HARRISBURG, Penn. - Philadelphia finished near the top of the list in a recent bed bug infestation survey done by the pest control company, Terminix. But all across the state, bed bugs are making a comeback.
The resurgence is attributed to increased travel, an overall lack of awareness and the stigma surrounding these hard-to-eliminate pests, according to pest expert Dr. Dini Miller. She says the blood-suckers can be found in all kinds of places, from hotel rooms and college dorms to apartment buildings. And now that they're back, she says the best form of prevention is awareness.
"We don't think twice about putting our bag in the seat next to us if we go to the movies; about storing our son's or daughter's college furniture in our basement. These are all ways that bedbugs can get into the home."
Miller, who is an associate professor in Urban Pest Management at Virginia Tech, says it's important not to go after bedbugs with chemical insecticides on your own, without calling a professional. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has expressed concerns about exposing children to such chemicals.
Instead, Miller suggests using non-chemical alternatives, such as food-grade diatomaceous earth.
"Put it out in a light dusting around the baseboards and edges of the carpet. You can actually even put this on a mattress, on the box springs. It's a very benign material, but it sticks to the bedbugs, absorbs the wax layer on the outside of their body and basically dries them out."
She says it's important to use only the food-grade material - not the kind used for pool filters, which can be dangerous.
In Harrisburg, several hotels were shut down or cited by the health department recently for bed bug infestation. In one small hotel, the problem was bad enough that residents had to be hosed down in a mobile decontamination shower.
Miller describes mature bedbugs as roughly the size and shape of an apple seed, although immature bugs can be much smaller. She says using mattress covers to keep them on the outside of the bed is a good idea. Washing sheets, clothing, stuffed animals and bags won't always get rid of them, she warns, but 10 minutes in a hot dryer kills both the bedbugs and their eggs.
The resurgence is attributed to increased travel, an overall lack of awareness and the stigma surrounding these hard-to-eliminate pests, according to pest expert Dr. Dini Miller. She says the blood-suckers can be found in all kinds of places, from hotel rooms and college dorms to apartment buildings. And now that they're back, she says the best form of prevention is awareness.
"We don't think twice about putting our bag in the seat next to us if we go to the movies; about storing our son's or daughter's college furniture in our basement. These are all ways that bedbugs can get into the home."
Miller, who is an associate professor in Urban Pest Management at Virginia Tech, says it's important not to go after bedbugs with chemical insecticides on your own, without calling a professional. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has expressed concerns about exposing children to such chemicals.
Instead, Miller suggests using non-chemical alternatives, such as food-grade diatomaceous earth.
"Put it out in a light dusting around the baseboards and edges of the carpet. You can actually even put this on a mattress, on the box springs. It's a very benign material, but it sticks to the bedbugs, absorbs the wax layer on the outside of their body and basically dries them out."
She says it's important to use only the food-grade material - not the kind used for pool filters, which can be dangerous.
In Harrisburg, several hotels were shut down or cited by the health department recently for bed bug infestation. In one small hotel, the problem was bad enough that residents had to be hosed down in a mobile decontamination shower.
Miller describes mature bedbugs as roughly the size and shape of an apple seed, although immature bugs can be much smaller. She says using mattress covers to keep them on the outside of the bed is a good idea. Washing sheets, clothing, stuffed animals and bags won't always get rid of them, she warns, but 10 minutes in a hot dryer kills both the bedbugs and their eggs.
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