenges that Ohio is facing from bed bugs, the results of the risk assessment do not support the necessary safety findings as required by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). In particular, the requested use presents an unacceptable risk to children who might be exposed to propoxur in and around rooms treated for bed bugs.Jackson says this without considering the fact that many affected homes may not have children and for an utter disregard for the health side effects of repeatedly using less effective pesticides. And, as Angela noted in her post, propoxur, which can be toxic if used improperly, but has no reported carcinogenic effects and is very effective when used by a professional.
The one reasonable opposition to the use of strong pesticides that some have asserted, Jackson included, is that the increasing strength of pesticides simply encourages future generations of bed bugs to build a resistance which could amount to “a cure that’s actually worse than the disease.” Yet, it is more reasonable to assume that the larger the epidemic becomes the more opportunity the bugs have to evolve (fewer bugs means a diminishing chance that the pesticide-resistant genes are passed along).
Regardless of the good intentions of Ms. Jackson, or the original 1996 pesticides act (which some have pointed to as the cause of the bed bug resurgence), clearly the problem of bed bugs requires swift action before it becomes a nation-wide epidemic and before we see more evidence that drug-resistant bacteria are spreading via bed bugs. It’s time to let individuals to the cost-benefit analysis and decide the best course of treatment for their own lives, wallets, and sanity.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Do You Need To Remove Bed Bugs From Your Home?
Removing Bed Bugs From Your Home or Apartment
Posted on 08 June 2011
There’s practically nothing new concerning bed glitches and dirt mites but of which does not mean to speak about they’re all less to a pest in comparison with they’ve have you ever been. In truth the real human bed bug will be an ancient pest as well as some experts believe the prevalent bed glitches fed around the blood regarding pre-historic humans dating back Neolithic man as we were still basically caves. As fella evolved your dog eventually moved away from rock property and into tents, then huts gradually houses, but unfortunately for those evolving Homo sapiens a lot of these so called bed pesky insects moved alongside them as well as have never ended bothering you right about this point out. These smaller nocturnal insects for the family Cimicidae just adore to feed to the blood folks humans along with other warm-blooded owners, so quite simply, all they are doing for numerous years in actual fact following the foodstuff around.
In all the 21st 100 years, both base bugs as well as dust mites are really a common problem surrounding the home. For that matter some individuals have considerable allergies against them and want to take specific precaution to prevent them gone. Dust mites cause disorders of their waste and also bed bugs adore to bite. Both can lead to allergic reactions in many folks or only an discomfort in many people. So the way do we bid farewell to bed glitches and dirt mites definately Now there could question!
But our company is living while in the new millennium almost everything is possible nowadays, including exterminating loved ones pests much like the bed insects and mud mites. Most occasions, modern loved ones pesticides show good results just great, but possibly even these really need to be used along with some warn as the ones folks liable to allergies can find that will not react properly to most of the chemicals in these items. But do not alarmed, as there are a variety products you could use and the actual store high quality or native pest manipulate agent might be in a great position to counsel you accordingly.
So how come are these kinds of little bugs a very problem in many homes Nicely, the mattress bug’s enjoy a habit of residing minute cracks and very small crevices that creates them hard to overpower. The more mature treatments that men and women used to utilise were either not too effective or we were holding out ideal dangerous. One old-time option was to cure infested air mattresses with fuel. Can you think that that!
But equally bed pests and debris mites can now and again seem not possible to eradicate within the home keep in mind the most current and soundest products. If this is exactly your practical experience, then one alternative may be to hire a reliable pest regulate agent, simply because they will surely enjoy the skills, appliances, and toxins necessary to take out your uninvited guests at once.
As just for dust mites, these are offered on virtually any slightly dusty surface at home, but not that you’re going to notice them merely 1/100th connected with an inch in length. Dust mites always feed off from pet as well as human dander (or dust), and ones own waste is a really major factor for allergies along with intensify asthma hits with individuals that suffer out of this condition. Want bed bothers, dust mites choose to bedroom since bedding and also such is likely to generate more dust when compared with other bedrooms.
The many other reason debris mites locate our properties so accommodating certainly is the temperature. An ideal temperature to get dust or even bed mites is anywhere between sixty five and 80 five diplomas, which stands out as the temperature of all homes.
