1/13/2012 Bedbugs Force Orlando Salvation Army Shelter To Close

A bed bug infestation has forced a Salvation Army shelter in Orlando to temporarily close.

The Salvation Army announced Thursday that the men’s shelter could be closed for up to a week.

The Orlando Sentinel reports officials are scrambling to find accommodations for up to 75 homeless men – just as the temperatures are expected to dip into the 30s. Another 50 men who are enrolled in the agency’s long-term transitional program will be housed in a gym on the shelter’s property.

Officials say it will cost about $15,000 to tent the building for treatment of bed bugs.

Spokeswoman Vicki Hastings says the Salvation Army hopes the public will help cover the costs.

Bed bugs bites can lead to severe itching and skin infections.

12/12/2011 Are Bedbugs On Your Holiday List?

With all the preparations for the holidays, bedbugs might the last thing on your agenda. However, if you have kids coming home from college or are hosting out-of-town guests, you may get more than you bargained for.

I recently had a scare when my son was traveling with the baseball team and stayed overnight in a hotel. He described insects that resembled ticks on two of his roommates when they woke up the next morning. Collecting the insects would have been helpful so I could have ruled out bedbugs, but what 20-year-old thinks of that? I immediately went into action and proceeded to heat treat everything before his belongings were allowed entry into the house. Folks need to take this seriously. Bedbugs are showing up in area hotels, schools, dormitories, and apartments, so the problem is real. They move around easily on students’ backpacks from their home, to school and then to your home.

So what is a bedbug? Bedbugs are about one-quarter-inch long, are brown and have an oval flattened body. Before feeding, they are clear in color but, after consuming blood, they change to a dark red color. Female bedbugs lay eggs that are 1/25 of an inch long in clusters where adults reside. Eggs hatch in four to 12 days and take 35 to 48 days to mature. For a bedbug to grow, it needs to feed. An adult bedbug, however, can go up to a year without a bloodmeal. In the absence of humans, they may feed on birds and rodents.

Bedbugs hide during the day in cracks and crevices in loose wallpaper, behind molding or throughout all areas of a bed. At night, they emerge to inject their mouthparts into an unsuspecting host creating a painless bite while taking a blood meal. How do you know if you have been bitten by a bedbug? If you have never been bitten by a bedbug, it may take 10 days to 2 weeks for a reaction to occur. Others that have been previously exposed may wake up with several red, scratchy welts (usually in a row) the next morning.

The best advice is to avoid bringing these guys home with you. My family makes fun of me when we stay in hotels. The first thing I do is to peel back the sheets and look at the mattress pad for signs of excrement and/or reddish-brown spots from blood stains about the size of a pencil point. When leaving the hotel, check clothing and suitcases for small insects. If the room you stayed in had bedbugs, do not bring the suitcase into your home. Unpack it outside and put clothing directly into the washing machine. Wash in hot water and then dry on high heat. If the clothing requires dry cleaning, let the cleaners know that you suspect bedbugs so it can be handled appropriately. Treat the suitcase before bringing it into the home.

When bedbug numbers build up, a sweet, musky odor becomes obvious because of an oily substance they emit. Some describe it as a sweet raspberry odor. If you find signs of these insects, request another room or go to another hotel. Some folks are taking extra precautions by cleaning luggage and clothing carefully after staying in hotels.

These insects are very difficult to control and the help of a professional pest control operator is preferred. Control options are varied. Some homeowners throw away bed, frames, mattresses and pillows trying to rid their homes of these critters. We recommend that you keep the bed but place a bedbug encasement over the mattress, pull the bed away from the wall, and use monitor traps at the base of the bed. Also, don’t move the pillows to the couch because they will move with the pillows. Sticky traps can be placed around the room and bed to determine the hiding areas. Some pest control companies are using canines to detect bedbug places with great success. It’s amazing how efficient dogs are at detecting bedbugs because of their enhanced sense of smell.

