Tag: Bed Bugs
Below are posts about information on the prevention, control and elimination of the recent bed bug resurgence. JP McHale has a Bed Bug Care Package to offer consumers way to monitor for bed bugs!
Posted on May 2, 2012 with No Comments
Sleep Tight Bed Bug Care Package Now Available
Suspect you have bed bugs but aren’t sure. Are you doing do-it-yourself bed bug pest control and looking for where to purchase mattress encasements and box spring encasements? Our packages include a set of mattress encasements, 4 climb ups which are plastic devices place under each bed post, and a monitor placed under the mattress that is encased. Encasements will not prevent, but simply alert you to any early signs of a bed bugs infestation upon routine inspection.
The prices for the Sleep Tight Care Package are as followed:
King Set- Includes 1 King and 2 Twin Encasements, 4 Climb Ups, and Monitor – $225
Queen Set- Includes 2 Queen Encasements, 4 Climb Ups and Monitor – $165
Full Set- Includes 2 Queen Encasements, 4 Climb Ups and Monitor – $165
Twin Set- Includes 2 Twin Encasements, 4 Climb Ups and Monitor – $165
One Encasement (Any Size) 4 Climb Ups and Monitor – $99
*These prices do not include taxes or shipping & handling.
All mattress encasements are Hypo Allergenic and reduce Dust Mites, protects against Bed Bugs, are Waterproof, stretchable with a zipper hook and will also Protect Mattresses from stains.
Mattress Encasements can be sold separately and we also have pillow case protectors (available upon request).
Contact us today if you are interested! It can’t hurt to stay safe.
Posted on April 6, 2012 with No Comments
School aged children love to go on field trips! Did you realize that bed bugs can be brought home from even a Westchester County School District field trip?
The Burleson Star is reporting that fifth-grade trips to YMCA’s Camp Carter on the northwest side of Fort Worth have been postponed until Burleson ISD officials can get an update from health officials regarding a case of bed bugs.
While the above news is pertaining to a YMCA in Fort Worth, but bed bugs infestations are being reported in all states including New York, some even refer to New York as bed bug central.
Bed bugs are hitchiker’s and can be brought home by school aged children from day camps, field trips, classrooms in schools, another infested residence, or numerous other places.
If you suspect your child has brought home bed bugs, it is advised to act quickly and bring in a New York Bed Bug Pest Control Company who knows how to inspect, detect and properly handle your bed bug situation.
Posted on February 27, 2012 with No Comments
Nearly 300 pest management professionals and more than 25 industry exhibitors attended “A Meeting of the Minds V” late last year in Tinley Park, Ill. The one-day conference, sponsored by the Greater Chicago Pest Management Alliance (GCPMA), was held at the Tinley Park Holiday Inn and Convention Center, and continued with GCPMA’s acknowledged tradition of education and sharing of best practices in pest management.
Dini Miller, an assistant professor of entomology at Virginia Tech, provided an update on bed bug biology and control. Miller noted that 35,000 years ago bed bugs lived in caves and were ectoparasites of bats. When humans moved into caves, bed bugs began feeding on them and since then humans have transported bed bugs throughout the world. “Dogs and cats have fleas. We have bed bugs. This is the way it was intended to be. Strangely, this does not seem to comfort anyone when I tell them this,” Miller said.
Why are they back? Miller said that bed bug populations have become increasingly resistant to treatment protocols, and international travel can bring them home from distant lands. In addition, misidentification was an issue early in the epidemic.
Miller provided a few basics of how bed bugs live and feed:
- They aggregate in cracks and crevices all day.
- They get hungry between midnight at 5 a.m., but this is quite variable.
- Bed bugs are stimulated by sensing CO2 in the room.
- They will probe the skin to find capillary space that allows the blood to flow rapidly, and they may probe the skin several times before feeding.
- Bed bugs will feed for five to 10 minutes, and will feed every three to seven days.
- A single mated female can cause an infestation.
- After taking a blood meal, a female can produce 5-20 eggs throughout 10 days.
- An average female will produce 131 eggs in her lifetime and about 97 percent of eggs will hatch successfully. Under optimal conditions, a bed bug population can double in 16 days.
