Statistics on the Bed Bug Explosion

by admin on March 19, 2011

What Are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are extremely small, parasitic insects. They feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, and one particularly pesky species—the one we’re most concerned with—specifically prefers human blood. They’re nocturnal as well, which rather makes them the vampires of the insect world.

Adults are generally 4 to 5 millimeters long (about half a centimeter), and due to a cruel trick of nature, they demonstrate remarkable survival skills. They can survive in extremely cold or dry conditions, tolerate heat up to 113°F, and don’t mind an atmosphere that’s almost pure nitrogen. Add to this arapidly developing pesticide resistance, and they’re quickly becoming public enemy number one.

Photo Recommendation:
Consider including a real photo of a bed bug with this section.

The Bed Bug Explosion

By the 1940s, bed bugs had been fairly well eliminated from the bedrooms, sofas, and cozy crannies of dwellings in the developed world. It wasn’t that sanitation and cleanliness practices eliminated their presence, but that pesticide usage killed them off. However, in 1995, a bed bug explosion began.

According to the National Pest Management Association:
• Before 2000, only 25% of pest control companies had encountered a bed bug infestation. Now, that number is 95%.
• 76% of US pest control professionals feel that bed bugs are the single most difficult pest to eliminate.
• Member companies that used to get one to two bed bugs call a year now report getting one to two calls a week.

Photo Recommendation:
Consider including an illustration that demonstrates how bed bugs can infest a dwelling to emphasize that they infest more than beds.

Why the Bed Bug Resurgence?

A variety of factors are believed to be contributing to the resurgence of bed bugs in the United States, including:
• More frequent foreign travel to areas infested with bed bugs
• The popularity of second-hand furnishings
• The pest control industry neglecting bed bug control after the 1940s
• Increased resistance to pesticides

Signs and Symptoms of Infestation:

While bed bug symptoms are fairly obvious, they can mimic other pest problems. Below are some of the telltale signs.

Common symptoms of a bed bug infestation include:
• Skin rashes, often along joints and other areas where heat gathers, that are characterized as groups of red, itchy bumps
• Complaints about being bitten while sleeping
• Allergic reactions

Common signs include:
• Reddish-brown spots on the mattress indicating bed bug fecal matter
• Red spots of blood on the mattress or sheets where a bed bug has been crushed
• Molted exoskeleton, generally brown, on the mattress.
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Photo Recommendation:
Consider including photos illustrating what a bed-bug infested mattress looks like and what a bed bug skin rash looks like.

How Do Bed Bug Infestations Start?
Just as in football, the best bed bug offense is a good defense. If you know the plays in team bed bug’s playbook, you can counter those plays before the bed bug ever scores.

So, just what is in the bed bug playbook? And just how do you counter it? Bed bugs and their eggs are expert hitchhikers, catching a ride on linens, clothes, and luggage. Below are some good defensive strategies:
• Check your hotel (all of it, not just the bed) for bed bugs signs when traveling (see below).
• If you’re traveling and discover you have bed bug symptoms (see below), don’t bring your luggage, or even the clothes on your back, indoors. Instead, strip down on a hard surface, grab some plastic bags, and put your laundry in that. Transfer all the clothes directly to the washer and wash them at the highest temperature they can tolerate.
• Sweep up around where you took off your clothes to ensure you catch any bed bugs that might have fallen off.
• Vacuum your luggage and immediately discard the bag in a sealed, plastic bag. Hand wash items when possible.
• If you bring used clothing or furniture into your home, inspect it before hand and wash or vacuum immediately upon entering.

Photo Recommendation:
Consider using a flow chart to illustrate how the bed bug enters the home.

But what do you do if the bed bugs are already on your home turf? Below are some useful tips:
• Vacuum the mattress and box springs. Consider covering them with vinyl covers for a year.
• Investigate ClimbUp® Interceptors, that prevent bed bugs from climbing up the legs of the bed.
• Don’t let bedding touch the floor. Wash it on high heat and dry it on high heat every week. Place pillows and other non-washables in the dryer for 20 minutes on high heat every week.
• Vacuum weekly. Dispose of vacuum bags immediately thereafter in a plastic bag.
• Hire a pest control company to give you a hand. Bed bugs are pesky, pernicious little vermin, and having an experienced professional to help you get rid of them can help make an infestation that much shorter.