If you can be having complications of either of your common bugs, try a portion of the latest products within the high highway sores initially, and if he or she don’t perform, call during the professionals prior to they lead
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Bed Bug Education Tour Set to Travel To Heavily Infected Cities
Entomologist and human-sized Hot Shot® Bed Bug Character to travel across country to educate consumers
ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- With bed bug infestations in the U.S. on the rise, entomologist Timothy J. Gibb, PhD, director of the Insect Diagnostic Lab for the Department of Entomology at Purdue University, says it s important to be wary of bed bugs that could be moving into your home or workplace this summer via suitcases, backpacks, computer cases, clothing and other portable items. During the heavy summer travel months, especially, it s important to understand how to identify and avoid a bed bug infestation, and how to get rid of the pesky creatures when discovered.
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are small, flat, parasitic insects that feed solely on the blood of people and animals while they sleep. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people do not realize they are transporting stow-away bed bugs as they travel from location to location, infecting areas as they travel (http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/bedbugs/faqs.html).
A human-sized Hot Shot® Bed Bug Man character (photos here: http://budurl.com/BedBugMan1, http://budurl.com/BedBugMan2 http://budurl.com/BedBugMan3) and Dr. Timothy Gibb will be traveling to and making public appearances in four of the top infested cities, ranked for bed bugs by treatment data, including New York (May 29-June 2), Washington, D.C (June 5-9), Philadelphia (June 12-16) and Chicago (June 28-July 2). The Hot Shot® character also will be in Los Angeles June 20-24.
The tour comes on the heels of the May 11 publication of an article that will appear in the June 2011 edition of Emerging Infectious Diseases, published by the CDC, suggesting bedbugs could transmit antibiotic-resistant bacteria during a blood meal (http://www.cdc.gov/media/eid/2011/06.html). Dr. Marc Romney, a medical microbiologist at St. Paul s Health Care in Vancouver, B. C., and Christopher F. Lowe, University of Toronto, report recovery of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) from bedbugs found on hospital patients in Vancouver. According to the report, Bedbugs carrying MRSA and/or VRE may have the potential to act as vectors for transmission. Further studies are needed to characterize the association between S. aureus and bedbugs. Additional information on MRSA can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/index.html.
The two points I urge travelers to keep in mind are awareness and inspection, said Dr. Gibb. Knowing what to look for as soon as you enter a hotel room, how to identify bed bugs and what to do if you find them can help alleviate the issue and help decrease the possible spread from travel this summer.
And Dr. Gibb isn t the only one watching out for bedbugs wanting to step up as travelers. Peter Greenberg, The Contrarian Traveler, reported on April 27, 2011, that passengers on two commercial airlines recently have witnessed excess passengers (bed bugs) on both domestic and international flights: http://www.bnet.com/blog/travel-detective/airplanes-littered-with-rat-droppings-and-bed-bugs/693.
ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- With bed bug infestations in the U.S. on the rise, entomologist Timothy J. Gibb, PhD, director of the Insect Diagnostic Lab for the Department of Entomology at Purdue University, says it s important to be wary of bed bugs that could be moving into your home or workplace this summer via suitcases, backpacks, computer cases, clothing and other portable items. During the heavy summer travel months, especially, it s important to understand how to identify and avoid a bed bug infestation, and how to get rid of the pesky creatures when discovered.
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are small, flat, parasitic insects that feed solely on the blood of people and animals while they sleep. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people do not realize they are transporting stow-away bed bugs as they travel from location to location, infecting areas as they travel (http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/bedbugs/faqs.html).
A human-sized Hot Shot® Bed Bug Man character (photos here: http://budurl.com/BedBugMan1, http://budurl.com/BedBugMan2 http://budurl.com/BedBugMan3) and Dr. Timothy Gibb will be traveling to and making public appearances in four of the top infested cities, ranked for bed bugs by treatment data, including New York (May 29-June 2), Washington, D.C (June 5-9), Philadelphia (June 12-16) and Chicago (June 28-July 2). The Hot Shot® character also will be in Los Angeles June 20-24.
The tour comes on the heels of the May 11 publication of an article that will appear in the June 2011 edition of Emerging Infectious Diseases, published by the CDC, suggesting bedbugs could transmit antibiotic-resistant bacteria during a blood meal (http://www.cdc.gov/media/eid/2011/06.html). Dr. Marc Romney, a medical microbiologist at St. Paul s Health Care in Vancouver, B. C., and Christopher F. Lowe, University of Toronto, report recovery of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) from bedbugs found on hospital patients in Vancouver. According to the report, Bedbugs carrying MRSA and/or VRE may have the potential to act as vectors for transmission. Further studies are needed to characterize the association between S. aureus and bedbugs. Additional information on MRSA can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/index.html.
The two points I urge travelers to keep in mind are awareness and inspection, said Dr. Gibb. Knowing what to look for as soon as you enter a hotel room, how to identify bed bugs and what to do if you find them can help alleviate the issue and help decrease the possible spread from travel this summer.