Miller continued by describing bed bug bites, the social issues surrounding the epidemic, various methods of treatment, and why we don’t yet have the answer for dealing with them. “Most products will kill some bed bugs if you apply it to them directly. But consumers do not realize that killing bed bugs that we see is not the problem. Our problem is stopping the infestation,” she said.
Posted on February 10, 2012 with 3 Comments
The following information and bed bug pictures are the property of Lou Sorkin and have some rights reserved.
Bed bug, Cimex lectularius, and also the human body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus feeding. Red skin area is a nevus flammeus (birthmark) and not a result of insect feeding. The October meeting of The New York Entomological Society featured Dale Clayton and his research on the Lousebuster system for head louse management. Dale is at the University of Utah. Technically the human head louse is a different sub species from that pictured, but the one pictured is useful for this presentation. The body lice pictured above are from a colony sent by John Clark from the University of Massachusetts where they are fed on a mechanized system developed in his lab and are not from a wild caught population for those of you who wonder about such things!!
credits: lou-sorkin-bed-bug-human-louse
P=Pediculus (louse)
C=Cimex (bed bug)
credits: lou sorkin body louse bed bugs
Notice that the smallest louse is smaller than a first instar bed bug nymph.
Also a louse in the group on the left middle area of picture is defecating, a behavior that contributes to it being an important insect vector for louse borne diseases. Defecation on the host and the host scratching introduces the disease organism into the excoriated skin.
Posted on January 9, 2012 with No Comments
A study was conducted by the Mississippi State University regarding the psychological effects that bed bugs can cause. The study says that in some individuals the psychological effects resulting from having bed bugs include nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance (to keep the bugs away), insomnia, anxiety, avoidance behaviors, and personal dysfunction. These symptoms are suggestive of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
RESULTS:
One hundred thirty-five postings were read and analyzed, and 110 (81%) of those postings reported psychological effects from bed bug infestations. Scoring with the PTSD checklist revealed a range of 0-52 (mean 13.25; SD 9.38); one met the criteria (≥50) considered positive for PTSD.
CONCLUSIONS FROM THE STUDY:
Based upon the survey conducted of online postings concerning such effects, an as-yet-to-be-determined proportion of individuals who experience bed bug bites develop moderate-to-severe negative emotional symptoms after infestations. These individuals should be identified in the course of their interactions with health professionals so that appropriate mental health care may be provided.
ON A SIDE NOTE:
People who are suffering with bed bugs often go weeks without sleep. Breaking the normal sleep pattern one or two nights in a row is easily recoverable but going weeks without a proper rest can wreak havoc on even the most level-headed individual.
The social stigma associated with having bed bugs can also wreak havoc on one’s social life.
If you are feeling stressed and anxious to the point where you think that you need help – get that help sooner than later – don’t be ashamed – help is simply a phone call away!
Posted on December 14, 2011 with No Comments
Harold Harlan, one of the leading bed bug experts in the U.S., is featured on the cover of the November 2011 Pest Control Technology Magazine. Dr. Harlan has kept bed bugs in his home for 38 years, ever since 1973 when he collected his first hundred or so at Fort Dix in New Jersey. Harlan was a military entomologist in the U.S. Arm. He lets five to six thousand bed bugs feed on himself each month.
“Dr. Harlon was also featured on Dateline in a segment about What You Need To Know About Bed Bugs, where he was noted as saying that “educating yourself can be helpful and reassuring.”
Posted on December 12, 2011 with No Comments
The financial impact of bed bug control has been significant. Just one bed bug in one room can start a bed bug infestation. Although bed bugs are not known to transmit disease, their bites cause allergic reactions, such as severe itching and inflamed welts (red bump, ridge or swelling of unbroken skin). Bed bugs are causing social and economic hazzard to owners and residents of apartment buildings, as well as hotels and public buildings.
In a recent study, Rajeev Vaidyanathan, PhD, associate director of Vector Biology and Zoonotic Disease at SRI International, explained:
“New York City alone spends between $10 million and $40 million per year on bed bug control, and these numbers are repeated in other major cities across the US. Over 95 percent of pest control agencies reported bed bugs as a priority in 2010, thus superseding termites as the number one urban pest.”
