When you were a child, and your parents sent you to bed, after they said, “Good night, sleep tight,” there’s a good chance that they added, “and don’t let the bed bugs bite.” As children, we thought this was a cute rhyme, and while some of us may actually have been frightened by our parents’ admonition, probably few of us were really bitten by bed bugs. Eradicated 60 Years Ago
In fact, it was thought that bed bugs had been eradicated in the U.S. over 60 years ago. That is, until 2010, when New York City’s massive bed bug infestation made national headlines. These pests were found not only in hotels but also theaters, concert halls and retail stores, giving New York the dubious distinction of being the most bed bug infested city in the country. Bed bugs got so out of hand that in that same year five states asked the Defense Dept. for money to help get rid of bed bugs.How did this resurgence occur? Experts say it’s due to international travel and weakened pesticides. The fact that bed bugs live in furniture, clothing and luggage makes it easy for them to spread.
Two Different Species
In Florida, we’re confronted with two different species of bed bugs: the Common bed bug and the Tropical bed bug. The Common bed bug arrived here from temperate climates like North America and Europe while the Tropical bed bug came from tropical areas like South America and Africa. Cities with airports are gateways for these creatures, which arrive in passengers’ luggage and clothing.No matter what the species, these non-flying insects feed by sucking blood from humans or animals. Their bite is painless and not noticed, but redness, swelling and itching commonly occur. Typically, no treatment is required, but if itching is severe, steroid creams or oral antihistamines may be used for relief.
What Do They Look Like?
Oval in shape, adult bed bugs are about 5-7 mm in length. They have flat bodies and may be mistaken for ticks or small cockroaches. The adults are reddish brown in color and appear more reddish after feeding on blood.The juveniles are as small as 1.5 mm. They’re clear in color and appear bright red after feeding. Although bed bugs can live for a year without feeding, they normally try to feed every five to 10 days. While bed bugs can’t fly, they can crawl very fast and like temperatures between 70°-80° F.
There’s An App For That
Following the outbreak in New York, a New Jersey inventor created a bed bug app for iPhones called Bed Bug Alert. The app claims to help you “stay on top of the rampant spread of bed bugs.” We’re leery of this app because you don’t know from where the data is coming. A casual report by someone who thinks they’ve spotted a bed bug in a hotel could be totally wrong about the type of bug.Getting Rid of Bed Bugs
Getting rid of bed bugs can be difficult. Most cases require treatment by a pest control expert. There are many sprays, dusts and aerosol insecticides that may be used to eliminate bed bugs, but these products must be carefully applied to areas where the bugs are seen as well as spaces where they hide. The experts at Insect Protection Pest Control can help you decide if your mattress can be disinfected or must be thrown away. Bedding cannot easily be treated with chemicals and it’s often necessary to get rid of it. If you think you have bed bugs, call Insect Protection Pest Control for a FREE consultation.Technorati Tags: Bite,children,rhyme,admonition,fact,York,infestation,pests,concert,stores,distinction,Defense,Dept.,money,resurgence,furniture,luggage,Different,Species,Florida,Common,Tropical,North,America,Europe,South,Africa,animals,treatment,relief,Look,Oval,length,cockroaches,outbreak,Jersey,inventor,Alert,data,hotel,cases,pest,aerosol,products,spaces,Insect,Protection,Control,FREE,consultation,halls,pesticides,climates,areas,airports,creatures,passengers,insects,humans,temperatures,chemicals,parents,blood
