“Bedbugs make itchy mess in region” |
| Bedbugs make itchy mess in region Posted: 01 Sep 2010 10:50 AM PDT Written by Carrie Schmelkin, Reporter
With bedbugs thriving in hot weather, and early September showing few signs of saying goodbye to record high temperatures, a decline in bedbug-related incidents may not happen any time soon. "The big picture is bedbugs are found wherever human beings are, and if it's warmer, they are going to be more active then when it's cooler," Rick Werner, director of the New Canaan Health Department, told the Advertiser."It's awfully hot; we are in a hot, dry season right now and not every dwelling unit has air conditioning," he said, noting that air conditioning helps keep the bugs at bay. "Even a fan wouldn't be enough, so obviously you are going to have a seasonal increase." Bedbugs, which are blood-sucking insects no bigger than the size of an apple seed, often hide in cracks and crevices during the day and inhabit the areas that people sleep at night. Since they are sensitive to light, they are most active at night, according to Werner. That activity has resulted in them turning up all summer, particularly in New York, just a couple stops down the New Haven line from the Next Station to Heaven. In addition to bedbug sightings in movie theatres, the insects have been found in Upper East Side penthouse apartments, high-end stores and office buildings. In New Canaan, Werner has been receiving his fair share of calls about possible bedbug incidents but said there is no evidence to suggest there have been more this year as opposed to past years. "I can't really confirm or deny that it's on the rise or not," Werner said. "It's virtually in every community where there are humans." And despite the stereotype that bedbugs inhabit dirty, run down areas, affluent towns are not immune to the critters either, he said. "It's not something that someone would openly admit to because the public in general seems to associate it with poor sanitation, but that's not the case at all," Werner said, "It can be in the nicest of homes and the cleanest of homes." For those who have been visited by the creatures, Werner said side effects include temporary itchy red welts in a line and, in some extreme cases, some individuals may experience allergic reactions and anemia. To help keep the chance of bedbugs to a minimum, residents are encouraged to avoid having personal clutter in rooms in their house; vacuum cracks and crevices regularly; wash sheets and clothing in hot water for 30 minutes and dry them on a hot setting, and pull beds at least six inches from the wall, according to Werner. If bedbugs are spotted, Werner advises residents to call a state licensed pest control operator who can make a house visit. For more information, visit ct.gov/caes. Log in or register a new account. 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 |
The cautionary tale "Don't let the bedbugs bite" is becoming an itchy reality for residents all over the country and, most recently, right across the border in New York City.| You are subscribed to email updates from Content Keyword RSS To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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