"How NOT to Let Bed Bugs Bite"

As recently reported on the CBS News see video bed bugs are becoming a national pain in the – well, everywhere! Bed bug related calls to exterminators are up 57% nationwide over the past five years. In Fort Worth, 200 people had to move out of their infested building. And the problem is so pervasive in Manchester, NH, that town officials have formed a Bed Bug Action Committee. Many are calling the critter crisis an epidemic.

Michael Potter, an entomology professor at the University of Kentucky says that most cities have the bed bug problem. “Any place you have a lot of people, or a lot of movement of people, you have bed bugs.” Not only do the little creatures, about the size of an apple seed, love to “hitch rides” on people, luggage, and pets, they are also remarkably hardy. Bed bugs can live up to a year without feeding – but they do love to feed on people. Their bites usually leave reddish itchy welts – and, until you exterminate them, they’ll keep right on feeding! Although they do not generally carry disease, bed bugs bites are certainly irritating and uncomfortable. To be sure, you just don’t want them in your home!

Even professional exterminators can be challenged by bed bugs, as evidenced by the many stories of people who paid hundreds or even thousands of dollars for treatment without getting rid of their problem. So make sure that your exterminator has a good track record in this area – and is willing to guarantee his work. Trained bed bug sniffing dogs are also effective for detecting the bugs. In the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area call 888-774-4046 for information on a reputable dog service company that will help detect where the bed bugs are hiding out and breeding in your home.

You also need to educate yourself! There’s plenty of reference material online – just start searching around and viewing some of the excellent articles and videos online. We recommend the “NationalGeographic video” see video. There are non-toxic treatments you should know about, such as freezing the bugs with CO2 or heating your home (without you in it) to about 140o F, at which point the bugs perish.

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