subject: Bad News: Bed Bugs. Best Defense? Awareness [print this page] Bad News: Bed BugsBad News: Bed Bugs. Best Defense? Awareness
The number of bed bug infestations is on the rise. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) reports a 71% increase in bedbug infestations since 2001. Infestation reports have increased globally by 500% since 1999.
Why is this a concern? Property managers, renters, andtravelersshould be especially wary. Bed bugs are especially prevalent in dwellings with high turn-over rates, such as low-income housing and hotels.
IPM Specialist, Cody Pace, offers classes on bed bug awareness for facility managers and the Washington Department of Agriculture. Cody emphasized that the simplest prevention strategy to avoid them is to refrain from bringing used furniture into your home as well as washing and drying all your clothing on high heat after traveling.
Unfortunately, bed bugs are not easy to get rid of. According to Bruce Weber, an Integrated Pest Management Consultant from the Greater Seattle office of Eden Advanced Pest Technologies: "Bedbugs are one of the most difficult pests to eradicate. They are tiny, nocturnal and can withstand temperatures below freezing up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit."
They are even resistant to do-it-yourself insecticide kits, which may kill small portions of a population but won't eliminate the problem. The only real solution to bed bugs is professional treatment.
Professional treatment can involve the use of extreme heat - both dry and steam, physical removal, bed encasements and other techniques. Some pest control companies use K9 Assistance as a highly effective tool for finding these tiny bugs. One of Eden's bed bug experts, "Molly," is a specially trained dog that finds bedand their eggs in your home or commercial facility.