Once the hiding places are determined, one can develop a line of attack. Initially, remove as many bedbugs as possible from the area. Vacuum to remove bedbugs from beds, sofas, carpets, etc., then put the vacuum bag in a zip lock bag and place in a deep freeze for a week or more or immediately throw it away. Bedding should be washed with soap and borax in hot water and then dried using high heat. Placing items in the dryer for one hour on high heat is sufficient to do the job. Send curtains and pillows to the dry cleaners or place in the dryer. Clean out drawers in the room(s) and treat with pesticides. Homeowners may try treating this problem on their own, but pest control companies have additional products available for treatment and are trained on dealing with these pests. For more information on control and pesticides for treatment, refer to http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ig083 .

University of Florida researchers have found a way to treat bedbugs without the use of chemicals. Cold doesn’t affect these critters, but turning up the heat does the job. All the furniture is moved to the center of the room and a box is placed around the furniture. By using two heaters and a fan at the center of the box, the heat is pushed up to 113 degrees. Go to http://news.ufl.edu/ 2010 / 08 /02/bed-bug-remedy/ for a short video on the process.

Continue Reading More: Are Bedbugs On Your Holiday List?

12/6/2011 Bedbugs Infest Tampa Fire Station For Months

If you’re a firefighter, you’re used to fighting a familiar foe, but one Tampa fire station has been dealing with a much smaller enemy: Bed bugs.

“The bed bug issue was brought to our attention in the middle part of September,” said Tampa Fire Assistant Chief Nick Locicero.

The firefighters at Fire Station 15 on South Himes aren’t sure where the creepy critters came from, but they’re certainly ready for their unwanted house guests to go away.

“They don’t like the infestation, nobody would, but yeah, they are working with us as much as possible,” Locicero said.

The bugs were discovered in the dorm where the 18 firefighters at the station sleep.

That room is now off limits, so many of the firefighters have to sleep in the lounge area on couches and cots.

Despite the somewhat cramped quarters and inconvenience, Tampa fire officials say they’re handling it like pros.

“They’re still doing a fabulous job,” Locicero said. “They know that they have a task at hand responding to calls so they’re making their way through it.”

So, where did they come from?

It’s believed someone picked them up at one of the various calls the firefighters respond to, but they’ll never know for sure.

Local exterminators say bed bugs are keeping them busy.

“It is extremely common for us to get bedbug calls three to four times a week,” said David Nelson of Neslon Pest Control.

The experts say if you think you have a bed-bug problem call a professional immediately.

Back at fire station 15, they’re fighting their new enemy with an enemy they know.

“There’s a heat treatment that is provided, and basically, that is one of things that really does eradicate the pest is a high-heat environment, so we did that not once but twice,” Locicero said.

Continue Reading More/Watching Video: Bedbugs Infest Tampa Fire Station For Months

9/23/2011 Bedbug Pesticide Illnesses On The Rise: Several States Report Incidents

As more people in the United States are feeling the bed bug’s bite, there has been a spike in illnesses from pesticides used to kill the insects, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC.L reported on Thursday.

From 2003 to 2010, 111 people were sickened and one died from bed bug insecticide, the government agency reported in a study that is the first of its kind in the country.

Nearly three quarters of the illnesses occurred from 2008 to 2010 as the bed bug population in the United States increased.

Pesticide-related illnesses occurred in seven states: California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Texas and Washington. Some 81 percent of cases were not severe.

New York City, where there were increasing reports of bed bug infestations, had the largest number of cases at 58 percent. Nationwide, 93 percent of the cases were in private homes, the study found.

Although the CDC said there have not been enough cases of serious illness to suggest a large public health burden, the numbers might continue to increase as bed bugs become more resistant to common pesticides.

Bed bugs are wingless, reddish-brown insects that suck blood from humans and other mammals and birds. They do not carry disease but, according to the CDC, “can reduce quality of life by causing anxiety, discomfort and sleeplessness.”

Illness can result from misusing pesticides to kill the bugs, the CDC said. Two of the most common causes of illness were excessive insecticide application and failing to wash or change pesticide-treated bedding.

Common symptoms included headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, the CDC said.

