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Overview
Sleeping With the Enemy
Chances are, you or someone you know has had a run-in with bed bugs. It might have happened in a scrupulously clean bedroom. Or maybe it was a hotel room, office or college dorm. In the February issue of Scientific American entomologist Kenneth Haynes of the University of Kentucky explains how, after a lengthy absence, bed bugs are staging a comeback. The good news is scientists are intensively studying these insects, and their insights suggest novel ways of detecting the bugs and eradicating infestations. Some of those potential solutions are a long way off, however. In the meantime the best bet is to avoid bringing bed bugs home in the first place. I called Haynes to ask him how to do that and what to do if one suspects an infestation (eek!), among a bunch of other practical-minded questions.
Do bed bugs only feed on humans?
No. Bed bugs are also pests in poultry operations, and they're known to parasitize bats. Some labs that study bed bugs rear them on guinea pigs and mice. The bugs might feed on cats and dogs. Fur is probably a barrier to them, but they could feed at any place on the body without fur. Bed bugs are not specific to humans, but they are adapted to parasitizing us.
Could you have a bed bug infestation in your home and not know it?
That's very possible. I have heard of couples reporting that only one partner is getting bitten. The truth is that both are getting bitten, but only one has a reaction to the bites. Thirty percent of people or more don't react to bed bug bites at all, and the elderly are less reactive than the rest of the population. Among those people who do react to the bites, most of them don't respond to early bites, but develop a sensitivity to subsequent ones. Those individuals who are not sensitive to bed bug bites may not know they have an infestation. Because bed bugs are nocturnally active, it's hard to see other signs of their presence—unless you're accustomed to waking up at 3 A.M. and taking a census. With a huge infestation, bed bugs start to move away from the bed, so you're more likely to see one in an exposed place during the day. In very severe infestations people can become anemic. That takes a lot of bugs though—maybe 100,000 feeding once a week or more.
Another clue to infestation is odor. Like many species of bugs, bed bugs release odors called alarm pheromones. When a group of bed bugs gets disturbed, you may get a whiff of that odor, which is similar to the odor stink bugs give off. At higher concentrations the odor is unpleasant. Some people say at low concentrations it's a pleasant smell—like coriander. In fact, older literature refers to the bed bug as the coriander bug. I've tried to smell the coriander scent in bed bug alarm pheromones and have not been able to make the connection, however.
What can one do to avoid getting bed bugs?
The first thing is you have to be able to recognize and distinguish a bed bug from any other insect. Everything starts to look like a bed bug if you start to worry about them. An adult bed bug is about the size and shape of an apple seed. If it has not fed recently it will be flattened and brown. If it has fed it will be round in circumference and reddish. Immature bed bugs have a similar appearance to adults, with the smallest being the size of the head of a pin. You can then learn to look for their fecal spots, which can be easier to detect than the bugs themselves. Check your hotel rooms when you travel. And think twice before bringing home used furniture. If you are purchasing used furniture, ask the furniture store how they deal with bed bugs. If they have no plan whatsoever, that's probably not a good sign. If you purchase used clothing, put it through a clothes dryer on a medium to high setting for a cycle as soon as you bring it home. And before you move into an apartment, ask the landlord whether there has been a bed bug infestation, or whether the building has ever been treated for bed bugs.
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32 Comments
Add CommentI didn't even get through the whole article. Common sense tells me that good hygiene should be enough to keep any kind of bed bugs away. Something smells fishy with this article. I obviously do not want to offend anybody or to be slanderous but who are you trying to frighten or what kind of products are you trying to sell? Is this a commercial advertisement or a science-based study? I hope I am not making a mistake but that is the feeling that I have by reading the first part of the article. I refuse to read the rest.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTe following link is a study that says AsepticSure provides a high level of disinfection of steel disks and gauze surfaces against health care-associated bacterial pathogens.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553%2811%2900160-X/abstract
Do you know of links to other research on AsepticSure that study its effects on insects ?