And Dr. Gibb isn t the only one watching out for bedbugs wanting to step up as travelers. Peter Greenberg, The Contrarian Traveler, reported on April 27, 2011, that passengers on two commercial airlines recently have witnessed excess passengers (bed bugs) on both domestic and international flights: http://www.bnet.com/blog/travel-detective/airplanes-littered-with-rat-droppings-and-bed-bugs/693.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Toronto Canada Deals With Bed Bug Infestations
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are wingless, oval-shaped, flat insects that can be seen with the naked eye. They are generally about one quarter of an inch long and are a light tan colour. After feeding they can turn dark red.
Bed bugs feed on human blood, but will also feed on the blood of animals or birds. They are usually active at night, so the insects will often bite humans while they sleep.
The insects bite all over the body, especially the face, neck, upper torso, arms and hands.
Clusters of small eggs the size of pinheads can be found in cracks and crevices, and hatch in about ten days.
Why are bed bugs becoming a problem?
Bed bug infestations have risen worldwide as a result of increased international travel and decreased use of certain types of pesticides. They are present in nearly all countries.
They became relatively scarce in the second half of the 20th century, but are now resurgent, especially in North America, Europe and Australia.
They can be found in hotels, motels, apartments, condos, homes, dormitories, or even businesses and offices.
The highest-risk locations for bed bugs are multi-unit apartments, hotels, hostels, shelters and student residences.
Where in Canada are bed bugs found?
Bed bugs have been reported in many major Canadian cities and seem to be on the rise. In Toronto, there were 2,106 reports of bed bugs in 2010, a 38 per cent increase from 2009.
Approximately 2.7 per cent of households in Montreal had bed bugs in 2009, according to a study done for the city. That amounts to around 22,000 homes.
Bed bugs have been found in Edmonton libraries, at camps outside of Halifax, and university dorms in Burnaby, B.C. One website, bedbugregistry.com, that allows people to submit their own bed bug reports, shows cases all across Canada.
How do they get in my home?
Bed bugs cannot fly or jump. They either crawl or are carried from one place to another.
They can be brought into your home on clothing, furniture or other objects, and can travel between apartments in small openings, pipes, and wiring.
Used furniture is especially at risk of housing bed bugs or their eggs. Bed bugs can survive for months without feeding, so used furniture should be carefully inspected.
Bed bugs hide during the day, and their flat narrow shape allows them to hide in bed frames, baseboards, in bedside furniture, under mattresses and in boxsprings.
Since they feed at night while people sleep, infestations will generally occur in the area surrounding the bed.
Are they a health hazard?
Bed bugs are not considered a health hazard, and there is no evidence that bed bug bites can transmit infectious disease.
Some people may experience a localized reaction to a bite, while others might not notice they have been bitten. Scratching the area can cause infection.
What should I do if I think I have bed bugs?
If you think you might have a bed bug infestation, call your local health department to confirm this is the case. Some health departments will perform on-site inspections.
Heavy infestations may result in a sweet-smelling odour.
To deal with bed bugs, you can call a professional pest control service or use pesticides. If you own your home or residence, you may want to contact a licensed pest control company directly.
If you are a tenant, you should contact your landlord immediately and inform them of the infestation, and discuss how to proceed to eliminate it.
If you are using a pesticide, read the label carefully to ensure it is appropriate, and that all safety precautions are followed. Ensure the product is registered for use against bed bugs specifically, which should be marked on the product container.
These steps should be combined with other measures to ensure the infestation does not return. This is called Integrated Pest Control (IPM).
First, inspect your bed and the surrounding area, particularly any cracks or folds. Thoroughly clean the entire room where the infestation has occurred, and other rooms in your home.
Use a vacuum nozzle attachment to remove the insects, and vacuum all cracks, crevices and folds in material. Empty the vacuum immediately. Vacuuming should be done each day.
Wash all bed sheets and linens in hot water and put them in the dryer on hot for at least 20 minutes. Seal any cracks or crevices in your bed frame and surrounding area, as well as any openings or cracks in walls, especially those between apartments.
You may want to consider encasing your mattress in a plastic mattress bag, which can be installed and sealed with tape. Bugs trapped inside the bag will eventually die.
Inspect items you bring in to your home. You may want to use sticky tape or glue boards to monitor bed bugs and trap them.
