Bed bugs (sometimes called bedbugs), have made a resurgence over the last decade after almost being eradicated. Dr. Michael Potter says getting rid of bed bugs is difficult. Potter is one of the leading experts on these pests in the world. Bed bug bites can be annoying, but Potter says the goal is avoiding the insects in the first place. There are several ways to avoid or control bed bugs if they invade your home.
Bed Bug Comeback
Bed bugs, or Cimex lectularius, have been commonplace throughout history. This blood-sucking insect was eradicated by the 1950's, mostly due to the use of DDT on other pests. However, after DDT was banned, bed bugs started to make a comeback after several decades of little or no activity.
Other things that have led to the bed bug comeback are the increase in international travel and the whole "Shabby Chic" Movement, which has resulted in marked growth of many second hand stores. The increase in immigration from countries where bed bugs were never fully eliminated also contributed to the current rebound.
What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?
Bed bugs are a small, flat insect roughly the same size, shape, and color as an apple seed. They are approximately 1/4 inch in size, about the same size as an adult tick. Unlike other pests, bed bugs cannot fly or jump but can only crawl.
The bugs go through several stages as larva before becoming an adult. Bed bugs are translucent until they have their first blood meal. This fact coupled with their very small size during these developmental stages make them difficult to see on carpets, furniture, or bedding, unless they are adult-sized and have already fed.
Bed Bug Bites
The surest sign that you have a bed bug problem is the development of a reaction to the bites. The bites themselves are painless, but they leave red, itchy welts on the skin. If the problem is bad enough, people can get several hundred bites in one night. Dr. Potter says that between 20-50% of the population do not have a physical reaction to the bites, which makes discovering an infestation even more problematic.
The main health risk from bed bug bites is infection. At this point, there is no evidence that bed bugs are disease vectors for blood-borne pathogens like HIV, but further study on this area is underway. People with diabetes or with recurring problems with MRSA can be especially vulnerable to bed bug bites. Having bugs in bed creates psychological distress due to the anxiety and helplessness caused by their nocturnal predation.
How Do You Get Bed Bugs?
Bedbugs are "prolific hitchhikers" per Dr. Potter, and can be brought back to your home in your luggage, purse, bag, clothes, shoes, or books. Some popular places in which Dr. Potter has encountered, and treated, bed bugs are:
- Hotels
- Theaters
- Waiting Rooms
- Schools
- Hospitals
- Moving Vans
- Laundromats
- Cabs and Buses
Hotels and used mattresses are the top ways someone can transport bed bugs to their home. When traveling, Dr. Potter encourages people to check all seams of both the mattress and box springs and to inspect the headboard. You might find actual bedbugs in the crevices if the infestation is heavy, but some more likely signs of trouble might be small, black dots of fecal matter or brownish red streaks of blood on the sheets.
How Do You Avoid Bed Bugs?
Besides being extra cautious when traveling, there are several other things you can do to protect your home from bed bugs. Among the easiest measures are:
- Inspecting Your Guests' Luggage
- Limiting Used Items
- Routinely Checking the Bedding for Bed Bugs
- Keeping Your House Clean and Clutter-Free
You should also refrain from placing any bag or purse on the ground while in a public place, as a bed bug could easily crawl inside and go home with you. If you have reason to believe you've been in a bedbug-ridden area, you should throw your clothes in a hot dryer for 10 minutes, visually inspect your shoes, and place your purse in a sealable bag until it can be examined.
How To Kill Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are currently one of the hardest pests to eliminate from your home. If you encounter a bed bug infestation, the best thing to do is call a professional that has experience in this area. Open market bed bug spray is not effective.
Several treatments will be needed to fully eradicate any problems, and these treatments are not cheap. The average cost to successfully treat a normal-sized house is about $1500. You can buy a pesticide like SteriFab, which contains a chemical called pyrethroid. This only kills bugs on contact, and does not have any residual effect. Simple isopropyl alcohol will also kill bed bugs on contact.
If your town or city has been spared the recent scourge of bed bugs, it won't be for long. Dr. Michael Potter says there is no "Magic Bullet" for this recent resurgence and "...there is no 21st Century DDT on the horizon...", so the bugs are here to stay.
Despite the dire prediction, bed bugs were a fact of life for our grandparents and everyone who came before them. The last bit of advice that Dr. Potter has for us, and the best remedy against bed bugs, is to be "constantly vigilant" for their presence, just as our forebears. The easiest way to deal with bed bugs is to not bring them home at all.
References
Dr. Michael F. Potter, Extension Entomologist, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture
"Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite!" Brochure, Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department
 |
 |
