Posted Under: The Breeze
Recently, I woke up with a weird rash. It itched like crazy, and was only on the side of my torso. I didn’t think much about it, until I was reading a magazine where a reader had written in asking about bedbugs. I gasped! That’s what caused my rash! I raced to the bed, tore off the sheets, and. . . there was nothing of the sort. But it got me thinking. . . what the heck are bedbugs, and why the sudden national infestation? First, Breezy Mama hears from Elise Adams, who tells her experience of the pests. Next, we turn to bedbug expert, Jeffrey White,?research entomologist for Cooper Pest Solutions and BedBug Central and host of BedBug TV, who gives us the breakdown on what these lil buggers actually are, what they can do to us, and what we can do to them if we have an infestation. Read on for the sick truth. . .
From Elise Adams:
When my husband-to-be joined me in the Pacific Northwest from Los Angeles he brought with him more than his bubbly Bahamian personality! A few days after he moved all his stuff into my garage I started to notice little red, pimply bite marks on my arms. Then a few days later my adorable girls had bites on their hands and legs too.
Yep, you guessed it–bedbugs!
It wasn’t a coincidence either.? I knew he’d battled infestations in L.A., but I was pretty sure that these creatures couldn’t possibly like my sweet little bungalow. I soon learned much more than I ever wanted to know about bedbugs.
At first I was HORRIFIED and completely embarrassed.? My kids, two sweet as pickles toddlers, thought it was funny to have itchy splotches all over their tummies.? I was a bit harder to calm down!? By week two I had vivid nightmares of gigantic nibbly bugs crawling all over me at night.? I was sure I could hear them tearing into my flesh as soon as we switched the lights out.
I thought about shipping my finance and all his stuff right back to Los Angeles!? However, as I learned about these strangely strong insects it was clear that getting rid of these bugs wasn’t going to be that easy.
So Calamine lotion in hand I started following the best advice I could find online.? I bagged up ALL our bedding, curtains, pillows, stuffed animals, towels, and most of our clothing in air-tight plastic bags.? The mattresses I enclosed in plastic sleeves.? I sealed the metal bed frames to the plastic-bagged mattresses with duck tape.? ALL the furniture I turned upside down, taping around all the linings, gaps and holes.? In addition to these steps we eventually treated the entire house with a non-toxic pet and kid-friendly product we ordered online.
While attacking these chores with a vengeance on the one hand, on the other hand I was still very embarrassed.? I have always kept a very neat, orderly home.? And cleaning my house is a daily and weekly routine.? Everything is spic and span at my place!? The way these bugs made me feel–dirty, icky and crawly–was a direct attack on my confidence.
The truth is that if it can happen in my neat, orderly home it can happen to anyone!? Not only did it happen to me, but I happened to those BUGS too!? Within just a few weeks I’d sealed out every possible hiding place and killed every bug I saw. It’s been nearly 3 years since we saw our last bug bite!
About Elise Adams: Elise Adams is an organizing and life-makeover coach at Adams Organizing.com where her greatest joy is helping her clients discover the Champion in all of us! She is married to her bed-bug toting finance and together they have 6 kids, including Baby Simeon who has never been bug bitten in his life. So far!
From Jeffrey White, Research Entomologist, M.S.:
What exactly are bedbugs?
Bedbugs are nocturnal parasite that feed solely on blood. A popular misconception is that bedbugs are only found in beds. While this may be a common hiding spot for bedbugs, the pest is also found in areas such as: nightstands, dressers, wall voids, closets and many other places that are not considered.
During feeding, bedbugs will emerge from their hiding spaces during the night to locate a host (typically human) and withdraw blood in a fashion similar to mosquitoes. Feeding roughly takes 5-10 minutes and once complete, bedbugs will retreat to their hiding places and wait another seven days before emerging to feed again. Feeding is initially painless do to an anesthetic that the insect secretes.
An adult bedbug is reddish brown and approximately the size of an apple seed. Once bedbugs reach maturity they are fairly easy to spot. However in their initial life stages bedbugs are only 1 mm and translucent, making them extraordinarily difficult to find by the average person.
Why is there a recent surge of bedbug infestations?
Although recent media coverage can make bedbugs appear to be a new pest in this country, they have been active throughout the nation’s history. In actuality, bedbugs were virtually eradicated from the continental United States around the end of World War II due to the widespread use of a potent chemical called DDT.
Since then, chemicals like DDT were placed under strict regulations due to harmful effects to the environment and personal health. The lack of reasonably and effective liquid residual pesticides provided bedbug populations with an opportunity to flourish during the early 2000s. Increased international travel has also created opportunities for bedbugs to travel from countries that never adopted effective bedbug treatment plans.
