How To Get Rid Of BedBugs: These Six Items Will Help

Have you ever slept in a hotel or traveled by bus and found that you later had tiny red bites on your skin? This is probably because of bedbugs.

Bedbugs are small wingless insects that feed exclusively on warm-blooded creatures. This makes us an ideal host for them. Bedbugs are oval and flattened in shape; white, brown, or burnt orange in color; and about one-fourth of an inch in length. The young ones are the size of a poppy seed. They are visible to the naked eye. They get their name because of their preference to live in home furnishings including sofas, beds, and mattresses. However, they are increasingly being found in offices across the U.S. They usually hide in dark cracks and crevices.

You would rarely know when you are being bitten, because they bite when you are asleep. A bed bug’s bite is painless because the saliva of the bed bug is an anesthetic. The feeding is complete in just five minutes. However, you might find a red welt when you are awake, one similar to that of a mosquito or flea bite. Over a period of a few weeks, you may get sensitized to repeated bites and develop an allergic response. Bed bugs are most active an hour before sunrise, which is their peak feeding time, but may also feed during the day if they are hungry or get the opportunity.

Bed bugs feed every five to ten days. They can, however, live for several months without feeding. If there is no food around, they become dormant for over a year. A well-fed bed bug lives for about six to nine months. The female bed bug lays approximately 5 eggs in a day and nearly 500 during their entire lifetime. Eggs are nearly 1 mm long and are visible to the naked eye. They have a milky-white tinge and take two weeks to hatch. It is therefore important to recheck your home periodically.

Most bites resolve within one to two weeks. Treatments focus on relieving symptoms, and include:

• Applying a topical cream, such as cortisone, to relieve itching
• Administering an oral antibiotic if infection occurs
• Giving oral corticosteroids if there is a severe allergic reaction.
• Use of antihistamines, in some cases, to relieve allergic reactions

As soon as the symptoms are treated, it will be necessary to know the way to deal with the infestation.

The following procedures are advised to get rid of bed bugs:

• Bag the infested bedding and garments and launder them at a minimum of 120° F
• Heat the items in the drier
• For items that cannot be treated by washing or by placing in the drier, wrap them in plastic and place them outdoors in a very hot and sunny location for at least 24 hours
• Vacuuming may help get rid of some of the bed dugs before treatment with insecticides
• You may find it is best to throw some infested items away (bag them before disposal)
• Insecticides are very effective in getting rid of bed bugs. A good pest control professional knows where to look for them and will treat all areas where bugs are found.

The biggest risk from bed bugs comes from secondary bacterial infections, caused by scratching the skin. They are not known to carry diseases, but can cause discomfort and disturbed sleep. If your home is infested with bedbugs, it is important to deal with them immediately.

9/24/2011 How New Jersey Universities Are Dealing With Bedbugs

As the host of Bed Bug TV, Jeff White has gotten nearly half a million hits on You Tube over the past two years.

“It’s the best way to reach college kids,” he said of the video blog.

As students return to school, officials want them to be on guard against the pest whose resurgence has affected hotels, offices, homes and dorm rooms.

There have been no widespread outbreaks at local residence halls but vigilance is key in preventing sporadic outbreaks from becoming widespread, experts say.

“The bottom line is information; you have to be proactive,” said White, who works for Bed Bug Central, a consulting information service used by Fairleigh Dickinson University. “Sticking your head in the sand is the worst thing you could do.”

FDU’s website contains a link to Bed Bug Central to give students and parents information about the pests.

The company has seen its business grow as the problem has spread. It has consulted for colleges, offices and summer camps.

“A lot of colleges are at least paying attention at some level,” said White. “A plan prevents problems from spiraling out of control.”

Area colleges and universities all say rooms have been cleaned and inspected and they have contingency plans ready — and exterminators on call — should outbreaks occur.

The bedbug was all but stamped out in the 1950s with harmful pesticides such as DDT that are no longer in use. But the pest has returned in a big way – and spawned an industry to deal with it. September has been dubbed bedbug awareness month, and White and other experts are heading to Chicago for a bedbug summit, which is expected to draw as many as 800 people.

There are different methods of eradicating bedbugs: steam, extreme cold, vacuuming and other chemicals. And just as many ways to prevent their spread, including bed encasements and bug interception devices.

“It takes time to do the treatment and there is no simple solution,” White said, noting that it can cost between $400 and $800 to de-bug a dorm room.

Local colleges advise students to notify their dorm directors and go right to the campus health centers if they suspect they’ve been bitten.