It is normal to see living bed bugs up to ten days after pest control measures are taken.
http://www.globaltoronto.com/bugs/4921438/story.html?releasePID=MdKlb74nvhJ4LZl307uv2uHEQLBpU_bO
Upland Pennsylvania Bed Bug Problems
KENN STARK
Times Correspondent
Published: Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Bed Bug Problems Plaque Pennsylvania
UPLAND — Some children or pets may be as cute as a bug in a rug, but when little bugs are infesting your bedroom rug, there’s nothing cutesy about it.
Such was the story told by three West 21st Street residents at borough council’s May 24 public meeting, where the bedbug alarm was sounded for residents in the 300 and 400 blocks.
The afflicted neighborhood lies on the border between the borough and the city of Chester, with the alley behind the homes officially serving as the boundary.
The complainants were all homeowners, who said the root of the problem is unkempt rental properties.
Constance Bennett said the bedbug problem started last year, but the wafer-thin insects have now flourished in warmer weather.
Neighbor Rosalyn DeMiranda agreed, noting that she has several bug bites on her body, that not only itch, but “burn.”
“The whole row is infested,” DeMiranda said of the 400 block of her street.
It was noted that the only natural way to kill off the pesky bugs is with extreme heat or freezing cold.
Bennett said she has already spent $925 on pesticide bombs and other chemicals to rid her home of the bedbugs, all to no avail. A bedbug exterminator will charge about $1,500 to bring in sniffing dogs and apply pesticides. The extermination process requires the residents to completely clean out all household belongings to ensure success.
“We can’t move anywhere else, because we’ll take them with us,” Bennett said.
To begin to address the infestation, the borough’s board of health officer will make on-site inspections.
Times Correspondent
Published: Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Bed Bug Problems Plaque Pennsylvania
UPLAND — Some children or pets may be as cute as a bug in a rug, but when little bugs are infesting your bedroom rug, there’s nothing cutesy about it.
Such was the story told by three West 21st Street residents at borough council’s May 24 public meeting, where the bedbug alarm was sounded for residents in the 300 and 400 blocks.
The afflicted neighborhood lies on the border between the borough and the city of Chester, with the alley behind the homes officially serving as the boundary.
The complainants were all homeowners, who said the root of the problem is unkempt rental properties.
Constance Bennett said the bedbug problem started last year, but the wafer-thin insects have now flourished in warmer weather.
Neighbor Rosalyn DeMiranda agreed, noting that she has several bug bites on her body, that not only itch, but “burn.”
“The whole row is infested,” DeMiranda said of the 400 block of her street.
It was noted that the only natural way to kill off the pesky bugs is with extreme heat or freezing cold.
Bennett said she has already spent $925 on pesticide bombs and other chemicals to rid her home of the bedbugs, all to no avail. A bedbug exterminator will charge about $1,500 to bring in sniffing dogs and apply pesticides. The extermination process requires the residents to completely clean out all household belongings to ensure success.
“We can’t move anywhere else, because we’ll take them with us,” Bennett said.
To begin to address the infestation, the borough’s board of health officer will make on-site inspections.
Dogs Being Used To Sniff Out Bed Bugs
Getting Rid of Bed Bugs
Posted: Jun 2, 2011 4:22 PM by Stephanie Kusy - skusy@kristv.com
Updated: Jun 2, 2011 6:54 PM
CORPUS CHRISTI - As we reported yesterday, the Good Samaritan homeless shelter seems to have gotten rid of the bed bugs once and for all. Today, Envirocon Termite and Pest of Houston was back out at the site with a 'bed bug sniffing dog' to make sure the pests are gone.
According to Envirocon owner David Rice, the one-year-old dog named Duke is trained to \ sit down whenever he smells bed bugs. The dog is said to be 95% accurate.
Residents at the shelter say they are noticing a big difference in the facility since Envirocon was hired a month ago to bring in some heavy dutry heaters and give the shelter operators some tips on how to control an infestation.
The shelter was treated several times over the years by other companies trying to get rid of the pests. "You almost have to get up and let them have your mattress. They would come out, we had sprays, but the only thing the sprays did was put them further back in the mattress," says resident George Dunagan.
The shelter spent $40,000 dealing with the problem.
Duke gave the shelter a clean bill of health when it comes to bed bugs. For now, the shelter has started a new check in procedure to make sure the bugs are not reintroduced to the building.
Every item that comes into the shelter is now heated in a dryer or sprayed with alcohol.
Posted: Jun 2, 2011 4:22 PM by Stephanie Kusy - skusy@kristv.com
Updated: Jun 2, 2011 6:54 PM
CORPUS CHRISTI - As we reported yesterday, the Good Samaritan homeless shelter seems to have gotten rid of the bed bugs once and for all. Today, Envirocon Termite and Pest of Houston was back out at the site with a 'bed bug sniffing dog' to make sure the pests are gone.
