subject: Bed Bugs Are Back [print this page] Bed bugs are an epidemic in America, and Philadelphia ranked number one on a June, 2012, list of cities worst hit. Despite a nearly complete eradication in the 1940s with the advent of pesticides, they are quickly creeping back into our homes. Even Washington is concerned--a "National Bed Bug Summit" was held in 2011 to discuss remedies.
According to America's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bed bugs are not known to spread disease and are not considered a public health hazard, but they maintain that the bites can lead to secondary infections. They are hard to kill, they can be a major nuisance, and they have been an embarrassment to major hotels and companies such as Abercrombie & Fitch, the Waldorf-Astoria, the Wall Street Journal offices, the Empire State building, and even Victoria's Secret.
Philadelphia Bed Bugs
Philadelphia's bed bugs illustrate the insects' tendency to spread like wildfire in well-populated areas, but those in Philly's city limits are no longer the only ones at risk. Frequent travelers are most in danger, but anyone can get them, and bed bugs are showing up more frequently in suburban and rural areas. Since they are small and difficult to detect, they can hide nearly anywhere and can even spread in movie theaters and shopping malls.
Philly bed bugs have a new enemy in the war of bed bug extermination: bed bug dogs. Like other members of the True Bug family, bed bugs emit an odor, especially when crushed; many liken it to the smell of rotting raspberries. Bed bug dogs are being trained by companies around the city to recognize this odor, cutting detection time from an hour to minutes.
When Philly Bed Bugs Attack
Bed bug extermination is notoriously difficult. Foggers and bug bombs sold in retail stores have little effect and can even make the situation worse. Ants, cockroaches, spiders, and centipedes eat bed bugs, but any thought of "biological pest control" is hardly a decent trade-off. The most assured and worry-free cure for an infestation of bed bugs is a call to a local pest company.
