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Getting rid of bed bugs has been a problem documented as early as medieval times in Europe or during the time of Aristotle in Greece. Often attacking when one is fast asleep, bed bugs are smart creatures that choose to move when the target least knows it. Every person will have his own version of a bed bug story and most likely it will be bad.

Bed bugs are scientifically known as “Cimex lectularius”, they are wingless with a brownish ultra thin body. Various studies indicate these creatures originated from Asia but now can be seen in all parts of the world. Bed bugs thrive in areas with a warm and dry climate but they have been able to invade the northern regions because of the proliferation of heated buildings.

The adult bed bug is 1/4 to 3/8 in length when it is unfed but its size will expand considerably after a hearty meal. A starving bed bug looks far more different compared to one that is well fed. Young bed bugs or nymphs resemble the adults but have a yellowish color after molting. A nymph can develop into a fully grown bed bug for as fast as one month depending on how much it is able to eat.

When they become a pest

Bed bugs start to become a problem when they become hungry for blood. They typically stay in their homes in between meals and are only forced to go out if they are starving. The warmth of a nearby body is what attracts them but they cannot detect a food source that is around 5-10cm away.

Bed bugs use their highly developed mouthparts to bite and suck blood from the skin of an unsuspecting person. Engorgement time can last as long as seven minutes or as short as one minute. An adult bed bug can absorb around seven times of its own body weight in blood. The bed bug immediately retreats to its hiding place after feasting and then lays eggs again.

A person will only realize that he has been bitten by a bed bug once he discovers the large wheals in the affected part of the body. These wheals eventually develop into a tiny read mark that will stay for at least two to three days.

Bed bug bites can also be distinguished by the orderly way the wheals are formed, unlike mosquito bites that have a random pattern. It is always advised that the affected area should never be scratched to avoid infection and immediately washed with soap and water.

Bed bugs do prefer any part of the body that has good blood flow so the reproductive organs will always be included in their list of target spots.

Solving ‘em bugs

Treating bed bug bites is only a small part of solving the problem, as the next step is actually getting rid of these unwanted visitors. Those often traveling to areas with a tropical climate are very susceptible to bed bug infestations, as the luggage they carry might become their new home. Seeing bed bugs crawl into boxes, suitcases and belongings is very difficult, as they are tiny, agile and cryptic. Homes not yet infested could inherit this problem from the use of second hand furniture, couches or beds.

Those that want to get rid of bed bugs in beds will have a difficult task at hand. Fabrics with holes and tears are perfect locations for them to lay eggs. During the 40s and 50s the use of DDT was popular, as it helped minimize the spread of bed bug infestations but was eventually outlawed due to concerns over their effects to humans.

Pest control firms have a wide array instruments to help get rid of beg bugs ranging from pesticides, aerosols and other chemical agents. Beds in poor condition or heavily infested should be automatically discarded. Regardless if the bed is thrown out or not, encasing the box spring and mattress is very helpful especially if the bugs are still there.

Vacuuming could also help in getting rid of bed bugs and some pest control experts even use portable steam machines to treat beds. Whether the infestation is minor or major, bed bugs are always a pest especially for those that want to get a good night’s sleep. Perhaps, the most effective way to avoid a bed bug problem is to practice good hygiene and observe cleanliness.

For tips on oriental cockroach and cockroach infestation, visit the About Animals website.

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With spring break nearly here and summer vacation just around the corner, families are gearing up for vacation travel. Nobody minds bringing home a little sand in their shoes after an idyllic week lounging on the beach, but there’s nothing that takes the joy out of a vacation like unpacking a few bed bugs along with the swimsuits.

Opera singer Alison Trainer got bed bugs while staying at an upscale Phoenix hotel in 2007. She told ABC News that when she woke up in the middle of the night, “They were all over the bed and the comforter and the pillows and I pulled the sheets off and they were just everywhere.”

“They’re like little vampires, like stealth feeders at nighttime,” Michael Raupp, University of Maryland professor of entomology, told ABC News in the same report. While many people wake up with itchy red bites the next morning, nearly 50% of bed bug victims don’t react. You may not know you’ve been sharing a bed with these blood-sucking insects until you return home from vacation.

