The National Pest Management Association is celebrating Bed Bug Awareness Week, June 4-10, 2017. The annual designation, which is recognized by Chase’s Calendar of Events, serves as a friendly reminder to keep bed bugs top of mind when traveling this summer.
Check out the infographic below to learn about the most common hiding spots for bed bugs in a room.
Is bed bug pest control even necessary? Individuals thought bed bugs were eradicated during the 1940s and 1950s, yet the country is seeing a resurgence of this unwanted pest. This is due in part to international travel, as individuals unintentionally bring the critters home as a souvenir in their bags. In addition to being found in private homes, bed bugs are becoming a problem in multi-unit residences and hotels.
Not only can bed bugs travel around the world, but these appleseed-sized, bloodsucking insects are very good at moving from place to place—from a hotel room to your office, or from that flea market find to the rest of your workplace. Once bed bugs enter your business, they begin multiplying—and one female bed bug will lay one to five eggs a day, or an average of 120 eggs in its life.
Bed bugs were once a common public health pest worldwide, declining in incidence through the mid 20th century. However, bed bugs have undergone a dramatic, worldwide resurgence since they have now evolved resistance to common insecticides. Bed bugs are one of the great travelers of the world and are readily transported via luggage, clothing, bedding and furniture. Read on to find out how to get rid of bed bugs in your own home.
You most likely know a bedbug infestation by a rash that resembles a mosquito bite. Most often these come at night but in an serious infestation they can occur during the day. A bedbug bite unlike a mosquito bite swells and spreads out. Also the bites can come in lines and also burn unlike a mosquito bite. A mosquito bite stays round and neat looking.
If you think your home has been invaded by bed bugs, enlist the professional services of PermaTreat Pest Control! Call today!
Here is some helpful information about bed bugs. Due to media exposure, bed bugs have been a hot topic among pests recently. These are some common myths and truths about bed bugs.
If you think you have a bed bug issue, we offer complete professional inspections and thorough treatment if needed.
Common Bed Bug Myths
Myth: You can’t see a bed bug.
Reality: You should be able to see adult bed bugs, nymphs and eggs with your naked eye.
Myth: Bed bugs live in dirty places.
Reality: Bed bugs are not attracted to dirt and grime; they are attracted to warmth, blood and carbon dioxide. However, clutter offers more hiding spots.
Myth: Bed bugs transmit diseases.
Reality: There have been no cases or studies that indicate bed bugs pass diseases from one host to another.
Myth: Bed bugs won’t come out if the room is brightly lit.
Reality: While bed bugs prefer darkness, keeping the light on at night won’t deter these pests from biting you.
Myth: Pesticide applications alone will easily eliminate bed bug infestations.
Reality: Bed bug control can only be maintained through a treatment strategy that includes a variety of techniques plus careful attention to monitoring. Proper use of pesticides may be part of the strategy, but will not by itself eliminate bed bugs. In addition, bed bug populations in different areas of the country have developed resistance to the ways many pesticides work to kill pests. If you’re dealing with a resistant population, some products and application methods may only make the problem worse. It is a good idea to consult a qualified pest management professional (PMP) if you have bed bugs in your home.
With summer on its way out, many homeowners may think their pest problems will wane, too. In fact, with a new season comes different pest challenges to face and another round of pest proofing to do for the home. Pests like mice, rats, cockroaches and spiders will look for shelter in warm homes as the weather grows cooler, which is why PermaTreat Pest and Termite Control encourages homeowners to integrate pest proofing into their routines for the fall season.
Each season poses different opportunities for pest invasions, yet one thing remains the same—no one wants these critters entering their homes where they present property and health threats. Fall pests can contaminate food and damage drywall and electrical wires throughout a home. Cockroaches can trigger allergies and asthma, especially in children. These pest implications are far from desirable, which is why we must combat them.”
To help homeowners battle pests all year round, including in the fall, PermaTreat recommends these pest-proofing tips for the fall season:
Although the actual bite of bed bugs is painless, most people develop an allergic reaction to the saliva (which also acts as a numbing agent) injected by the bug as it feeds. Swelling and itchy, red welts can be signs of a bed bug infestation. However, some people do not have reactions to bed bug bites at all. In addition, bites from other insects, such as mosquitoes, are often mistaken as bed bug bites. Unlike many other pests, bed bugs are not known to spread disease to humans.
If you notice signs of bed bugs or suspect you have a bed bug infestation, you should contact PermaTreat Pest and Termite Control to confirm the infestation and recommend a course of treatment.
Across the country kids are wrapping up the school year and families are planning to pack their bags and travel during the summer months. Whether vacations are planned near or far from home, bed bugs are a key concern. To promote public vigilance and to help quell infestations, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has declared June 5-11 to be Bed Bug Awareness Week. PermaTreat is joining NPMA in this important public education effort and encourages travelers to brush up on bed bug basics before hitting the road.
These biting pests are also easily transported back home and use belongings, such as suitcases and boxes to hitchhike. Bed bugs are known to survive in various conditions, so it is essential for travelers to practice caution during and after trips.
In fact, a 2015 study by NPMA and the University of Kentucky found that 99.6 percent of pest control professionals treated for bed bugs in the year prior, with 75 percent reporting bed bugs in hotels and motels.