The lone fatality was in North Carolina in 2010, and the 65-year-old victim had a long list of health problems including diabetes and renal failure, the CDC said.

Her husband applied pesticides in the home that were not registered for use on bed bugs. The woman also applied a bed bug and flea insecticide to her arms, sores on her chest, and on her hair.

The CDC recommends using both nonchemical and chemical approaches to fight bed bugs, including hiring an expert to heat infested rooms or cool them to kill the bugs.

The agency also advises against buying used mattresses and box springs and urges anyone with a bed bug problem to hire only certified insecticide applicators.

“Insecticide labels that are easy to read and understand also can help prevent illnesses associated with bed bug control,” the agency said. (Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Cynthia Johnston)

Continue Reading More: Bedbug Pesticide Illnesses On The Rise

6/22/2011 Who’s Responsible For Bedbug Removal? Landlords Or Tenants?

Bed bugs have infested a Fort Myers apartment, forcing the family to throw out everything they own. They’ve complained to the rental company, but are having had a hard time getting help.

We found out what your rights are as a renter and who is responsible for getting rid of the pesky bugs.

“I love this apartment. I love the staircase. I fell in love the staircase,” said renter Michelle, who did not want to give her last name.

But after three months in her new apartment, the love affair was over. She found out her unit is infested with bed bugs.

“They are gross and hard to get rid of and are everywhere,” she said. “They are feeding off of my family. We threw out the couch and the kids beds.”

Now the three kids are sleeping on the floor.

Michelle and her neighbors complained about the problem. But her property manager wouldn’t take action.

Michelle says instead, they blamed her.

“To me, enough is enough,” she said Tuesday.

According to Fort Myers Code Enforcement officials, determining just who is responsible for getting rid of bed bugs is not a clear cut answer.

They say it all depends on what is said in the lease. But there is a general rule.

We found out that if it’s a normal single family, the occupant is more likely going to be responsible.

But in multi family – unless it’s in the lease – typically the apartment managers have to provide the clean and sanitary unit.

Records show it took the apartment manger of Michelle’s complex months to respond which she says caused the bed bug infestation to get out of control.

“I just want to leave and I think they should be responsible for my moving expenses and loss of items,” she said.

But getting reimbursed will be a battle she’ll have to fight in court.

Code enforcement officials say they will give the property manger more time to fix the problem and if that does not happen, they could face hefty fines.

Continue Reading More/Watching Video: Who’s Responsible For Bedbug Removal? Landlords Or Tenants?

6/17/2011 How Florida Homeless Shelter Is Solving The BedBug Problem: St Matthews’s House In Naples Florida Has Spent Over $100k So Far

A Naples homeless shelter is battling a bed bug infestation. But a donation has the Saint Matthew’s House one step closer to getting rid of the pests for good.

The dorms at Saint Matthew’s House are a temporary home for 2,000 people every year.

“When you don’t have a family to fall back on, we become that family of last resort for our community,” said Van Ellison, Director of the St. Matthew’s House.

But lately, he said, there have been some unwanted guests.

“We’ve continued to have ongoing problems with bed bugs,” he said.

The organization has already spent about $110,000 trying to fix the problem. Now, volunteers are working to replace the wooden bunks.

The problem with wooden bunks is bed bugs can still hide in the seams. The metal ones can actually be heated up to kill the bugs for good.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office donated some bunks with metal frames.

Thursday, Dan Burke helped apply an oil-based paint to keep them from rusting. He is staying at St. Matthew’s House after losing his job in concrete work.

“I figure since they gave me a chance, the least I could do was pitch in and help,” he said.

Ellison said the 170 beds will also have new mattresses.

“A prison in another part of the country had ordered a bunch of mattresses and they made too many by accident,” he explained.

It’s a mistake that gave Ellison a good deal. But he says just replacing the beds isn’t enough.

“As we move forward, we want to replace every wooden fixture in our dorm space,” he said.

Ellison says he’s looking for metal lockers or shelves and that he’s hoping someone will donate those, or offer them for a good price.