William Paterson University in Wayne had four cases out of more than 2,200 dorm beds during the last school year. The school is handing out literature on the subject to students and is ready to hire an exterminator if the bugs return, said John Martone, vice president of student development.

“You can see that some of the best hotels and offices have them … it’s just the nature of people moving,” said Martone.

Montclair State University has opted for new mattresses with interior seams as a preventive measure. “That has really dramatically reduced them [bed bugs] living here,” said Terry Giardino, assistant director for facilities and services.

Last year, the university had one confirmed case and one suspected case of bedbugs. The key, the experts say, is to act quickly to limit the spread.

Awareness is one of the best tools for containment. “It can spider-web throughout a dorm so you need to make sure your residence life person knows what to look for, and what to listen for, if students are talking about it,” said White. “There’s no true way to prevent it from coming in the first place. It’s about learning how to identify it and get on it.”

Continue Reading More: How NJ Universities Are Dealing With Bedbugs

9/22/2011 How Texas Wildfires Have Fueled Bedbugs

With many Texans displaced by recent wildfires, bed bugs may become another unwanted irritation during relocation, said Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas AgriLife Research experts.

“With so many people being displaced and having to find accommodations in hotels or motels, it’s important for them to be aware of the possibility of encountering bed bugs and to know something about their behavior and biology,” said Wizzie Brown, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management specialist in Travis County.

Brown said bed bugs have been a growing problem throughout the U.S. and beyond, especially in urban areas with a large volume of visitors.

And national media have noted complaints of bed bugs by people in accommodations ranging from low-end motels to five-star hotels.

“However, I also get calls from student housing on campus, people in apartments, in homes and other locations,” Brown said.

“It’s not just hotels or motels. People can even  be exposed to bed bugs while staying in the home of a friend who doesn’t know they have them.”

Bed bugs often leave dried blood or rust-colored stains in mattresses, especially on the mattress folds and tufts, she said.

“When you get to your hotel or motel room, pull back the bedding to expose the mattress and box springs and check the mattress, especially the areas near the seams and tags,” Brown said. “It’s also a good idea to inspect the headboard as well as items near the bed, such as a lamp base or nightstand.”

While bed bugs, as their name implies, prefer beds and bedding, they also can be found under cushions, behind picture frames, near lamp stands, behind baseboards, in back of electrical switch plates and in other locations, she said.

Inspect the room where you plan to stay before bringing up your belongings, Brown suggested.

If there’s evidence of bed bugs upon a thorough room inspection, request a different room or, if possible, go to a different location.

“But the more hotels and motels you stay in, the greater the probability of being bitten by bed bugs,” said Dr. Roger Gold, urban and public health entomologist with AgriLife Research in College Station.

“They have really proliferated over the past several years throughout Texas and the rest of the U.S.”

Gold said newly hatched bed bugs are about the same size as a sesame seed, only flatter, and can hide in a variety of cracks, crevices, nooks and crannies.

A large adult bed bug, about the size of an apple seed, can be mistaken for a tick.

Brown and Gold said there are some steps travelers can take to protect themselves from these pests and reduce the risk of bringing them home.

The first is to have housekeeping vacuum thoroughly to remove as many bed bugs and their eggs from mattresses, box springs, carpets and other areas, concentrating particularly on mattress and box springs seams, tufts and edges, as well as where baseboards and carpet meet.

Entomologists say bed bugs are thought to locate their human hosts by body heat and the carbon dioxide exhaled during respiration, but some bed bugs may wander before they locate a host.

Therefore,  people should take steps to  reduce the risk of taking the pests home with them when they leave their temporary accommodations.

Since bed bugs crawl into cracks and crevices near the bed, they suggested keeping suitcases off the floor.

“Placing luggage in the bath tub may be an option since it has smooth sides and may be harder for bed bugs to access,” Brown noted.

“If there’s any positive at all to bed bug bites, it’s that they’re relatively painless,” Gold said. “Typically they’ll feed and be gone and you won’t even know it.”

However, about half of all people bitten have an allergic reaction to the saliva injected while bed bugs feed, Brown said.

“It’s the people with the allergic reaction who develop the welts,” she said. “This also explains why there have been many cases where people are unaware that they have bed bugs – because they aren’t reacting to the bite – as well as why one person develops welts while another in the same room doesn’t.”

Continue Reading More: How Texas Wildfires Have Fueled Bedbugs

9/21/2011 Bedbugs Infest Ohio Homeless Shelter: Toledo’s Cherry Street Mission Latest Victim Of Critters

Since spring, bedbugs have infested the Cherry Street Mission, which provides shelter and food for Toledo’s needy.