In addition to lacking an effective residual pesticide, the lack of public awareness about bedbugs has made the proliferation of this pest exponentially more difficult to control. Many people are unaware that bedbugs are a problem or worse, they may think bedbugs are simply a clever nursery rhyme. It is nearly impossible for an individual or facility to prevent or effectively treat a problem of which they have little knowledge. You can find out more information about bedbugs at BedBug Central in the Bed Bugs 101 Section. You can find out more about the resurgence here.
Do bedbugs carry disease?
Although bedbugs are known to carry 28 separate pathogens, research has yet to demonstrate that bedbugs are a vector or can transmit disease. Recent research has shown that bedbugs can also carry different antibiotic resistant bacteria, but more research needs to be conducted to determine the significance of this finding.
We still identify the psychological distress associated with bedbugs as being the most important health risk. We have seen that having a bedbug infestation can lead to insomnia, depression, social isolation and shame among other emotional ailments.
How do bedbugs spread?
Bedbugs need to be introduced into an environment. They do not jump or fly but are excellent hitch-hikers and can be transported on clothing, luggage, used furniture and various other objects. Once in an apartment or home bedbugs will spread by simply traveling through walls, piping or hitching a ride on household objects.
Risk for bedbug exposure increases in several of the following situations:
‧??? Purchasing or using second-hand furniture and mattresses.
‧??? Entertaining or being an overnight guest.
‧??? Staying in hotels, college dormitories, boarding schools.
‧??? Children coming home from summer camp.
What do bedbugs do to a person?
People react differently to bedbug bites. The most common reaction to a bite is an itchy welt. Some people reacted with an allergic reaction while others may have no reaction at all. In fact, a study done by Dr. Michael Potter found that only 70% of a sample group reported a reaction after being bitten. You can see images of bites and more info in the Disease & Bite Symptoms Section of Bed Bugs 101.
If a person has a bedbug bite or rash, what can they do to make themselves feel better?
Generally speaking, bedbug bites will take care of themselves in a short amount of time. For more persistent or sever reactions it is best to contact a doctor or skin professional.
How does your mattress get bedbugs?
First, it is important to note that the most commonly infested portion of the bed is NOT the mattress but rather the box-spring. This is because it is close to the food source (you), is not often disturbed and the wooded or metal structure provides bedbugs with numerous hiding spaces.
Mattresses are typically infested in the following ways:
1.??? The mattress (or box-spring) is refurbished or used and already has a bedbug infestation.
2.??? Bedbugs are introduced to the mattress by placing infested personal items such as luggage, handbags, clothing or other items on, near or under the bed.
3.??? Bedbugs are introduced into a room and are attracted to the bed when seeking a blood meal.
There are a variety of steps people can take to protect their bed from infestation. Chief among these steps is the use mattress and box-spring encasements. These are invaluable tools because they make spotting an infestation much easier, the encasements protect beds from infestation and can save beds that are currently infested. Finally, mattress and box-spring encasements make the treatment and inspection process easier for pest management professionals to treat.
How do you know you have bedbugs?
The most reliable way to confirm you have bedbugs is to contact an entomologist or pest management professional and have them identify a sample collected from your home. It is also helpful to become knowledgeable about the basic signs and symptoms of an infestation.? Some of these signs can include:
‧??? Going to bed and waking with bites, welts or rashes. Bite marks may appear in a rows and clusters.
‧??? Dark spotting or blood droplets on mattresses or bedding. These are waste products bedbugs excrete while digesting a blood-meal.
‧??? Visible observation of eggs, molted insect skin or the insect. The failure to locate an insect does not indicate they are not present. Adult bedbugs are difficult to locate and immature bedbugs can be difficult to see due to their size.
‧??? You can view examples of an infestation here (click the images to enlarge).
If you have bedbugs, does it mean your house is unclean?
Absolutely not! This is a harmful misconception about bedbugs that has created a social stigma that makes people ashamed to talk about it. Bedbugs are in no way associated with filth or poor hygiene and parents need to start talking about this problem.
If you think you have them, what are your next steps?
If you discover that you have bedbugs your next step should be to call a knowledgeable pest management firm. Attempting to treat this problem on your own can actually complicate the infestation and spread bugs even further throughout your home and drive up treatment costs. Other simple steps can include:
1.??? Reducing Clutter: Clutter provides bedbugs with an innumerable amount of hiding places. Reducing clutter make the treatment process easier.
2.??? Removing the bugs: Just because you have bedbugs does not mean that you have to wait for a professional to kill them. Bedbugs can be crushed with a rag and there are over-the-counter sprays such as Stop Bugging Me that can kill bedbugs. Vacuuming the bedbugs away is also an option as long as the vacuum has a bag and filter to prevent escape. Canister vacuums can become re-infested. Just remember: this is not a replacement for professional services.
3.??? Do not place items under the bed- Because the bottom of a box-spring is an ideal hiding place for bedbugs, storing items beneath it will provide this pest with an opportunity to infest other items and be transported.
4.??? Launder items regularly- Heat is deadly to bedbugs, a wash cycle and a dry cycle of 120 degrees has been shown to kill all life stages of bedbugs.