The problem with hotel inspection is that if you find hotel room infested with bed bugs, what do you do? If one room is infested, it is very likely that all the rooms are infested. Moving to a different hotel would be quite challenging, especially if one is at a convention or other major meeting. Plus, I doubt if the hotel would be kindly disposed to listen to you and return your money if you are telling them that the rooms are infested with bed bugs!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis does create an opportunity for the hotels - to claim that their rooms are "bed bug free"! I am waiting to see which hotel is the first one to make this claim.
Here you go. http://medizoneint.com/greatest-threat-bed-bugs-iceage/ You will find more by googling AsepticSure and Bedbugs.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe product is not yet available, but I understand there is a large motel chain testing it with excellent results. I believe they are taking orders.
For those concerned that this article is advertising something, please be assured it is not. I am a pest control provider and a representive for a manufacturer of insecticides who frequently provides training for other pest control providers on bed bug biology, habits, and elimination. This article covers basic information to give you a quick overview of bed bug trends.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBed Bugs have nothing to do with Sanitation,they are more likely to be in "nice" hotels that see more visiters versus a "low budget" location that doesn't see many travelers. You can go to any travel site and find comments from guests to find if bed bugs have been found in the hotel you are thinking about staying in.
If you find bed bugs in your room. You can easily switch rooms. It doesn't mean that the whole hotel is infested. The hotel will most likely comp your room and treat you like a king or queen afterwards.
I did not feel any scare tactics where used in this article. Someone could easily find many articles on how prevelent bed bugs are and how great of a ressurgence they have made. Please consult a professional with good references if you have a bed bug concern.
Here in India, in our college hostel, I had a a bed bug infestation. We tried all sorts of sprays, smoke bombs and pesticides. It didn't work. Fed up we left it on the terrace of our building, in the baking sun. Three weeks we would drag it out in the morning and evening drag it back in. It was hard and tiring work. but after three weeks the bugs vanished. As always but we have remained cautious while traveling, always checking the bed, first thing before checking in.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBED BUGS are making a come back. Movie theaters, air lines, hotels, 2nd hand furniture/clothing outlets had them. They cling in silence, get shifted into homes and breed fast. When changing bedsheets and do observe the mattress carefully.If one notices blood streaks away from the centre of the bed, rest assured that the mattress is infected. These are streaks left behind, after a "blood drinking" session, and they move to hide below the edges and folds.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisK.Thiruselvam,Malaysia.
http://bedroomupkeep.blogspot.com
A hotel of international reputation, had their entire 5th floor (about 20 rooms) of removable furniture, taken out to the basement for treatment. As for the carpets and immovable, it was about 10 days of repeated shampooing, vacuuming with water, and "treatment".
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhen checking in, "spot check" actual mattress below the bed sheet for visible tracks of blood streaks. Bed bugs who have not had the meals are smaller and difficult to track below folds and crevices.
Upon suspicion, report, checkout and even choose to report to local authorities.
Bed bugs if allowed to multiply and spread can result in other health issues.
YOU ARE RIGHT! Blazing sun helps rid bed bugs, dust mites etc off mattresses. Those were the days, when a mother or housewife could carry mattresses out for sunning. Today's mattresses are heavy, 6-9inches thick and NEVER GETS CLEANED from date of purchase. Mattresses are the dirtiest in all homes that I have visited over the last 8 years. Mattresses become "favourites" of bed bugs.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisK Thiruselvam, Malaysia
http://bedroomupkeep.blogspot.com
AS the article states. Heating can irradicate bedbugs. They probably don't like the light eiher.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI wonder about the wisdom of putting soiled clothes directly into the dryer. While the cycle might kill any hitchhiking bed bugs, it will also result in the dirt, grime and microbes that have accumulated on clothing throughout the day being transferred to the dryer,(not to mention the now dead bug bugs) and thereby picked up by the next load of clean, wet laundry. While it might not be a health hazard per se, it's pretty gross. Maybe it's preferable to wash the clothes first and then do a double drying cycle (drying the clothes completely in the first cycle, and then repeating to ensure the temperature required for bed bug destruction is reached)?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am sorry I did not reply earlier. Quite interesting! I have never seen a bed bug in my entire life. Probably the area where I live is entirely free from these bugs. I have not traveled lately but I did travel for a while before. I hope I will hit the road again soon! I have visited several European countries and (have made)many visits to United States. The only bugs I remember in my trips were ants (a big scare)in a bed in Acapulco, the only time I have visited the site, by the way. Well this is not about my personal story. But I mention this to get the idea across. May be I should read carefully about bed bugs after all. And I will. Very clearly is a serious matter. Thanks again!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI do not have a dirty mattress. I have a bed pad between my sheet and mattress. Anytime I get blood or anything else on the bed pad, I wash it with hot water and bleach. That cleans it. I recommend it. It costs far less to replace a bed pad than a mattress.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI moved into an apartment. I saw it had cockroaches. I heard the building had bedbugs. I went right to work. I sealed up any holes and the filled in any cracks. I made sure the seal was tight between the floor and any molding. When I finished I neither saw a cockroach nor any sign of them (frass).