The pesky bugs have already been a problem in Ohio hotels and college dorms.

Exterminators have been brought in at least twice.

A man who lives there but did not want to be identified was bitten several times overnight on his arms.

“It’s like a burning, like a sting, like an open wound, you know what I mean?” he said. “The bad part is you open it up. Once you open it up, it spreads. You know the itching, the red marks and all that.”

The bedbugs are concentrating in the third floor bedrooms.

Blankets provide a great place to hide, and they can move from clothing to clothing, guest to guest.

“For a while one of our bunk rooms had carpet in it and we figured out that it was a giant bedbug hotel. And so we took out the carpet,” Steve North of the Cherry Street Mission said.

North says the shelter is above capacity, 170 men a night, and bedbugs are likely transferred as they come and go.

Besides the exterminators, they’ve even tried putting mattresses in freezers to freeze the bugs to death!

They keep coming back.

And it’s not just the Cherry Street Mission that is affected.

“I know for certain one of my staff members here in the men’s facility has been bitten by bedbugs himself, and that they have shown up at his house,” North said.

Guests have been told to use a bleach and water mixture to spray under their beds and their bed frames.

The Mission promises to continue treating the problem.

Continue Reading More: Bedbugs Infest Ohio Homeless Shelter

7/21/2011 Bedbug Treatment: A Breakdown Of Effective Killing Methods Including Pesticides, Heat, Freezing & Vacuuming

Treatment Options

Though insecticides may be the treatment of choice for killing bed bugs, other options do exist, according to Henriksen.

“There are several different methods that are effective in killing bed bugs. Heat is one of them. Others include steaming, freezing, vacuuming, and use of properly applied pesticides. You are getting a lot of information on the temperature at which bed bugs can be effectively killed because a lot of research is still being done in that area. The most current data that we have shows that all stages of bed bugs…will be killed at 122 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Factors considered when evaluating treatment methods include the extent of the infestation, the type of location that will be treated, and any budget parameters.

Treatment costs can fluctuate dramatically by protocol and region, says White.

Dr. Stephen Kells, associate professor and Extension and Research Entomologist at the University of Minnesota, who is conducting research on bed bugs, says humans have lived with bed bugs since the days of cave-dwelling.

Through research, he has found that freezing works well for smaller household items, like books. In order for the treatment to work the temperature has to be near or at freezing for approximately 6 to 10 days.

Steaming is another option, though not by utilizing a carpet steam cleaner. Instead, a steam generator must be used and the temperature must be between 160-180 degrees Fahrenheit in order to control bedbugs.

When treating with pesticides, Dr. Kells recommends multiple product types including dust, short action, and residual. “The reason is each has a specific area of use. Residual is used outside of rooms, dust to fill voids in the wall, and short action for beds and mattresses,” the professor says.

Treatment Considerations

The NPMA has released best management practices for bed bugs in an effort to address appropriate treatment protocol. “They offer guidance to our industry in terms of the parameters under which good and effective bed bug work can be done”, says Henriksen.

For instance, Henriksen says it’s not a good idea to throw away a mattress known to have a bed bug infestation.

“We don’t recommend anyone throw away their mattresses. In some cases that may need to be done. But if it is done it should be done only in consultation with the pest management professional. If someone goes and throws away their mattress, if done improperly, it can actually spread a bed bug infestation. Those bugs will walk off that mattress or crawl off that mattress as you are dragging it through your home.”

Henriksen says many things can be saved and effectively treated.

Dr. Kells recommends asking questions of any pest management company retained for bed bug treatment. If a pesticide will be used, questions should include:

• Is it registered with the EPA?

• Is the pesticide labeled for bedbugs or for treating their habitat?

• Is it labeled for indoor or outdoor use, landscaping, farms, or barns?

In addition, he’s seen issues arise when tenants try to remedy problems themselves. Using the wrong product or application method leads to increased costs in the cleanup of a contaminated apartment. Dr. Kells recommends landlords or their insurers oversee the treatment protocol.

In the case of the Ohio residential fire, Dr. Kells believes the manufacturer’s own directions might not have been followed. He said the pest management professional used garage-style direct-fired heaters with a propane cylinder and placed them inside the home. “The actual unit made by the manufacturer for properly heating up a house during bed bug treatment requires that if a propane burner is used, it is positioned outside of the house,” Dr. Kells said.