According to a 2004 survey of pest control professionals by Pest Control Technology magazine, hotels and motels were the most common sites of bed bug infestations, accounting for more than one-third of bed bug complaints. Bed bugs are brought into hotels by guests; they are not a sanitation issue. These adept hitchhikers travel in luggage and on clothing. They hide in and near beds to be near their prey, the unsuspecting traveler. While they don’t transmit disease, bed bugs feed on human blood and can traumatize their victims, causing anxiety, stress and insomnia. About the size of an apple seed, bed bugs have flat, oval, wingless bodies that are light to reddish-brown in color.

Nearly eradicated in the 1950s, the banning of DDT coupled with increased international travel has caused the resurgence of bed bugs in all 50 states. Hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, resorts and cruise ships provide perfect breeding and transmission sites for these nuisance pests. Many tourist cities including New York, Boston, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, Honolulu and San Francisco have been waging war against an increasing number of bed bug complaints from tourists and residents. Concern about negative impact on the tourist industry has pushed several states to consider bed bug legislation.

Bed bugs are a vexing problem for the hospitality industry. Rooms that were pest-free one night can be infected by a guest the next. Infestations often go undetected, spreading to adjacent rooms through vents, ducts, plumbing conduits, even by housekeeping staff. When bed bugs are discovered, today’s safer pest control chemicals require repeat applications. Infected rooms may be insufficiently treated before being assigned to new guests.

There’s no reason to stop vacationing, travelers just need to take a few precautions to avoid bringing bed bugs home.

Before booking your hotel, check traveler reviews on popular bed bug reporting websites: TripAdvisor.com, BedBugRegistry.com and HotelChatter.com. Pack belongings in snap and seal storage bags and consider protecting your mattresses and box springs with bed bug-proof encasements in case you bring bed bugs home.

Before leaving home spray your luggage inside and out with a bed bug control luggage spray. We sell one by JT Eaton and consider this Permethrin based product an innovation for travelers.

When checking in, inspect the room. Remove linens and check the mattress, particularly seams and welts, for live bugs, shed exoskeletons and black or rusty fecal stains. Use a flashlight to look behind the headboard, picture frames, in drawers, along baseboards. If you see signs of bed bugs, ask for another room or go to a different hotel.

While at the hotel, keep your suitcase and possessions off the bed, floor and upholstered furniture. Store suitcases on luggage racks or tables and keep them closed. Don’t lay clothing on the bed. Hang purses in the closet.

If you suspect bed bugs or develop itchy red welts, notify the hotel management immediately. Ask for another room in a different part of the building or check into a different hotel. Trap bed bugs in a pill bottle or sealed plastic bag to show the manager. When you return home, immediately call a pest control professional before unpacking. Other insects are often mistaken for bed bugs and bed bug bites are similar to those from mosquitoes and other insects. A pest control professional can correctly identify your problem.

On returning home, unpack in a garage, cleared laundry area or bathtub, not on the bed. Inspect your suitcase and contents for signs of bed bugs. Sort clothing into plastic bags that can be emptied directly into the washer. Wash and dry (for 60 minutes) at hottest settings. Vacuum suitcases and store away from bedroom. Immediately dispose of vacuum bag and storage bags in outside receptacle. Items that can’t be laundered can be sealed in plastic bags and frozen for two weeks or placed in a hot, closed car for 2 hours.

A new product has just hit the market called Packtite that is an enclosed heating chamber made for frequent travelers. This new product allows you to place your entire piece of packed luggage in the heating chamber and kill bed bugs and eggs before even unpacking. Although this product is not for everyone, for business travelers or families that travel abroad frequently the product is worth strong consideration.

For the next couple of weeks check your mattress for bed bug signs. Call a pest control professional immediately if you see any signs of bed bugs.

Douglas Stern is the managing partner of Stern Environmental Group and a bed bug extermination expert. His firm serves commercial and residential clients in New Jersey, New York City, New York, and Connecticut. His firm is located at 100 Plaza Drive in Secaucus, New Jersey. You can reach him toll free at 1-888-887-8376. Please visit us on the Web at www.SternEnvironmental.com.
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The Bed Bug spread is a common one, as these tiny insects are understood to have traveled from their place of origin in the Asian continent to the entire globe.

