subject: Bed Bugs A Growing Problem In The Tampa Bay Area [print this page] The issue of bed bugs first caught national attention in July of this year when the popular clothing line, Hollister, was forced to close its doors in a New York city store because the critters had bitten employees. Then, in September, two guests in a Pasco County Holiday Inn issued a formal complaint after claiming they were covered in bug bites after a one-night stay.
Now reports of bed bugs in are surfacing all over the country from Florida to Louisiana, up to Montana and California. It serves as a reminder to homeowners all across the U.S. about keeping their homes free of pests.
Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs dont feed on filth. In fact, perfectly-clean hotels that pass routine health inspections with glowing reviews have actually been found to have bed bugs. Thats because the critters feed on blood.
So how do they get there? Typically bed bugs are brought into a home or dwelling by you (yes you), or from clothing purchased, bedding, a suitcase, or even through a neighboring unit at an apartment. They love to travel and can actually survive for weeks at a time without feeding.
So what do you do if you suspect that you have a problem or want to prevent it? First, check your mattresses for bugs or eggs. If you do have bed bugs, the bugs will be large enough to see. If you wake up in the morning, and notice a row of bug bites on your body, this is typically a sign of bed bugs as well, since these bugs are known for biting in a straight line.
If you do have insect infestation in your home, youll want to get rid of old or infected mattresses and box springs. Youll always want to thoroughly wash all clothes and bedding in hot water.
Then youll want to call a pest control company to come out and exterminate the problem. It is a good idea to schedule annual pest control services to keep insects like bed bugs from coming back, especially considering the potential to re-infect a home because of the critters tendency to travel.