PermaTreat offers the below advice to travelers to help ensure they don’t bring bed bugs home:
• At hotels, thoroughly inspect the entire room before unpacking, including behind the headboard and in furniture. Pull back the bed sheets and check the mattress seams and box springs for pepper-like stains that may be evidence of bed bug activity.
• If you suspect an infestation or problem, notify management and change rooms immediately. Be sure the new room is not adjacent to or directly below or above the possibly infested room.
• Keep suitcases in plastic trash bags or protective covers during a hotel stay to prevent bed bugs from nesting there. Do not put them on the beds.
• Upon returning home from a trip, inspect all suitcases and other belongings before bringing them into the house.
• Wash all clothes – even those that have not been worn – in hot water and dry them using an extra-hot dryer setting
For more information, Call PermaTreat today!
Bottom line…. bed bug infestations are a serious problem for any home owner or business. If you think you have bed bugs contact your local pest control professional.
Click here to learn more about bed bug control.
Bedbugs can easily infest peoples’ homes as well as commercial locations such as hotels, nursing homes, and hospitals. The ease at which they can be passed from location to location is what drives that fear that many people feel. Infestations can also be extremely difficult to get rid of, especially when it occupies a location where hundreds of guests pass through day after day. In fact, it appears that bedbugs are popping up everywhere! And, while no one has been able to pin-point exactly why, surveys have indicated that there is a strong correlation between increased world-wide travel and increased bedbug activity.
PermaTreat’s own regional manager, Nick Castaldo, was quoted in an article by NBC 12 last year stating “we’ve seen over each year, probably about a 25-percent increase in production as far as bedbug activity.” The article focused on the Richmond/Petersburg area having made it to number 10 on Orkin’s “Top 50 Bedbug Cities List”, which was up from number 16, in 2011. On July 9th of this year, USA Today announced the top 15 cities with the most bedbug complaints, as well as the top 15 cities with the largest increase in bedbug infestations, as compiled by Terminix. Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Detroit made the most bed bug related calls to Terminix this year, while Sacramento, Milwaukee, and Las Vegas had the greatest increase in infestations. The full list can be found in the link at the bottom of the page.
rd, including the websites Market Watch and Free Republic, stated that “More than a third of pest-management companies treated bedbug infestations in hospitals in 2012, 6% more than the year before and more than twice as many as in 2010”, which was determined according to a survey released by the NPA (National Pest Management Association). Even though bedbugs do not transmit infections to humans, their bites can cause secondary infections in hospital patients who have lowered immune systems due to other illnesses, and therefore can create a serious problem. Dr. Dick Zoutman, a professor and specialist of infectious diseases, has “helped develop a new hospital sterilization system that can kill highly drug-resistant bacteria as well as bedbugs”. It is currently beginning distribution in Canada, and is seeking approval for use in the United States. This system, marketed as “AspeticSure”, uses a gas to effectively eradicate 100% of bacteria in less than an hour, kill bedbugs in up to 24 hours, and kill their eggs in up to 36 hours. Until approved, “exterminators are their only realistic option for addressing a pest invasion”.
Early detection and treatment are critical for successful control of bedbugs. To combat this, PermaTreat offers free bedbug inspections for both residential and commercial locations. Based on what the inspector finds, a treatment plan will be generated that is tailored specifically for the problem in that location.
The Virginia Department of Health has an informative publication on the control of bedbugs in hotel rooms (link below), and, while the focus is on hotels, it provides excellent information on bedbugs in general. This includes where to inspect for evidence of bedbugs, and what to do in preparation for professional treatment. It must be noted that caution should always be used against self-treatment, as special equipment is necessary!
th about a New York woman who set off over 20 foggers in her apartment but forgot to turn off the pilot light on her oven, resulting in an explosion that caused a partial collapse of the building and left 12 people injured. The article stated that every year there are about 500 fires or explosions linked to the use of foggers for self-pest control. Mr. Timothy Wong, technical director of M&M Pest Control
was quoted as saying “Bedbugs hide in cracks and crevices and their bodies are very thin… Foggers cannot penetrate into these crevices and often it will just drive them to burrow deeper or into other units.” Since pest control companies have access to the best products and have the know-how to use these products safely and effectively in treating pest control problems such as bedbugs, this is definitely a case in which pest control is best left up to a professional!
Article Links:
NBC 12 – Richmond, Petersburg High on Bedbug Cities List:
http://www.nbc12.com/story/18908697/richmond-petersburg-high-on-bedbug-cities-list
USA Today – Where the Bedbugs Are:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/dispatches/2013/07/09/bed-bugs-in-hotels/2492871/
Market Watch – Bedbugs Invade Hospitals:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bedbugs-rack-up-hospital-bills-2013-04-22
Virginia Department of Health – Control of Bedbugs in Hotel Rooms:
http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/documents/2009/pdfs/Bed%20Bug%20Brochure.pdf
CBS News – N.J. Man Burns Down House:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57589151/n.j-man-burns-down-house-trying-to-kill-bed-bugs/
New York Times – Explosion in Apartment:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/13/nyregion/a-risky-weapon-in-the-fight-against-insects.html?ref=bedbugs
Are pests invading your home? Call PermaTreat now at 866-737-6287 for a home inspection today!
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