It is not unusual to find an infestation of Bed Bugs, but what is important is that we recognise where they live, how to find them and what to do about them.

The female Bed Bug will produce eggs each day; as she can exist for extraordinary lengths of time – over a year – this results in a natural explosion of the Bed Bug population.

The bed bug is active at night – when we are sleeping – and the first clue to the presence of Bed Bugs is the presence of bites on the skin in the morning.

The bed bug will feast during the night, and when it feeds on our blood it leaves behind indications of its presence.

A bed bug feeds by spearing the skin and feeding in a tube with which it pulls out the required blood, and hence the victim will rarely be aware they are being bitten as they are generally asleep.

After feeding – which can be as long as ten minutes – the Bed Bug leaves behind a red puncture which may swell and will hurt continually, bringing irritation and discomfort to the individual.

The problem regarding diagnosis is that the indications of Bed Bugs are often similar to a number of other skin infections.

Scabies displays very similar signs to bed bug infestation, and many insect bites such as mosquito can also result in a similar tell tale red welt.

Bed bug bites will most likely appear on skin that remains exposed while we sleep – the arms and legs, face and neck are all commonly bitten – and it is to these areas we should look when looking for signs of the creatures.

The Bed Bug is a night feeding insect and it likes to feast on our blood; it also likes to remain hidden and this is why it frequents our beds and furnishings.

While the Bed Bug does not nest like many other insects, it does gravitate to suitable places, hence many will hide together in the crevasses of a mattress, the inside of covers and linings and any dark and secure places.

Bed Bugs are frequently carried into the home by persons who have been elsewhere and have maybe slept on a number of unusual and frequently used beds.

A Bed Bug case is not usually a case of ill hygiene, however, as any number of hotels and guest houses have also been the source of cases.

Bed Bug infestations spread very fast; with one female bug laying around five eggs every day it is easy to see how quickly the colony can grow.

To eradicate Bed Bugs you also need to get rid of the infested mattress and any other furnishings that may be infested with the creatures.

As bed bugs are very numerous and difficult to find, getting rid of all the eggs and creatures with off the shelf remedies may not be entirely successful.

During an infestation of bed bugs, all clothes, covers and linings that have been in contact with bugs – or you think may have been – have to be be thoroughly washed; if possible this should be done on the hottest setting possible to be certain to kill the bugs.

Nadeeka Johnson is an experienced article writer with over a 1,000 articles covering a wid variety of topical written at www.deadbedbugs.com
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When bed bugs invade an apartment, who calls the exterminator and who pays? The conundrum in the emerging field of bed bug law is pitting landlords against tenants and filling court dockets.

Legislation recently introduced in the New Jersey Legislature as Assembly Bill 3203 would force landlords to shoulder the entire financial burden of combating bed bugs by making them solely responsible for conducting annual inspections, distributing and displaying educational material created by the state, immediately treating reported bed bug infestations, and maintaining a bed bug-free environment throughout the apartment building or complex. Similar bills are under consideration in other states.

Citing the nationwide 500% increase in bed bug infestations and calling the common bed bug “a public nuisance,” Bill 3203 states, “it is a matter of public welfare to protect New Jersey citizens’ health from this pest.” Noting that owners of multiple dwellings are “in the best position to coordinate the extermination bedbug infestations in that multiple dwelling,” the bill directs, “Every owner of a multiple dwelling shall be responsible, at his own expense, for maintaining the multiple dwelling free of an infestation of bedbugs.” Landlords who fail to act would be fined $300 per infested apartment and $1,000 per infested common area. Local health boards would have the power to act for and bill unresponsive landlords. (You can read the complete text of New Jersey Bill 3203 on the Stern Environmental website.)