“We’re bargain shoppers with this,” he said.

The new bunks will be installed in the dorm Monday.

Continue Reading More/Watching Video: How Florida Homeless Shelter Is Solving The BedBug Problem

4/1/2011 Bedbug Repellent Discovered: Researchers Discover Unlikely Bedbug Repellent

Swedish researchers are hoping they have found a smell so disgusting that even bedbugs are repelled.

It’s the smell of an alarmed adolescent bedbug.

And if their study bears out, and if they can synthesize, bottle and deploy the smell sufficiently, they may have found a useful weapon to add to the growing artillery against these blood-sucking pests.

The researchers, from Lund University in Sweden, were trying to determine the similarities between the common bed bug and the tropical bed bug.

The study appears in this week’s issue of the Public Library of Science One, or PLoS One.

The tropical bedbug, once confined to warmer, humid climates, has been branching into more extreme latitudes, such as Florida, the United Kingdom and Australia. Researchers are only just beginning to study them.

The Swedish scientists wanted to see how similar the two species’ pheromone, or smell, repertoires were.

And while they were doing this, they discovered not only do adult bedbugs hate the smell of adolescents, adolescents hate the smells of each other, too.

The researchers surmised that if you could bottle the nymph – or adolescent – essence, exterminators could use it to flush bugs out of their hiding places, and then kill them with other means, such as heat.

“(We) showed that the nymph blend elicited a stronger reaction in adults than the adult blend did,” wrote the authors in their study. “With increased infestation rates in mind, our findings have important implications for the development of an alarm pheromone-based pest control method that could target both species of bedbug.”

Gail Getty, a UC Berkeley entomologist who was not involved in the research, agreed.

“The research posed here provides valuable clues into the complexity of bedbug biology and hopefully provides a piece of information that will aid us in our bedbug battles,” she said.

Continue Reading More: Bedbug Repellent Discovered

11/19/10 Bedbugs To Spread With Holiday Travelers: Must Use Caution To Avoid Infestation

11/2/10 How To Avoid Bedbugs During Your Holiday Travels

You’ve heard the horror stories. You’ve read the headlines. Bedbugs are here.

So are your holiday travel plans, perhaps to see relatives up North.

Tiny and sneaky, the nocturnal critters have been causing paranoia and mayhem coast to coast, most prominently in large cities like New York and Chicago but also everywhere in between. They’ve been seen in plush hotels, cheap motels, rental cars and moving vans, movie theaters, airplanes and even government buildings. Locally, the bugs were recently found at a north Tampa men’s shelter and an outpatient mental health clinic run by the James A. Haley VA Medical Center.

Some of the hysteria, experts say, is just that. Though bedbugs feed on human blood, they can’t transmit disease.

But they gross us out. We thought we got rid of them after World War II, but when we banned the pesticide DDT in the early 1970s and began globe-trotting more, the bloodsuckers found a welcome mat back into American homes.

Don’t let yours be one of them.

Know your enemy

There are six stages of life for Cimex lectularius. The easiest to spot is the adult, which is flat, plump, reddish-brown and about 1/4-inch long — tinier than an apple seed. Often missed, though, are their young, which are pale white and about the size of the period ending this sentence. All of them bite.

Learn to spot their eggs and droppings, too. On the Web, bedbugger.com is rife with images and videos, including some showing bugs feeding on Louis Sorkin, an entomologist at the Museum of Natural History in New York.

Avoid problem spots

The site Bedbugregistry.com takes reports from all over the country. A recent search for Florida found 289 cases of bedbugs in hotels and buildings, including several in the Tampa Bay area. TripAdvisor.com also lists reports of bug-ridden hotels. When planning your stay, you might consider calling your hotel and asking about their protocols for dealing with the insects.

In general, be wary of second-hand furniture and mattresses, which can be infested. Bedbugs can survive for more than a year without feeding. Most fumigators can treat an average-sized couch for about $150.

Continue Reading More: How To Avoid Bedbugs During Your Holiday Travels