Continue Reading More: Bedbug Treatment A Breakdown Of Effective Killing Methods

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

6/16/2011 As The BedBug Problem Grows So Do The Issues: Landlords, Cities & Insurers Must Figure Out How To Deal With

An alarming invasion of bed bugs in homes, hotels, schools, hospitals and other facilities has led to a renewed call for lifting of a government ban on a pesticide once used to combat the bugs and moves in several states to require property/casualty insurers to cover the costs of clean-up.

The resurgence of the critters has also prompted renewed research into the best treatment and prevention methods.

Though around for centuries, by the mid-1900s bed bugs were almost completely eradicated in the U.S. due to a variety of pest control products used to treat infestations. Some now question whether this latest bed bug tipping point can be contained.

According to Missy Henriksen, vice president of the National Pest Management Association (NMPA), there are a variety of reasons for the dramatic increase in bed bugs, including increased travel and mobility of society. Other factors include changes in pest control, resistance towards pesticides, and changes in the pesticide application process.

The NPMA and the University of Kentucky studied what has been done on bed bugs to date. Released last summer, this study found that 95 percent of pest management professionals reported treating bed bugs in the past year. In 2000, that figure was below 25 percent.

“We also found as part of that, that bed bugs certainly aren’t just in beds any longer,” said Henriksen. “We’ve seen news stories that indicate that as well. Bed bugs are being found now in schools, in movie theaters, in office buildings, in hospitals and medical facilities, they are being found in cars. Anywhere where people are, you will find bedbugs. Bed bugs need people for their very survival. They are hitchhikers and they will travel with people on their belongings and take up residence in new locations.”

They are also in municipal buildings. Firefighters in Des Moines, Iowa last month called in a bed bug-sniffing dog that found bugs in an office, on two chairs, on stools and on four mattresses at Station No. 4. The firefighters, who eat and sleep at the station during their 24-hour shifts, said they worried about accidentally taking some of the little pests home.

Chemical Controversy

Last month, a two-family Ohio house was destroyed when a heater being used to kill bed bugs set a carpet on fire, according to officials. The exterminator blamed an equipment malfunction for the fire.

The fire renewed a controversy over the use of a pesticide, Propoxur, which has been successful in treating bed bugs. The product was taken off the market in 2006 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because of health risks, including nausea and vomiting experienced during exposure to the product. The EPA says it is a danger to children’s nervous systems.

At a press conference in Ohio, Republican U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt and Democratic state Rep. Dale Mallor called on the EPA to solve the growing problem of bed bugs and allow Propoxur back on the market.

“The loss of this home, in my opinion, is the result of the EPA’s inaction to approve of a product that is effective at controlling the bedbugs,” Schmidt said.

Oho officials have twice requested an exemption for the state from the federal ban on Propoxur, but the EPA has thus far refused to grant the exemption.

Bed Bug Legislation

To address the issue, the federal government convened the second annual National Bed Bug Summit in Washington, D.C. in February. Part of the agenda included what states and cities are doing to control the problem and the effective use of heat and non-chemical treatments.

Eleven states are considering bed bug legislation this year. Maine adopted a bed bug related law last year. New York is considering requiring insurers that underwrite property/casualty policies in the state to cover costs associated with bed bug infestations.

Maine’s bed bug law requires a landlord to inspect a unit for bed bugs within five days of being notified by a tenant of an infestation possibility. Within 10 days of determining an infestation is present, the landlord must contact a pest control agent and take reasonable measures to treat the infestation. The pest control agent must carry liability insurance that is current and effective at time of treatment.

In addition, before a unit can be rented, a landlord has to disclose whether a unit is currently infested with or treated for bed bugs. The landlord has to provide, if requested, information as to when the unit or adjacent units were last inspected for and found to be free of bed bugs.

South Carolina enacted the Bed Bug Prevention and Sanitation Act and Hawaii added a bed bug question to the state’s real estate disclosure form.

Larger municipalities such as Detroit, San Francisco and New York City are also reviewing the issue.