I got extra sets of sheets and two bed pads. I changed the sheets about once every other day and the bed pad once a week. If bedbugs were hiding in the seams, they would be killed by the hot water and the bleach. Thus, except for a little initial spraying, I made the apartment insect free. Of course it helps to have a college course behind me so I know exactly what I am looking for and I know where insects hide.
I must agree with the tenor of the first comment posted here. The article is doubtless intended to scare the bejesus out of people and drum up brisk business for the pest-control industry!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe tenor of the first comment is DENIAL
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"I didn't even get through the whole article." BINGO. They did not mention any specific product nor brand for eliminating bed bugs.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou may want to consult your local psychiatrist because you sound excessively paranoid. SA may have articles you can read on what paranoia indicates but then you would think SA is out to get you there somehow too.
You know you remind me of people that believe in "morgellons". I would read what Wikipedia has to say about it because most of the other web information about it is precisely from people with probable mental problems therefore may be off base or inaccurate. Some experts even say that the internet is one of the prime ways people come up with the idea. Some, though not all, of those who believe in them tend to have some type of mental problems and paranoia is one indication of such an aliment.
There is no shame in mental illness because it is due to problems with the brain just like type 1 diabetes has to do with problems with the pancreas. If you cannot even finish reading a short article about something explained in easy to read English, I would be concerned that something is wrong somehow. If you know the truth about a subject then you should have nothing to fear from reading SA articles. I have found that SA articles are low in polemics therefore they are unlikely to insult nor give you a sales-pitch for anything.
I don't blame Plain-2009 for not reading the whole article. It was just too long (4 pages) for a post of this type on this medium. It required great patience on my part to browse through four page tabs. Enough said!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBedbugs continue to proliferate because people in general behave as if the problem will take care of itself. What is required is a pro-active approach - lots of vacuuming and dusting; washing and drying; using pesticide chalk regularly on all the mattress and boxspring piping and seams; diatomaceous earth into the cracks under the baseboards; and double-sided carpet tape around the mattress. Don't hesitate to green bag and throw out bedding and clothing that show even the remotest signs of nesting. It is possible to reduce the population down to manageable levels, until they eventually die out. I've done it. Like President Carter said, you'll have to "pull yourself up by the bootstraps", put your best foot forward, and get to work.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisChances are, I've never seen a bedbug, and most people I know haven't either.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisScore zero for this article.
Actually, what you can assume of that first commenter is they aren't from a third world country, and don't frequent places frequented by third-worlders.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDenial need not be invoked.
Actually, this article is an attempt to familiarize people with third-world type menaces in order to promote a sharing of concerns. It's one more PC effort in equalizing humanity.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBedbugs are messengers of equality to be embraced.
Yeah, they're making a "comeback", with the help of their carriers...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOh for the days of progress, when vermin were held in check.