According to Envirocon owner David Rice, the one-year-old dog named Duke is trained to \ sit down whenever he smells bed bugs. The dog is said to be 95% accurate.
Residents at the shelter say they are noticing a big difference in the facility since Envirocon was hired a month ago to bring in some heavy dutry heaters and give the shelter operators some tips on how to control an infestation.
The shelter was treated several times over the years by other companies trying to get rid of the pests. "You almost have to get up and let them have your mattress. They would come out, we had sprays, but the only thing the sprays did was put them further back in the mattress," says resident George Dunagan.
The shelter spent $40,000 dealing with the problem.
Duke gave the shelter a clean bill of health when it comes to bed bugs. For now, the shelter has started a new check in procedure to make sure the bugs are not reintroduced to the building.
Every item that comes into the shelter is now heated in a dryer or sprayed with alcohol.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
San Francisco 10th Most Bed Bug-Plagued City- Other Major Infestations
San Francisco 10th Most Bed Bug-Plagued City
While bed bugs are nothing new to New York City, other major cities should heed the big apple's warning. Like, for example, San Francisco. According to a recent list, Baghdad by the Bay was ranked the 10th most bed bug-ridden city in the U.S. The list is as follows:
1. New York
2. Cincinnati
3. Detroit
4. Chicago
5. Philadelphia
6. Denver
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Los Angeles
9. Boston
10. San Francisco
11. Columbus, Ohio
12. Dayton, Ohio
13. Baltimore
14. Louisville, Ky.
15. Dallas
Ew.
According to USA Today, the country all "reports an increase in bed bug infestations in most states during the past year, in part because consumers are more aware and on the lookout for the tiny pests."
What can you do to avoid getting bitten of infested by bed bugs? Well, since DDT is banned, not much. But Be a few good non-lethal tips are: being careful when bringing traveling bags and clothes back into your home from a trip (wash them well!); when stay at hotels, "strip covers off the mattress and [inspect] it and the area behind the headboard and under box springs for dark spots (bed bug fecal matter), blood (from a feeding), the bugs themselves (which can range from head-of-a-pin size to appleseed-like), or for rows of tiny eggs"; and don't use hotel dresser drawers.
While bed bugs are nothing new to New York City, other major cities should heed the big apple's warning. Like, for example, San Francisco. According to a recent list, Baghdad by the Bay was ranked the 10th most bed bug-ridden city in the U.S. The list is as follows:
1. New York
2. Cincinnati
3. Detroit
4. Chicago
5. Philadelphia
6. Denver
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Los Angeles
9. Boston
10. San Francisco
11. Columbus, Ohio
12. Dayton, Ohio
13. Baltimore
14. Louisville, Ky.
15. Dallas
Ew.
According to USA Today, the country all "reports an increase in bed bug infestations in most states during the past year, in part because consumers are more aware and on the lookout for the tiny pests."
What can you do to avoid getting bitten of infested by bed bugs? Well, since DDT is banned, not much. But Be a few good non-lethal tips are: being careful when bringing traveling bags and clothes back into your home from a trip (wash them well!); when stay at hotels, "strip covers off the mattress and [inspect] it and the area behind the headboard and under box springs for dark spots (bed bug fecal matter), blood (from a feeding), the bugs themselves (which can range from head-of-a-pin size to appleseed-like), or for rows of tiny eggs"; and don't use hotel dresser drawers.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Hotels Save Thousands Battling Bed Bugs With Non-Toxic Bed Bug Spray
After the rise of bed bugs in hotels; damages from lack of hotel guests and pest control pesticides closing rooms; bed bugs have been tormenting hotels and the travel industry. Although, now hotels are moving toward greener solutions. One non toxic solution Bed Bug Bully will save the hotel industry millions in removing and preventing future bed bug out breaks.
Hotel chains have been seeing huge losses from bed bugs infestations. The problem occurs from not being able to kill bed bugs entirely, then also having to evacuate guests from their rooms to use "old-fashion harmful pesticides". Now a new product called Bed Bug Bully claims to change this and help hotel chains get back into catering guests, instead of bed bugs.
The green cleaning products manufacturer has released a new bed bug spray to kill bed bugs, without using harmful pesticides.
The creator, Markus Skupeika, has explained the results hotel management is seeing in profits back in their pockets, is tremendous. He explains: "Hotel chains are losing customers and repeat customers. Not only that, most hotels need to close rooms for weeks because of the harsh fumes and pesticides from bed bug products. Bed Bug Bully is a natural formula to kill bed bugs and larvae. It has shown to work in roughly 34 seconds or less when applied. Not only will this new bed bug spray kill bed bugs, but the product also prevents bed bugs from coming back.”