Continue Reading More: As The Bedbug Problem Grows So Do The Issues

3/10/2011 Bedbugs NYC: FDNY Warns Don’t Use Gasoline Products On Bedbugs

Queens fire officials last month issued a warning to borough residents to steer clear of gasoline or gasoline products to fight bedbug infestation at home.
FDNY officials said residents in Astoria have called 911 to report a gasoline odor coming from adjacent apartments in their buildings.
Firefighters responding to the calls discovered several incidents where residents poured gasoline on mattresses to kill bedbugs.
Allegedly a number of people, following dangerous, misleading advice had wiped gasoline on their own arms and their children’s arms to stop the bedbugs from biting, officials said.
Such incidents involving the use of extremely flammable gasoline prompted FDNY officials to issue the warning about fatal consequences that could result from the misguided use of gasoline to battle bedbugs. “This is not the first time we have issued this warning,” a fire spokesperson said. “We warn people over and over, just how dangerous it is to use gasoline or gasoline-based products in the home, but they don’t listen.”
Sources said, “Gasoline is a highly explosive compound that could ignite, pop and start a fatal blaze from something as simple as flicking a light switch.”
Officials are urging Queens residents to seek help with bedbug infestation, instead of trying to clear infestations on their own. Residents are urged to call 311 to seek assistance from the New York City Department of Health. Residents should also notify superintendents, maintenance workers, landlords and/or building management for help with bedbug infestation.

Continue Reading More: Bedbugs NYC: FDNY Warns Don’t Use Gasoline Products On Bedbugs

12/7/10 BedBug Prevention For Your Home: Stay Safe This Holiday Season While Traveling & At Home From BedBugs

If you’re a junk collector or you occasionally shop at flea markets, second hand stores or even pull stuff off the curb to repaint, you need to be careful because bedbugs are on the rise. Second hand mattresses and even new products and clothing could be infested with bedbugs.

Another major problem relating to bedbugs? Travel. With the holiday travel season upon us we have to be extra vigilant to prevent picking up bedbugs or inadvertently giving them to a relative. Travel

I recently stayed at a major brand hotel in New York and after pulling the bed sheets off to check for bedbugs I had an unpleasant surprise. Although I didn’t see any live bedbugs the mattress was riddled with what appeared to be fresh red blood stains.

I asked to be moved to another room. Although I didn’t see any blood on that mattress I still had two sleepless nights in that hotel, just the thought of bedbugs had me itching for two days.

I called the headquarters of the reward program to let them know of my disgust and was told to contact the manager of that location. He told me that the mattress had been tested and the spots were chocolate stains. I asked to get a copy of the report, but have not received it as of yet.

Regardless of the cause, the mess is not good for business especially since New York is fighting a war with bedbugs. You would expect them to check each bed carefully when they prepare it for the next guest, but as evidenced by my experience that is not the case.

I was lucky this time and avoided a possible situation. But you must be diligent when traveling or bringing anything into your home because it won’t matter how great your decor is if your home is infested with bedbugs.

Here are a few tips to keep your home bedbug free:

— When traveling, keep your clothes in your suitcase and zipped. Avoid placing your clothes on the bed.

— Always check the bed for blood stains and bugs immediately after you arrive in the room. The most common area to find blood stains are in the seams of the mattress. You should also look on the wall for any signs of blood spots.

— After you return home vacuum your bags in the garage to get rid of any bugs that may have tried to hitch a ride from the airport or taxi.

— Wash all of your clothing in hot water, if possible. Avoid placing the suitcase on your bed. Store your suitcase in a large plastic bag away from your bed.

— Check all of the items you bring into your home to add to your decor or wardrobe. Vacuum everything out, even new furniture, and wash your new clothes and rugs. If you see a bedbug or signs of a bedbug contact an exterminator immediately.

— If you are expecting guests be sure to take the same precautions when they arrive at your home. At the very least vacuum their bags in the garage.

———

TOP CITIES WITH BEDBUGS

A recent report compiled by Terminix ranked the top 15 cities with the most bedbugs in the United States in August of 2010.

1. New York

2. Philadelphia

3. Detroit

4. Cincinnati

5. Chicago

6. Denver

7. Columbus, Ohio

8. Dayton, Ohio

9. Washington

10. Los Angeles

11. Boston

12. Indianapolis

13. Louisville, Ky.

14. Cleveland

15. Minneapolis

Continue Reading More: BedBug Prevention For Your Home

11/17/10 NYC: New Mattress Disposal Rules Aimed At Curbing Bedbugs: Dept Of Sanitation Will Now Require Mattresses On Streets To Be Sealed In Plastic Bags

The city is looking to kick bed bugs to the curb.

Starting December 3, the Department of Sanitation will require city residents to fully seal any mattresses or box springs in plastic bags before leaving them out for curbside pickup.

Failure to do so can result in a $100 fine.

Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty says this will help safeguard workers and stop the spread of bed bugs throughout the city.

The sanitation department will delay enforcing the rule for 30 days until January 3, when full enforcement will begin.

For more information, call 311 or visit nyc.gov/sanitation.

Continue Reading More: NYC: New Mattress Disposal Rules Aimed At Curbing Bedbugs