I am sorry but good hygiene has nothing to do with it. A single pregnant female can infest an entire apartment building. If just that one bug comes home with you, you have bedbugs, and all your excellent cleaning won't have saved you. I wish it were otherwise, but it's not.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWorse, even a thorough inspection of a hotel room does not guarantee you're in a bedbug free room. We always inspect carefully. My husband happened to be up in the middle of the night and discovered a bedbug walking across the sheet. Shivers!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have gotten a roll of flypaper about 3 inches wide. You unroll what you need (about 8" for me ) I lay it under the bed touching a leg sticky side up
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThey get stuck on it and die. It will also surprise you by the other pests it catches. Spiders, fleas and bed bugs too. Orschlin's carries it in the farm section. You can also tell their main traffic areas by the ones it catches. It probably wont get them all you will have to use other things.
But it sure makes me feel better knowing I got some.
My self and a friend had borrowed a car from someone that we knew had this problem. After a two hundred mile trip someone sptted one crawling on my collar and my friend had about 6 on him. I told them that they might treat their car also.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.flickr.com/photos/52538874@N05/7318050308/http://www.flickr.com/photos/52538874@N05/7318050308/ If, you can kill the eggs at your bed, that is the key. If you determined heat treatment is too dangerous or expensive, now what ? The big picture is you have a ranch, your're raising Bed Bugs and using your bed as a corral. First, spray your bed or encase the bed to kill the eggs so you won't be overwhelmed. Second, Make sure there are no problems with your bed. Nothing about your bed can be allowed the touch the wall or floor, but the caster wheels. Third, the new corral for the Bed Bugs is a dim light going 24/7 where the Bed Bugs can be drawn to and removed with masking tape. Fourth, you spray the ceiling-wall line on two of the most distant walls from the dim light to move the Bed Bugs toward the light. Notes: Do not spray near the dim light or any other location, that will create a barrier to keep them from coming to the light. This dim light is most likely for life. As new Bed Bugs arrive at your home they will go to the light. Bed Bugs are drawn to you like Bees, by your Co2. A fan moving air near your bed will mix your Co2 evenly in your bedroom, making it hard for Bed Bugs to find you. Every other day a light spray on your bed caster wheels will protect you. Those in the Bed Bug business won't be needed anymore. Please beware of baised replies from them.This method seems to be the "Silver Bullet" for Bed Bugs. This lure will provide detection, control for the home and car. The poorest people will be able to handle their infestations. This DIY project can be done for a very small cost of parts. This is a very "Green" method. For all living places and whole house treatment, the hallways will become giant traps. The lights are there, a $5.00 dimmer switch is needed and spray. Lightly place DE on hall traffic areas where people put their foot down. Careful: My new kitten made a mistake, near the light. I moved the litter box there. Later I found a live Bed Bug in it. When the Bed Bugs stop coming to the light, they're gone, for now. If you have total control, you'll have complete relief. The Dim lights double for night lights and Bed Bug control. Bed Bugs are not exclusively Nocturnal. When light is used as a lure, this will lead to the downfall of Bed Bugs
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.flickr.com/photos/52538874@N05/7318050308/http://www.flickr.com/photos/52538874@N05/7318050308/ If, you can kill the eggs at your bed, that is the key. If you determined heat treatment is too dangerous or expensive, now what ? The big picture is you have a ranch, your're raising Bed Bugs and using your bed as a corral. First, spray your bed or encase the bed to kill the eggs so you won't be overwhelmed. Second, Make sure there are no problems with your bed. Nothing about your bed can be allowed the touch the wall or floor, but the caster wheels. Third, the new corral for the Bed Bugs is a dim light going 24/7 where the Bed Bugs can be drawn to and removed with masking tape. Fourth, you spray the ceiling-wall line on two of the most distant walls from the dim light to move the Bed Bugs toward the light. Notes: Do not spray near the dim light or any other location, that will create a barrier to keep them from coming to the light. This dim light is most likely for life. As new Bed Bugs arrive at your home they will go to the light. Bed Bugs are drawn to you like Bees, by your Co2. A fan moving air near your bed will mix your Co2 evenly in your bedroom, making it hard for Bed Bugs to find you. Every other day a light spray on your bed caster wheels will protect you. Those in the Bed Bug business won't be needed anymore. Please beware of baised replies from them.This method seems to be the "Silver Bullet" for Bed Bugs. This lure will provide