Given the exponential increase in bed bug infestations nationwide, landlords are leery of the possible financial repercussions of such legislation. In New York City, bed bug complaints jumped from 1,839 in 2005 to 8,830 in 2008. Violations issued by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development rose from 366 to 2,757 over the same period. New York and New Jersey apartment owners are legally tasked with providing pest control for tenants. It’s the apartment owner’s responsibility to provide tenants with a pest-free living environment. That wasn’t always true. Since the 1908 case of Jacobs v. Morand, tenants had been legally obligated to pay their rent even if bed bugs had made their apartment inhabitable. That changed in 2004 with Ludlow Properties, LLC v. Young when Judge Cyril Bedford ruled in favor of a frustrated tenant who had refused to pay rent for six months because of a persistent bed bug problem, writing:

“Although bed bugs are classified as vermin, they are unlike … mice and roaches, which, although offensive, do not have the effect on one’s life as bed bugs do, feeding upon one’s blood in hoards nightly turning what is supposed to be bed rest or sleep into a hellish experience.”

Today, tenants seem to be winning the litigation war against landlords, but it’s a tough fight. When bed bug infestations are discovered, tenants and landlords point the finger of blame at each other. “It gets back to the issue of responsibility,” said attorney Ronald Languedoc. “In law, the party that asserts a claim usually has a burden of proof. I think it is probably hard to track down where, precisely, they came from and how they got in there.”

Under current New York and New Jersey law, apartment owners bear the responsibility and financial expense of providing housing that is rat-free, roach-free and now bed bug-free. For cash-strapped apartment owners, there’s the rub. Rats, roaches and other vermin are attracted by garbage and unclean conditions. The connection to proper maintenance, efficient trash collection and regular pest control is obvious. The cost of such regular maintenance is an expected part of managing an apartment building. Just like electric, water and other utility costs, these expenses are figured into monthly rent payments and recouped.

Bed bugs are an entirely different problem. Bed bugs are not attracted by filth. They are insects of convenience like lice and fleas. These tiny insects crawl from one infected individual to another. They set up house near beds and in bedrooms, hiding in cracks and crevices during the day and creeping out at night to feed on the blood of their unsuspecting prey – humans. The size of an apple seed, bed bugs multiply quickly and are adept hitchhikers. You can get them from contact with an infected individual, visiting his home, brushing his clothing, standing next to him or borrowing his belongings. You can get bed bugs by sitting in a seat just vacated by an infected person on a subway, park bench, taxi or airplane. Since not all people react to bed bug bites, people often spread bed bugs without even knowing they have them.

Bed bugs can come into an apartment on someone’s clothing, in suitcases and backpacks, in the creases of storage boxes, in the cracks and crevices of used furniture, in the upholstery of a rental sofa and in refurbished mattresses. Apartment owners have no control over what attracts bed bugs or how the annoying little buggers get into the building. You can understand their reluctance to take responsibility for a problem they didn’t create and have no control over. Yet that is exactly what housing legislation requires them to do. Particularly exasperating are the strictures in New York City and under consideration in Jersey City and the New Jersey state legislature that prevent apartment owners from passing along the often hefty costs of eliminating bed bug infestations to their tenants.

The life cycle and living habits of bed bugs only confound the problem. A single female bed bug can produce up to 500 eggs during her one-year lifespan, laying about five eggs per day. Moving through five nymphal stages, bed bugs reach maturity in just five to eight weeks. They nibble on their human prey at night, feeding for up to 10 minutes every three to five days. The tiny bugs are often mistaken for other pests and their bites for mosquito or spider bites. Not all people react to their bites which look like raised, red welts and many don’t react (itching is typical) for several days after being bitten. Some people are so embarrassed, they fail to report an infestation or uselessly try to treat it with Raid. By the time the problem is noticed or reported, a considerable infestation can have developed.

Often by the time they’re identified, bed bugs have spread to other units in a building and the original culprit can be hard to identify. Because bed bugs spread easily through wall voids, elevator shafts, plumbing and wiring conduits, and heating and cooling ducts, next door units and those on the floors above and below an infested unit are also likely to be infested. Treatment of one unit can simply send bed bugs scurrying to find new living quarters. Even vacant apartments are not safe as bed bugs can live for one to seven months without a blood meal.