Posted on December 7, 2011 with No Comments
Researchers conducted a study and it appears that bed bug infestations are only going to get worse. One key point made is that detecting bed bug infestations as early as possible is one key way to keep the bed bug infestation from spreading. If you live in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut and see bed bugs, bed bug eggs, cast skins, or nymphs or if you have signs of bed bug bites notify your apartment manager immediately and have them contact a professional pest management firm to to conduct a thorough inspection.
Posted on December 2, 2011 with No Comments
Bed bugs have affected students at another college. The Portland State Vanguard reports that a few Portland State University students are the newest unsuspecting victims of a bed bug infestation.
In multi-unit housing bed bugs can spread rapidly. If you have children in college, there’s always the chance their dorm room could be infested with bed bugs and if they are coming home for the holidays, they can easily bring bed bugs home with them.
Bed Bug Pest management professionals recommend that you protect your box springs and mattresses by purchasing and installing encasement set. JP McHale’s Pest Management sells a sleep tight bed bug care package which will aid in early detection should your child bring bed bugs home from college this holiday season.
Posted on November 28, 2011 with No Comments
Matt Frye is an entomologist working at JP McHale Pest Management, pest control specialists. The following article can also be viewed at Home and Garden Easy.
Bed bugs in real life are not nearly as fun as the 1980’s Milton Bradley game, and no longer the subject of an amusing bedtime rhyme. Instead, as the number three buzzword in 2010 (Time Magazine), it’s clear that bed bugs are back and hungrier than ever. Here are a few tips to reduce your chance of getting bed bugs, and how to squash problems if they arise.
Keep a Lookout
Small bed bug populations are easier to control than large infestations. Know the signs of a bed bug problem, including itchy bites that were not present the night before, blood stains on sheets and black spots on mattresses, box-springs, walls and furniture near the bed. These stains are tiny drops of your blood that have been excreted by the bed bug. Remember, spiders, mosquitoes, black flies and even poison ivy can leave itchy welts – not all bites are bed bugs!
Stop the Spread
Bed bugs can be transported on just about any item, including clothes, backpacks, computers and furniture. With bed bugs popping up in theaters, department stores, transportation vehicles and offices, it is best to leave unneeded items at home. Hold on to handbags and jackets at the movies and on the train; you never know what lurks on the next seat. Be wary of used items, particularly those found on the roadside and in yard sales. Before entering your home, inspect yourself and personal items for bed bugs.
Hotel Safety
When arriving to a hotel, place items in the bathtub while you carefully inspect the bedroom. Pull back sheets and use a flashlight to look for black stains on the mattress, box-spring, and inside seams. If possible, check behind the headboard, on the nightstand and luggage rack. If you arrived on public transportation, be sure to check your luggage before placing it on the luggage rack. Never place clothing in dresser drawers, and never store your belongings on the bed. If you spot a bed bug, leave everything as is and report to hotel management.
Protect Your Home
Bed bug certified mattress encasements and pillow cases are a great idea. Both products eliminate folds and seams where bed bugs hide, their white color makes spotting a bed bug easy, and they can be used to save an infested mattress by preventing bed bugs from dispersing and biting. ClimbUp Insect Interceptors are available for purchase, and should be placed under the legs of beds, dressers or other furniture for early detection of bed bugs.
Debugging
Heat is the homeowner’s best weapon against bed bugs, but must be used correctly and safely. Placing clothing in a drier for 30 minutes on high heat will kill all stages of bed bugs, as will leaving items in the car on a hot summer day. A hair dryer can be used to inspect such as luggage, books and sneakers. Forcing hot air into cracks/crevices will cause bed bugs to disperse, at which point they can be squished (or collected and sent to your local pest management professional for identification). Steam machines can be purchased at low cost and used on certain types of furniture to kill bed bugs on contact.
Call the Professional
Large bed bug infestations should be handled by a pest management professional. The news abounds with stories of homeowners causing personal or property damage when attempting do-it-yourself bed bug control. Research local companies to determine who performs quality work, which is backed by a guaranteed of 60 days or more. Ask for labels of products that will be used and for a full description of what the treatment will entail.
Bed bugs represent one of the greatest challenges to the pest management professional today. Control of this insect is not easy, and treatment plans are often costly. By following these recommendations and being conscious of bed bugs, you can effectively prevent these pests from entering your home.
