The lighthearted bedtime rhyme we learned as children – but did you ever really think about it? A bed bug bite? Could it really happen, or are bed bugs an old wives’ tale? For the past 50 years, bedbugs were practically eradicated in the United States. Bed bug infestations are presently on the rise in America; many experts declare that bed bug infestations are at epidemic proportions. There are various theories that support the recent increase in bed bug infestations, mostly relating to more frequent worldwide travel. Lately, a resurgence of these irritating night-time critters has gained notoriety, particularly in the New York metropolitan area. When most people think of bed bugs, they tend to think of a grubby unkempt home. Although excessive clutter and poor sanitation habits provide more harboring sites for bed bugs, even pristine and lavish residences frequently become infested. Bed bugs can find their way into your living space through the walls from an adjacent infested unit in condominiums, townhouses, and apartments. They can attach themselves to your luggage in hotels and hostels as you carry them right into your home. Used clothing, furniture, mattresses, or linens may fetch you more than a bargain.
Bed bugs are small, reddish-brown, wingless, nocturnal insects, about 1/8” to 1/4” long. They feed solely on the blood from warm-blooded animals, including humans and household pets. Although bed bugs prefer to feed off people, Fido is no exception to a ravenous bed bug. They are highly resilient insects and can survive for months without a blood meal. Bed bugs crawl, and do not hop, fly, or jump. They are equipped with stink glands and emit a distinctive sweet-smelling odor which is observable in severely invested homes. One female bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime. Bed bug eggs hatch within 5 to 10 days. Due their vigorous life cycle, an infestation can seem to come out of nowhere practically overnight.
One common sign of a bed bug infestation is the emergence of itchy red welts on the skin. Some individuals do not react to a bed bug bite while others suffer from great discomfort. In extremely rare cases, anaphylactic shock may occur. Reactions to a bed bug bite may take up to 9 days to appear. Flea bites and mosquito bites are commonly mistaken for bed bug bites; a trained professional can help you determine the difference. Another indication of a bed bug infestation is the discovery of blood stains on bed linens or mattresses. If you suspect that you have a bed bug infestation, use a high-powered flashlight and inspect along mattress seams, in mattress tufts and crevices, in bed frames, behind headboards, behind picture frames, in upholstered furniture seams, and any other crevice that provides a hidden nesting area. You are searching for bed bugs or evidence of bed bugs, such as light-brown molted skins from bed bug nymphs, eggshells, or dried bed bug excrement. A professional pest control technician is trained to conduct a meticulous inspection of all potential nesting sites. The investigation is vital to a strategic and successful bed bug elimination plan.
A bed bug infestation can cause substantial anxiety for tenants and homeowners. It is a wide-spread misconception that bed bug elimination requires the victim to purge their dwelling of furniture, bedding, clothing, and linens, costing thousands of dollars. Although in extreme cases a bed may need to be discarded, a professional pest control technician will educate you as to what should be disposed and what can be preserved. Your professional technician will also instruct you as to what personal items to clean and how to clean them to eliminate bed bugs and their un-hatched eggs. Although several professional treatments may be required to conquer these resilient insects, elimination can be victorious.
Prevention of bed bugs is paramount. Employ good housekeeping practices through routine cleaning and vacuuming. Always dispose of vacuum bags when they are full. Reduce clutter to eliminate possible nesting areas. Be especially skeptical of curbside furnishings. Carefully scrutinize curbside items and second-hand items including clothing, linens, and furniture before bringing them inside your home. While traveling, check the bed and furniture for signs of bed bugs, and elevate your suitcases off the floor on top of dressers or luggage racks. When packing to return home, place all of your clothing in plastic bags, launder them in hot water with detergent and place them in the dryer for at least 20 minutes. Caulk all holes in your walls and floors. By safeguarding your residence against the most common causes of bed bug infestations, the only unwelcome pests you may ever need to remove will be your in-laws.
-Mary Spinelli
Titanium Laboratories, Inc.
Leave a Reply