Skupeika also added: "Hotels are not having to shut down rooms, explain funky pesticide smells in guest rooms, and other problems that come along with most bed bug products. The product has a unique relaxing fragrance and is natural. So hotel guests will simply be more relaxed and hotel owners will be more confident in their customer satisfactory rate. Within a few hours a room can be cleared and back in service.”
The company has been the creator of many green cleaning products, adding to its unique brands of green products. To find more information on this innovative green company and these bed bug products, see below.
For more information on getting rid of bed bugs, visit:
Hotel chains have been seeing huge losses from bed bugs infestations. The problem occurs from not being able to kill bed bugs entirely, then also having to evacuate guests from their rooms to use "old-fashion harmful pesticides". Now a new product called Bed Bug Bully claims to change this and help hotel chains get back into catering guests, instead of bed bugs.
The green cleaning products manufacturer has released a new bed bug spray to kill bed bugs, without using harmful pesticides.
The creator, Markus Skupeika, has explained the results hotel management is seeing in profits back in their pockets, is tremendous. He explains: "Hotel chains are losing customers and repeat customers. Not only that, most hotels need to close rooms for weeks because of the harsh fumes and pesticides from bed bug products. Bed Bug Bully is a natural formula to kill bed bugs and larvae. It has shown to work in roughly 34 seconds or less when applied. Not only will this new bed bug spray kill bed bugs, but the product also prevents bed bugs from coming back.”
Skupeika also added: "Hotels are not having to shut down rooms, explain funky pesticide smells in guest rooms, and other problems that come along with most bed bug products. The product has a unique relaxing fragrance and is natural. So hotel guests will simply be more relaxed and hotel owners will be more confident in their customer satisfactory rate. Within a few hours a room can be cleared and back in service.”
The company has been the creator of many green cleaning products, adding to its unique brands of green products. To find more information on this innovative green company and these bed bug products, see below.
For more information on getting rid of bed bugs, visit:
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Bed Bugs -Most Frequently Asked Questions
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are small insects that feed on the blood of mammals and
birds. Adult bed bugs are oval, wingless and rusty red colored, and
have flat bodies, antennae and small eyes. They are visible to the
naked eye, but often hide in cracks and crevices. When bed bugs
feed, their bodies swell and become a brighter red. In homes, bed
bugs feed primarily on the blood of humans, usually at night when
people are sleeping.
What does a bed bug bite feel and look like?
Typically, the bite is painless and rarely awakens a
sleeping person. However, it can produce large, itchy
welts on the skin. Welts from bed bug bites do not have a
red spot in the center – those welts are more characteristic
of flea bites.
Are bed bugs dangerous?
Although bed bugs may be a nuisance to people, they are not known to spread
disease. They are known to cause allergic reactions from their saliva in sensitive
people.
How long do bed bugs live?
The typical life span of a bed bug is about 10 months. They can survive for
weeks to months without feeding.
How does a home become infested with bed bugs?
In most cases, bed bugs are transported from infested areas to non-infested
areas when they cling onto someone’s clothing, or crawl into luggage, furniture or
bedding that is then brought into homes.
Bed bugs are small insects that feed on the blood of mammals and
birds. Adult bed bugs are oval, wingless and rusty red colored, and
have flat bodies, antennae and small eyes. They are visible to the
naked eye, but often hide in cracks and crevices. When bed bugs
feed, their bodies swell and become a brighter red. In homes, bed
bugs feed primarily on the blood of humans, usually at night when
people are sleeping.
What does a bed bug bite feel and look like?
Typically, the bite is painless and rarely awakens a
sleeping person. However, it can produce large, itchy
welts on the skin. Welts from bed bug bites do not have a
red spot in the center – those welts are more characteristic
of flea bites.
Are bed bugs dangerous?
Although bed bugs may be a nuisance to people, they are not known to spread
disease. They are known to cause allergic reactions from their saliva in sensitive
people.
How long do bed bugs live?
The typical life span of a bed bug is about 10 months. They can survive for
weeks to months without feeding.
How does a home become infested with bed bugs?
In most cases, bed bugs are transported from infested areas to non-infested
areas when they cling onto someone’s clothing, or crawl into luggage, furniture or
bedding that is then brought into homes.