5.??? Install mattress and box-spring encasements- Once beds are encased any bugs that may be trapped within the encasement will unable to escape or feed and will eventually die. In addition, once the beds are protected, other bedbugs cannot penetrate the encasement and thus cannot infest the mattress or box spring. Instead, bedbugs are restricted to the surface of the encasement where they are easy to spot and remove.
There are many mattress and box spring encasements available to the consumer; however most of these encasements have not been designed specifically for use with bedbugs. Instead, most encasements available to the consumer are designed to either protect the bed from becoming stained or provide relief for people with allergies to dust mites. It is very important to be sure that the encasement that you purchase has been specifically designed for bedbugs and has scientific data to support the effectiveness of the product.
6.??? Don’t change where you sleep- Some people believe that they can avoid bedbugs by sleeping in a different area of their home. Once people identify that their bed is infested they will often begin sleeping in a different bedroom or on the sofa. However, if you move to a different area of the home to sleep, the bedbugs will find you. Changing where you sleep is likely cause movement of bugs throughout the structure, making it more difficult to eliminate the infestation. Even if you move out of your home, you risk bringing bedbugs with you to your temporary residence and infesting that area as well. Not only can you spread the bedbugs, but when you return home the bugs will be waiting to great you. Remember, bedbugs can survive many months, and in some cases up to a year or more without feeding. Although it sounds like a grim choice, it is best to continue sleeping in the infested area until the bedbugs are eliminated.
There are many additional steps to consider once an infestation has been discovered. For more information on how to prepare once you have discovered an infestation see this advice.
How much should one expect to pay a exterminator?
The answer to this question can vary, typically for a two bedroom apartment the price range can vary from $700 to $1200 or more. Unfortunately, bedbugs are a labor intensive pest and not cheap to eliminate. If you are being offered elimination for $500 or less, this should really raise some red flags. Comprehensive treatments are almost never this affordable.
What can a person do to protect themselves?
There is not an absolute way to prevent bedbugs, but there are many steps you can take to greatly reduce your chances of coming in contact with bedbugs or minimizing the spread of an infestation:
‧??? Self Education- Understanding what bedbugs look like, their behavior and how to avoid them is critical for self protection. By knowing these basic facts you greatly increase your chances of avoiding an infestation entirely or identifying the warning signs early. For information visit the Bed Bugs 101 section of BedBug Central.
‧??? Know how to Conduct a Basic Inspection- Knowing how to inspect a room can help you identify an infestation when traveling or at home. Trouble areas often include the box-spring, mattress, behind the headboard and other areas close to the bed. You will be looking for evidence of spotting, eggs, molted skin or actual bugs.
‧??? Be Proactive- Proactive behaviors can include using items such as mattress encasements and interception devices as a way to identify infestations early and protect your furniture. If you know you will be engaging in activities that can increase your exposure to bedbugs such as: entertaining over-night guests, welcoming back returning college students or traveling, you should consider products that can prevent bedbugs from entering your home. These can include, the PackTite Portable Heating Unit or Thermal Strike, Dissolvable Laundry Bags, and Climb Up Insect Interceptors.
‧??? Avoid Second Hand Furniture- When possible, you should avoid accepting second-hand furniture. This is one of the most common ways bedbugs are spread. If you do accept second-hand furniture such as beds or couches, be sure that they are thoroughly inspected and treated if need be.
‧??? More Tips- There are additional steps that can be taken to help protect yourself from bedbugs. For comprehensive information, visit BedBug Central.
About Jeffrey White, Research Entomologist, M.S.: Jeffrey White, research entomologist for Cooper Pest Solutions and BedBug Central and host of BedBug TV, has over 10 years of experience as an entomologist and offers expertise in many different areas of entomology including bed bug research, protocol development, and evaluating the efficacy of bed bug treatment methods. He has worked on the technical evaluation of different products as well as developing bed bug management programs for residential and commercial properties. Jeff is currently evaluating new products and conducting research to determine a more effective and cost efficient bed bug treatment plan.
In addition to his many years of education, Jeffrey has presented to forums that include the National Pest Management Association, state pest management associations, the Entomological Society of America, the International Hotel and Motel Show, as well as dozens of apartment associations, affordable housing and senior living associations. Jeffrey has been featured as a bed bug expert on ABC’s The View, NBC’s Nightly News with Brian Williams, NBC’s Today’s Show, ABC’s World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer, Animal Planets 3-part mini-series “Infested”, Dateline, among many others. Also, Jeffrey has been quoted as a bed bug expert in Time Magazine, Women’s Health, Redbook, The LA Times, Chicago Tribune, NY Daily News, among many others. Lastly, BedBug TV is an online weekly video podcast that has been viewed by over a quarter-million people across the world that discusses different topics and answers questions in regards to bed bugs.
Jeff earned his Master of Science degree in entomology at the University of Florida and his Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences from Rutgers University.
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