Eliminating bed bugs in a multi-unit apartment building can be a nightmare for everyone and an unexpected financial burden for the owner. Because of the many variables involved – the need for tenant cooperation, the bugs’ minute and numerous hiding places and their tendency to spread quickly and easily — multiple pest control treatments over a spaced period of time are necessary to completely eradicate bed bugs from an apartment building. Apartment owners are being asked to shoulder the financial burden without remuneration, sometimes without essential tenant cooperation, and with no guarantee that the whole mess won’t happen again. It’s not hard to understand why apartment owners feel new bed bug laws are unfair.

Douglas Stern is the managing partner of Stern Environmental Group and a bed bug extermination expert. His firm serves commercial and residential clients in New Jersey, New York City, New York, and Connecticut. His firm is located at 100 Plaza Drive in Secaucus, New Jersey. You can reach him toll free at 1-888-887-8376. Please visit us on the Web at www.SternEnvironmental.com.
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Bed bugs are unlikely and unwanted housemates you might have currently. They can never be as gross and scary as other insects and pests like cockroaches, but they can be really annoying.

Bed bugs are insects that thrive on small holes, cracks or crevices in walls and floors. Generally, bed bugs like to live in dark and untidy corners or portions of the house.

Bed bugs suck blood. It is their primary means of making a living. Hence, they go out at night and suck blood from unsuspecting victims, who may be sleeping by that time.

Bed bugs do not transit or carry communicable diseases, bu their bites can get really really itchy. To some people, especially the more sensitive ones, bed bugs’ bites can pose serious health situations.

So the basic question you will have in mind for sure (assuming that your house is infested with bed bugs) is, ” How are bed bugs infestation controlled?”

There are a number of measures or means to control bed bugs. For a start, you may start by preventing the occurrence or existence of bed bugs in your house. If your home is still not infested, be sure to know how to avoid them.

Cleanliness is one key factor in controlling or preventing bed bugs from thriving in your house. Be sure to make your furniture, walls, and floor spic and span.

Bed bugs love to thrive in beds, so, make sure your bed is fully protected. Regularly change your bed sheets and make sure the bed does not contain unnecessary holes or tears.

If your house already has bed bugs on it, a simple way to control infestation is by applying pesticides or insecticides to the infested areas.

A number of commercially available pesticides especially formulated for bed bugs control are available and accessible in the market. In using one, just be sure to carefully read all labels and instructions before use.

Pesticides, of course, are made up of harsh chemicals that can surely knock out insects like bed bugs. These chemicals are so harmful, that aside from controlling bed bugs, they can also pose health hazards or threats to you.

Hiring professionals The best and probably the most intelligent solution to controlling bed bugs infestation is through seeking the professional help and services of experts—pest control companies.

Controlling bed bugs is not a ‘spur of the moment’ thing. A lot and thorough planning has to be conducted beforehand. Before seeking the expert help, be prepared to discard several materials and furniture, if ever the experts will advise you to.

There are a number of pest control companies in your locality. All you have to do is to pick up the phone, and wait for a few hours.

If you are living in an apartment, coordinate with your land lord or land lady. It is their responsibility to make all the necessary arrangements for pest control measures.

State and civil laws mandate them to make sure that their building is safe and pest-free. Talk to them and know the arrangements for pest control service fee payments.

When you plan to control bed bugs infestation in your home with the help of professionals, also be sure to inform or notify your neighbors.

It is because some residues or stink of the pest control chemicals might reach their homes. If ever, that will post serious health risks for them.

Because bed bugs are so persistent, expect the process of controlling them to be really tedious. Insects have that general characteristics—they are so resilient and their systems are so strong.

Normally, controlling bed bugs the professionals’ way can take a few hours, because the experts have to check for any crevices, small cracks or holes where bed bugs might be hiding.

Furniture and home accessories will also have to be checked to make sure the treatment will not miss on any single bug.

At times, pest control experts might advise you to discard several furniture, especially beds. Is because, most beds are made up foams or materials that have tiny holes on it, which is very ideal for bed bugs to hide in.

In disposing or discarding beds, be sure that it can never be used by other people again. Otherwise, bed bugs will transfer from your house to another’s.

Because environmental concerns will rule out burning, you will surely have to put the bed into a special encasing or bug, to make sure all bed bugs on it are trapped inside.

Want to find out about kill roaches and cockroach control? Get tips from the About Animals website.

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