Bed Bug Bites- What To Look For
Bed bug bites usually occur on the legs and upper body area; the arms, neck and shoulders. Many times bed bug bites are not recognized because they are thought to be something else. Bed bug bites are generally small bumps that are very itchy. They are normally red, with centralized inflammation and swelling. Some may have a red scab or look like pimples. Some bed bugs bites may be larger or smaller than the average, but usually they are just small red marks that look like bad mosquito bites and are mistaken for flea or mosquito bites or other common skin conditions.
Everyone can react differently to bed bug bites. As many as 70% of people may not react to bed bugs bites at all while many others can have an allergic reaction. Although bed bug bites are not dangerous, they can cause severe itching in humans who are allergic to bed bug's saliva. Bed bug bite irritation is actually an allergic reaction to chemicals injected by bed bugs when they bite a person. When a bed bug bites it injects its saliva into the skin through one tube, numbing the area, and sucks the blood out through another.
People who have an allergic reaction to the anesthetic in bedbugs saliva will develop raised red bumps or flat welts. These are very itchy and usually cause great discomfort. The painful and itchy sensations that come from bed bugs bites are caused by this allergic reaction to the insect's saliva. These bites can become inflamed, itchy, red, and sore. The worst results from bed bug bites are when they swell, form blisters or result in small loss of skin tissue.
There really is no standard treatment for bed bug bites. They won't make you sick unless they are allowed to get infected. It's best to cleanse the area so that your skin stays free from infection. Bed bug bites can become infected and inflamed easily. Cleaning with cool water and soap will help to reduce the itchiness and the swelling of the bites. Apply ice and use an antihistamine cream or no itch cream.
Conversely, the application of heat either from a hair dryer or heated cloth can help to relieve an area of irritation. Antihistamines help relieve itching but have no further effect on the actual bites. Systemic corticosteroids also relieve the itching, burning sensation but also have no other effect on the bites. Oral or topical steroids like prednisone or hydrocortisone are effective for treating bed bug bites. But treatment of bed bugs bites only tackles a small part of the problem. The most effective treatment is to actually get rid of these unwanted visitors.
Everyone can react differently to bed bug bites. As many as 70% of people may not react to bed bugs bites at all while many others can have an allergic reaction. Although bed bug bites are not dangerous, they can cause severe itching in humans who are allergic to bed bug's saliva. Bed bug bite irritation is actually an allergic reaction to chemicals injected by bed bugs when they bite a person. When a bed bug bites it injects its saliva into the skin through one tube, numbing the area, and sucks the blood out through another.
People who have an allergic reaction to the anesthetic in bedbugs saliva will develop raised red bumps or flat welts. These are very itchy and usually cause great discomfort. The painful and itchy sensations that come from bed bugs bites are caused by this allergic reaction to the insect's saliva. These bites can become inflamed, itchy, red, and sore. The worst results from bed bug bites are when they swell, form blisters or result in small loss of skin tissue.
There really is no standard treatment for bed bug bites. They won't make you sick unless they are allowed to get infected. It's best to cleanse the area so that your skin stays free from infection. Bed bug bites can become infected and inflamed easily. Cleaning with cool water and soap will help to reduce the itchiness and the swelling of the bites. Apply ice and use an antihistamine cream or no itch cream.
Conversely, the application of heat either from a hair dryer or heated cloth can help to relieve an area of irritation. Antihistamines help relieve itching but have no further effect on the actual bites. Systemic corticosteroids also relieve the itching, burning sensation but also have no other effect on the bites. Oral or topical steroids like prednisone or hydrocortisone are effective for treating bed bug bites. But treatment of bed bugs bites only tackles a small part of the problem. The most effective treatment is to actually get rid of these unwanted visitors.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Bed Bugs- All About Bed Bugs and How To Get Rid Of Them
About Bed Bugs
Description and Habits
Bed bugs are small, brownish, flattened insects that feed solely on the blood of animals. The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, is the species most adapted to living with humans. It has done so since ancient times. Bed bugs are mentioned in medieval European texts and in classical Greek writings back to the time of Aristotle. Other bed bug species prefer to feed on wild hosts, especially bats and birds.Bed bugs are active mainly at night. During the daytime, they prefer to hide close to where people sleep. Their flattened bodies enable them to fit into tiny crevices — especially those associated with mattresses, box springs, bed frames and headboards. Bed bugs do not have nests like ants or bees, but do tend to congregate in habitual hiding places. Characteristically, these areas are marked by dark spotting and staining, which is the dried excrement of the bugs. Also present will be eggs and eggshells, the brownish molted skins of maturing nymphs and the bugs themselves. Another telltale though less frequent sign is rusty or reddish blood smears on bed sheets or mattresses from crushing an engorged bed bug. Heavy infestations may have a “buggy” smell, but the odor is seldom apparent and should not be relied upon for detection.
