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According to statistics from the National Pest Management Association, bed bugs are on
the rise in hotels have become as proactive as possible in identifying infestations.
Bed Bug Growth in
19 percent more pest elimination companies responded to bed bug calls in February 2004 than July 2003 Bed bug cases were reported in 40 states through February 2004 Ecolab Pest Elimination reports a 300 percent increase in bed bug service calls in the past five years Ecolab has received more service calls in the first eight months of 2004 than in all of 2003
in multi-family housing, apartments, and hospitals.
Bed Bugs: What Are They?
Blood-feeding insects Light-tan in color, turning dark-red or brown after feeding About 1/4 inch long, flattened before feeding and swollen afterward Easy to see with the naked eye, but difficult to find while hiding Feed once a week on a sleepers exposed skin for several minutes at a time Bites are painless and not felt by most people, but could leave a hard bump with a whitish center that can itch for many days Parasites, but there is NO evidence they spread disease like other parasites Able to survive up to 10 months between blood meals if necessary Nocturnal Attracted to carbon dioxide and body heat Able to lay up to 500 eggs in one lifetime Able to repopulate themselves and re-infest a room in just three to four months Extremely mobile, can hide just about anywhere and be carried in anything Create a sickly, sweet smell in an infested room Can hide almost anywhere, including in upholstered furniture nightstands, headboards, bedding, lamps, picture frames and luggage May also be found in unexpected places, like the telephone, behind electrical switch plates, under carpet edges or carpeting, light fixtures, housekeeping carts and folds of draperies or curtains.
A History of Bed bugs
Pestered humans since pre-historic times
Many species
found in the the most common
Mostly
eradicated in the Boomed in numbers within the last five years due to increased international travel, and less use of strong pest-killing products that controlled bed bugs for years.
Prevention
As a guest or at home: When returning from a trip, check your luggage and clothing. Vacuum suitcases after returning from a vacation. Check your bed sheets for tell-tale blood spots. If bed bug activity is discovered or suspected in your guestroom, contact the front desk immediately. The room will be put out of service until a pest elimination expert certifies it to be pest free.
The best prevention at home is daily inspection. Once you have encased your mattress and box spring with allergy/protective bedding, one should inspect rooms for bed bug activity every day by checking:
You should be looking not only for live insects, but also for cast skins or speckles of dried blood or excrement on furniture or in places where bed bugs hide. You can also help combat bed bugs with the following techniques:
areas where bed bugs can settle.
What are dust mites?
Dust mites are tiny bugs - not insects per se, but more closely related to spiders and ticks. They measure about 1/100th of an inch in length, which is smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. Due to their very small size, these dust mites are not visible to the naked eye. They live in bedding, couches, carpet, stuffed toys and old clothing. Dust mites feed on the dead skin that falls off the bodies of humans and animals and on other organic material found where they live. Dust mites love warm, humid areas filled with dust. Bed pillows, mattresses, carpets and furniture are great places for them to live.
How do dust mites affect people?
For most people, while they are disgusting, house dust mites are not actually harmful. However, the medical significance of house dust mites arises because their microscopic cast skins and feces are a major constituent of house dust that induces allergic reactions in some individuals. For those individuals, inhaling the house dust allergen triggers rhinitis allergica or bronchial asthma. Symptoms are usually respiratory in nature (sneezing, itching, watery eyes, wheezing, etc.) but there are also reports of a red rash around the neck. Other allergic reactions may include headaches, fatigue and depression. House dust contaminated with the fecal pellets and cast skins of dust mites is one of the most strongly allergenic materials found indoors. Estimates are that dust mites may be a factor in 50 to 80 percent of asthmatics, as well as in countless cases of eczema, hay fever and other allergic ailments.
How do I know if there are dust mites in my home?
House dust mite presence is often suspected before they are actually seen and accurately identified. Usually it happens when somebody in the household experiences any of the above symptoms. The presence of house dust mites can be confirmed microscopically which requires collecting samples from mattresses, couches or carpets. Also, it requires the use of a microscope with sufficient magnification and the technical ability to recognize house dust mites under the microscope.
There are also diagnostic tests sold and distributed in
the
*Information provided by Ecolab Pest Elimination and the National
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