detection, control for the home and car. The poorest people will be able to handle their infestations. This DIY project can be done for a very small cost of parts. This is a very "Green" method. For all living places and whole house treatment, the hallways will become giant traps. The lights are there, a $5.00 dimmer switch is needed and spray. Lightly place DE on hall traffic areas where people put their foot down. Careful: My new kitten made a mistake, near the light. I moved the litter box there. Later I found a live Bed Bug in it. When the Bed Bugs stop coming to the light, they're gone, for now. If you have total control, you'll have complete relief. The Dim lights double for night lights and Bed Bug control. Bed Bugs are not exclusively Nocturnal. When light is used as a lure, this will lead to the downfall of Bed Bugs
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.flickr.com/photos/52538874@N05/7318050308/http://www.flickr.com/photos/52538874@N05/7318050308/ If, you can kill the eggs at your bed, that is the key. If you determined heat treatment is too dangerous or expensive, now what ? The big picture is you have a ranch, your're raising Bed Bugs and using your bed as a corral. First, spray your bed or encase the bed to kill the eggs so you won't be overwhelmed. Second, Make sure there are no problems with your bed. Nothing about your bed can be allowed the touch the wall or floor, but the caster wheels. Third, the new corral for the Bed Bugs is a dim light going 24/7 where the Bed Bugs can be drawn to and removed with masking tape. Fourth, you spray the ceiling-wall line on two of the most distant walls from the dim light to move the Bed Bugs toward the light. Notes: Do not spray near the dim light or any other location, that will create a barrier to keep them from coming to the light. This dim light is most likely for life. As new Bed Bugs arrive at your home they will go to the light. Bed Bugs are drawn to you like Bees, by your Co2. A fan moving air near your bed will mix your Co2 evenly in your bedroom, making it hard for Bed Bugs to find you. Every other day a light spray on your bed caster wheels will protect you. Those in the Bed Bug business won't be needed anymore. Please beware of baised replies from them.This method seems to be the "Silver Bullet" for Bed Bugs. This lure will provide detection, control for the home and car. The poorest people will be able to handle their infestations. This DIY project can be done for a very small cost of parts. This is a very "Green" method. For all living places and whole house treatment, the hallways will become giant traps. The lights are there, a $5.00 dimmer switch is needed and spray. Lightly place DE on hall traffic areas where people put their foot down. Careful: My new kitten made a mistake, near the light. I moved the litter box there. Later I found a live Bed Bug in it. When the Bed Bugs stop coming to the light, they're gone, for now. If you have total control, you'll have complete relief. The Dim lights double for night lights and Bed Bug control. Bed Bugs are not exclusively Nocturnal. When light is used as a lure, this will lead to the downfall of Bed Bugs
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Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDid Christopher Columbus believed that the earth is spherical?
@Jean
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm looking for studies that support the claims made by AsepticSure but the link you give is an AsepticSure press release that provides no supportive data or research and moreover the press release even warns us the claims made by AseptiSure are clearly not backed up by reliable results:
"This Press Release contains certain forward looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the results of ongoing clinical studies..."
So I still haven't found any independent and reliable studies, or even any studies at all, that support the claims made by AseptiSure.
"Common sense tells me that good hygiene should be enough to keep any kind of bed bugs away.".....Null
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am sorry to say that you are sadly mistaken if you think that good hygiene is enough to keep bed bugs away from your home or business. Those that are educated about bed bugs know that this statement simply is not true. You might want to do a little more research on the subject and consider modifying your opinion on the subject. There are many sites on the internet from highly qualified personnel that will back me up on this point. While being on the front lines of this war against these mostly nocturnal, blood sucking insects, we have searched and found bed bugs in maculate million dollar homes. Bed bugs are hitchhikers and many times are transported by those traveling for business or pleasure. For further incite, you may wish to visit: www.confidentialinspectionservices.com
or one of many professional sites available to you on the subject. We believe in educating the public in hope to being part of a solution in the battle against this horrible scourge plaguing our cities. We sincerely hope none of our readers will ever have to experience the nightmare of a bed bug infestation in their homes or business.
Brian
CIS