“They're back: Blood-sucking insects make a return” |
| They're back: Blood-sucking insects make a return Posted: 30 Aug 2010 01:47 AM PDT Published: Monday, August 30, 2010 at 3:30 a.m. Instead of being just a pleasantry said at bed time, the phrase "don't led the bed bugs bite" is now a warning. Click to enlarge Lauderdale County Extension coordinator Randall Armstrong looks over a pair of bedbugs submerged in alcohol. Bedbugs have started to be seen in the Shoals area. Daniel Giles/TimesDaily Bud Bugs 101 Bed bugs feed on the blood of humans, rodents and other animals. These insects are capable of transmitting certain disease-causing organisms. They also inject saliva during feeding which can produce large itchy swellings on the skin. These areas may become infected when scratched. In addition, bed bugs have stink glands that create odors and they leave fecal spots on bed sheets.Prevention Launder all bedding routinely (even comforters and bedspreads). Regularly vacuum the home, including all bedding and furniture upholstery. Do not buy secondhand beds, bedding or upholstered furniture. Try to eliminate cracks and crevices in flooring and walls. Repair cracks in plaster, wallpaper and paint on the walls and ceilings. Replace loose wallpaper and drapes that cannot be cleaned. Amorphous silica gel and diatomaceous insecticides may be used to treat wall voids and attics, but do not use any insecticides on mattresses or bedding. During sunny days, all bedding can be solarized outdoors for several hours to kill the bed bugs. Source: Alabama Cooperative Extension System The blood-sucking insects that bite sleeping humans almost disappeared from the United States before World War II but are returning en masse, including in the Shoals, where exterminators are busy battling the tick-sized bugs Barry Green, owner of Green's Pest Control in Killen, said he never saw a bed bug during his first 13 years as an exterminator but has seen the pests that he calls blood-sucking cockroaches increasing during the past two years. "I've had eight or 10 calls this month alone," Green said. "This month is actually down a little bit from the number of calls we were getting about bed bugs back in the spring." Chris Becker, a regional agent for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, said bed bugs often show up in a home after the residents return from a trip where they stayed in a hotel or motel. He said when bed bugs are in a hotel or motel room, they can hitch a ride in luggage and quickly infest a home. Becker said a sign that bed bugs have infested a home is when the residents develop itchy bites on areas of skin that are exposed as they sleep. The bites can trigger a severe rash in humans. Fleas also can bite sleeping humans, but if there are brownish-black spots on bedding, which is bed bug excrement, it's a sure sign the blood-thirty pests are present. In addition to beds, the insects can infest couches and other furniture where humans sleep, Becker said. To help avoid bringing bed bugs home from a trip, Becker recommends storing suitcases in hotel or motel rooms as far away from beds as possible. Upon returning home, clothing that was worn while sleeping should be washed in water that is at least 120 degrees. He said suitcases should be inspected closely for stray bed bugs. Becker said travelers might not realize they have been bitten by bed bugs until after they return home. There is no pain when the insects bite, but two to three days later, a painful welt can form at the bite, where the bugs injected their saliva to prevent the blood from clotting. Randall Armstrong, Lauderdale County coordinator for the extension system, has first-hand experience on the pain of bed bug bites. While attending a meeting in Demopolis about two years ago, Armstrong said he was attacked by the bugs while sleeping in a motel room. "They ate me up," he said. "I woke up and had bites all over me. It took me awhile to realize it was bed bugs that had bitten me because there hadn't been any bed bugs in the United States in years." Entomologists said travel between the United States and countries where bed bugs are prevalent has led to the increased number of the pests in recent years. Becker discourages purchasing used bedding, which the insects can use to enter a home. He said while some people think bed bugs are a result of poor housekeeping, the insects can infest immaculate homes and upscale hotels. Becker said while bites and other signs of bed bugs are obvious, finding the insects can be difficult. He said bed bugs hide in cracks, crevices and other dark places during the day and come out at night in search of blood hosts. Because of their ability to hide, Green said a professional exterminator is typically needed to eliminate a bed bug infestation. He said exterminators have tools to reach into bed bug hiding places and access to insecticides not available to do-it-yourselfers. Green charges $75 to $80 to treat minor infestations of bed bugs and up to $400 for major invasions of the pests within a home. Becker warned that anyone who finds their home infested with bed bugs might have to purchase new mattresses. "If it's an old mattress and you can afford a new one, you might want to replace it and the box springs," Becker said. "Especially if the mattress or box springs have holes in them, because if they do, it's going to be almost impossible to get rid of the bed bugs that are living inside." Becker said local extension system offices can provide tips for controlling bed bugs. Dennis Sherer can be reached at 256-740-5746 or dennis.sherer@TimesDaily.com. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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