“Experts explain how to control bedbugs” |
| Experts explain how to control bedbugs Posted: 17 Nov 2010 11:46 AM PST LAKE CITY -- Bedbugs have resurged as pests to many people, including South Carolina residents, but local science and medical professionals have advice for dealing with the problematic insects. Bedbugs are flat, oval, wingless insects about a quarter of an inch long, said Dr. Eric P. Benson, a professor and urban entomology extension specialist in Clemson University's Department of Entomology, Soils and Plant Sciences.They feed by sucking blood froma number of mammals and even birds, but their primary hosts are humans, Benson said. The common bedbug is usually nocturnal. During the day, the bugs hide in cracks in walls, under baseboards, in mattresses, under curled wallpaper and similar places.Their flatness allows them to hide in small crevices. Bedbugs can be transported from place to place on infested animals, furniture and luggage and occasionally on clothing. They also can establish themselves within a structure because of their behavior of hiding and their ability to go long periods without feeding. Females can lay 100 to 250 eggs, usually in cracks. Development to the adult stage requires about two months in warm weather. Benson said bedbugs are becoming more and more common every year in South Carolina. The method of bedbug control depends on the situation. Control in a single-family home will be different than control in a multifamily building. It is a process that usually takes several weeks to several months to work well. It is not a "one-shot deal" and it is difficult for the average homeowner to control bedbugs without help from a pest management professional, Benson said. A thorough inspection is needed for control, Benson said. Usually, a professional pest-control operator is needed for proper inspection and control. Careful inspection usually requires time, a good flashlight and probing tools to inspect the many cracks or crevices where bedbugs can hide. For beds, where bedbugs often live, the bed should be dismantled for good inspection and treatment if necessary. Other inspection areas would include nearby furniture, walls, picture frames, the wall and floor interface, nap of carpets, baseboards, bedside clocks, phones, pictures, and other areas where bed bugs might hide. Eliminating bed bugs completely from a mattress, box spring or bed frame can be a challenge. If a bed is not worth much, it might be best discarded. Beds that can't be thrown away, however, can be vacuumed and steamed clean. In addition, certain techniques involve machinery to freeze bed bugs on the mattress or special heating containers to kill bed bugs in beds and furniture, Benson said. Vacuuming and steam-cleaning carpets also are good ideas. Thorough cleaning and drying of infested linens or other fabrics should help kill bedbugs present on those items, Benson said. Insecticide sprays labeled for bedbug control will probably be needed. In most cases, a professional pest-control operator would be the best candidate to inspect, select the best product, and treat cracks and crevices for bedbugs. In general, store-bought foggers provide poor control for established bedbug infestations, Benson said. Benson said that if the cracks and crevices of bed areas are treated, the treatment should be allowed to thoroughly dry before being used again. A repeated treatment may be needed a few weeks or even a few months after the initial treatment for complete control. In extreme cases, entire buildings have been professionally fumigated for bed bugs. This procedure, however, is expensive and uncommon in South Carolina. Whichever treatment is employed, all label directions for any insecticides used should be followed carefully. Some pesticides, including DDT, that would kill bedbugs have been banned, said Dr. Patricia M. Chandler, a retired educator who earned a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in science education from Clemson. Chandler said bedbug bites are more of an irritation and that they don't result in death. Bedbugs generally are considered unimportant as disease vectors, Benson said. A person bitten by bedbugs, however, should consult with his or her family doctor any concerns arise. Dr. Morris E. Brown III, a Lake City family physician, said bedbug-bite symptoms are treated mainly with antihistamines such as Claritin and Benadryl as well as topical steroids. Doctors may prescribe antihistamines and corticosteroids to reduce allergic reactions as well as antiseptic or antibiotic ointments to prevent infection, according to Brown. Bedbug infestations are "not something (for which) we have any authority, programor statistics," Thom Berry, media relations director for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, said in an e-mail interview. "When we receive a complaint, we will send someone from our environmental health office to offer some suggestions," Berry wrote."They are only that, suggestions, and carry no legal authority." 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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