 

Title photo recommendation:

Consider including a cartoon bed bug here to make the article feel more accessible to readers.

 

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Proven Ways To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs

by admin on March 19, 2011

If you’ve ever met a bed bug, it’s probably safe to say that you don’t want to meet another one. Bed bugs are small parasitic insects that live solely by feeding on the blood of warm-blooded animals, which also includes humans. Bed bugs are attracted to carbon dioxide first, then warmth and other chemicals. Skin rashes and allergic reactions as well as psychological effects are all signs of a bed bug infestation. Finding bed bugs and connecting your symptoms is one of the only ways to discover you have bed bugs.

Bed bugs can infest a home by:
• “Hitchhiking” in on pets, clothes, or luggage; bed bugs are like roaches, they are brought in on clothes, luggage and human bodies.
• Furniture or clothing that is already infested and is brought into the home.
• A nearby dwelling that is infested and the bed bugs transfer from one location to another easily via false ceilings or duct work.

Bed bugs are very elusive and are mainly nocturnal; however, they can be seen during the day so stay alert if you feel you might have them in your home. They prefer dark crevices and they are able to nestle their eggs into the fabric of beds and couches. Keep in mind that, despite their name, bed bugs can hide anywhere. They usually prefer soft, warm areas, but will settle for cracks in the floor, electrical sockets, screw holes, etc.
Once the bed bugs find a host, they like to stay close to it. The smell of almonds or ripe raspberries is an indication that you might have bed bugs close by.

It should be noted that prevention of bed bugs is your best bet to avoid an infestation. A few places to look for bed bugs are furniture, luggage, clothing piles in and around your hamper, and of course, your bed. Check the tufts, seams and folds of your mattress.

If you see blood stains this is either from rolling over an adult bug full of blood or from your own body being bitten by said bugs. If you see dark spots on your mattress, this is also a sign of present bed bugs as this is fecal matter. Bed bugs go through a molting process, so if you find empty shells, this is yet another good sign that bed bugs are quite near.

When bringing second-hand furniture into your home, do a thorough examination of the furniture checking old screw holes and any other small crevices. Clean the furniture the best you can to ensure that you aren’t transporting these unwelcomed pests into your home. After traveling, be sure to check your luggage before putting it back in your closet. These little bugs love a free ride into your warm abode. Dorm rooms, motels, hotels, and apartments are more likely to house bed bugs. Remember that bed bugs can hitchhike on human bodies.

So how do you get rid of these pesky little insects? Once you have determined that you indeed have an infestation of bed bugs, immediate action is necessary on your part; however, there is a fine line between immediate action and keeping things as normal and routine as possible. Don’t sleep in another bed or couch because you just might spread the little critters to other places in the house. Since bed bugs usually stay close to their breeding ground and close together, your chances of getting rid of them are better if you keep everything the same and don’t panic.

Once you have isolated the infestation, meticulously vacuum the infected area and remember that heat is your friend when removing bed bugs. They are usually not willing to leave their new residence easily so it might take painstaking effort to get rid of them, but it can be done. Bed bugs cannot survive in temperatures over 113 degrees, so stream cleaning is one of the most reliable options. If you want to bag and store clothes or bed linens, be sure to wash hot, dry hot, and dry hot again, just to be sure.

At this point, you can then determine if you want or need a new mattress, couch or piece of furniture. It’s not necessary to throw everything out. Furniture and beds can be salvaged and restored to a fresh start, but at the end of the day it’s your peace of mind that matters.

If you think that you can get rid of bed bugs by using a bug bomb, think again. Unfortunately, this will only intensify the problem. Bed bugs are resilient and can withstand insecticides and bug bombs. Insecticides are not encouraged when treating bed bugs because insecticides should not be used anywhere close to where you sleep. Sticky traps might do the trick, but if you have an infestation that seems over your head, call a professional to exterminate the bugs. If you do end up calling a professional, make sure that he has experience treating these bugs as he too can make your problem worse.

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