Bed bugs prefer to hide close to where they feed. However, if necessary, they will crawl several feet to obtain a blood meal. Initial infestations tend to be around beds, but the bugs eventually may become scattered throughout the bedroom, occupying any crevice or protected location. They also may spread to adjacent rooms or apartments.
Adult bed bugs are about 3/16-inch long and reddish-brown, with oval, flattened bodies. They are sometimes mistaken for ticks or cockroaches. The immatures (nymphs) resemble the adults, but are smaller and lighter in color. Bed bugs do not fly, but can move rapidly over floors, walls, ceilings and other surfaces. Female bed bugs lay their eggs in secluded areas, depositing 1, 2 or more eggs per day and hundreds during a lifetime. The eggs are tiny, whitish, and hard to see on most surfaces without magnification (individual eggs are about the size of a dust speck). When first laid, the eggs are sticky, causing them to adhere to surfaces. Newly hatched nymphs are straw-colored and no bigger than a pinhead. As they grow, they molt (shed their skin) five times before reaching maturity. A blood meal is needed between each successive molt. Under favorable conditions (70-80°F), the bugs can complete development in as little as a month, producing three or more generations per year. Cooler temperatures or limited access to blood extends the development time. Bed bugs are resilient. Nymphs can survive months without feeding and the adults for more than a year. Infestations therefore are unlikely to diminish by leaving premises unoccupied. Although C. lectularius prefers feeding on humans, it will also bite other warm-blooded animals, including dogs, cats, birds and rodents.
Bed bugs are active mainly at night. During the daytime, they prefer to hide close to where people sleep. Their flattened bodies enable them to fit into tiny crevices — especially those associated with mattresses, box springs, bed frames and headboards. Bed bugs do not have nests like ants or bees, but do tend to congregate in habitual hiding places. Characteristically, these areas are marked by dark spotting and staining, which is the dried excrement of the bugs. Also present will be eggs and eggshells, the brownish molted skins of maturing nymphs and the bugs themselves. Another telltale though less frequent sign is rusty or reddish blood smears on bed sheets or mattresses from crushing an engorged bed bug. Heavy infestations may have a “buggy” smell, but the odor is seldom apparent and should not be relied upon for detection.
Bed bugs prefer to hide close to where they feed. However, if necessary, they will crawl several feet to obtain a blood meal. Initial infestations tend to be around beds, but the bugs eventually may become scattered throughout the bedroom, occupying any crevice or protected location. They also may spread to adjacent rooms or apartments.
Bites and Concerns
Bed bugs usually bite people at night while they are sleeping. They feed on your blood in the same fashion as a mosquito does. Engorgement takes about three to 10 minutes, yet the person seldom knows they are being bitten. Bed bugs normally do not reside on people like head or body lice. Immediately after feeding they crawl off and reside elsewhere to digest their meal. Symptoms after being bitten vary with the individual. Many develop an itchy red welt or localized swelling within a day or so of the bite. Others have little or no reaction, and in some people the reaction is delayed. Unlike flea bites that occur mainly around the ankles, bed bugs feed on any skin exposed while sleeping (face, neck, shoulders, back, arms, legs, etc.). The welts and itching are often wrongly attributed to other causes, such as mosquitoes. For these reasons, infestations may go a long time unnoticed, and can become quite large before being detected. The likelihood of bed bugs increases if the affected individual has been traveling, or had acquired used beds or furnishings before symptoms started to appear. Bed bugs also are suspect if you wake up with itchy bites you did not have when you went to sleep. Conversely, it is important to recognize that not all bites or bite-like reactions are due to bed bugs. Confirmation requires finding and identifying the bugs themselves, which often requires the help of a professional.A common concern with bed bugs is whether they transmit diseases. Although bed bugs can harbor pathogens in and on their bodies, transmission to humans is considered unlikely. Their medical significance is chiefly limited to the itching and inflammation from their bites. Antihistamines and corticosteroids may be prescribed to reduce allergic reactions, and antiseptic or antibiotic ointments to prevent infection. Though not known to carry diseases, bed bugs can severely reduce quality of life by causing discomfort, sleeplessness, anxiety, and embarrassment.
Conventional insect repellents, like those used to deter ticks and mosquitoes, do not appear to be effective against bed bugs. Attempting to avoid being bitten by applying insect repellent at bedtime is not recommended. Sleeping with the lights on is not likely to deter hungry bed bugs either.
If you would like to learn more about Bed Bugs, their prevention and how to remove them, please read more here:
Bed Bugs
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