“Health department has reports of bedbugs in Fremont” |
| Health department has reports of bedbugs in Fremont Posted: 19 Jan 2011 08:54 AM PST A Three Rivers District Health Department official said he has received five reports of bedbugs in Fremont in the past year. "I have been getting a few reports on bedbugs in the area, so it definitely is something to worry about," Environmental Health Coordinator Trino Nuno said. "The reports I've been getting are all in Fremont," he said. Bedbugs do not spread disease and are not considered a medical or public health hazard, Nuno said. "They're more of an annoyance because when they bite you it may cause itching or loss of sleep, and some people may have a psychological effect with it, too," he said. The reports he received, "may be at the same location, but there were five individual reports filed with me," he said. Nuno said he normally receives reports from homeowners and tenants, and occasionally hears questions from schools or employers. In a multi-family dwelling, he said, "if someone brings them in, there's a good chance they will spread." "They don't fly, so whatever traveling they do on their own, it's going to take them a while to spread," he added. "They're wonderful hitchhikers," Nuno said. "When people travel or go to hotels they may sneak into your luggage, you can spread them that way. They do cling onto your clothes." It may be difficult to tell if you've got them in your house, he said. "Some people are not allergic to the bites of the bugs, so they may not have any symptoms at all, and then there may be some members of the family who do have an allergic reaction to the bites. What they'll see is itchy welts on the skin," Nuno said. "A doctor might give you a heads up saying you might have an insect issue in your home, but then you would have to contact a professional in order to identify the pest because it could possibly be fleas or lice or something like that," he said. "Since you can see the bugs, that's another way to identify them," he continued. "Look around crevices, in between your mattress, places like that, and if you see any exoskeletons that's a good sign that you have bed bugs. Also look for dark spots on the mattress, kind of reddish in color, which would be from the bug droppings." Bedbugs are visible to the naked eye, measuring 1 to 7 millimeters in size. They are small, flat, parasites that feed on the blood of sleeping people and animals. The bite is typically painless and doesn't even awaken the person. "They can hide in pretty much any crevice, they're very good at hiding," Nuno said. "Typically they only come out at night for feeding. During the day you may not see a single bedbug because they'll be hiding." Bedbug reports in the United States are on the rise, Nuno said, but the reason is not certain. Three Rivers fielded two reports in 2009. The Health Department recommends contacting a pest control professional if you suspect you have bedbugs. Some companies offer free estimates. There are things homeowners can do on their own, he added. "The first thing would be do not panic," he said. "It's going to be difficult getting rid of bedbugs, they can go 10 months without feeding." Simple things like reducing the number of hiding places for bedbugs, cleaning up clutter around the home, frequently washing and heat drying bed linen, vacuuming and steam cleaning regularly can help. When temperatures fall below 25 degrees, mattresses and furniture can be taken outdoors for several hours to kill the bugs. Preventative measures include immediately washing clothes and bedding when you return from a trip, inspecting used furniture before taking it into your house, and not taking discarded furniture. 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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