The Bed Bug Dilemma

New York the gateway to hundreds upon hundreds of daily travelers and vacationers, international and national, is probably the reason for this latest vermin epidemic.

Regardless where they come from or how they came to settle in the New York area, they are here and they have to be eradicated. It does not matter if the home is worth millions with round the clock staff or a home is in the middle of the ghetto, the bugs can find their way to either place.

From five star hotels to no-star hotels, the bugs do not discriminate—they can be found anywhere. And just as easy as it is for them to turn up, it is just as difficult to eradicate the little pests.

They are nocturnal and they live off human blood, or they prefer human blood, but if a human is not around, they can survive off any warm blooded creature—so have the pet dogs and cats checked out too.

Their activity is most lively right before sun up; after that, in the light of day, they scatter and will hide out in any corner, drawer, light fixture, lamp shade, closet, shoe box, etc., in a room until night time rolls back around when they come back out to feed—kind of like a vampire.

But these creatures are real and real small, only 4-5 mm long. They are reddish in color and the female can lay five eggs a day, which equates to hundreds per year. They can live up to a year and a half without food. So with all that going for it—once a problem is suspected, or worse, confirmed, it’s time to call an expert.

Because these little nasty bugs are so resilient it is difficult for an amateur to effectively take care of the problem. Tossing out the mattress and washing everything is not going to do it because, as mentioned earlier, they hide everywhere in a room. Therefore, drawers have to be emptied and clothes placed in plastic bags, closets have to emptied, shoes have to be cleaned with a solution from the exterminator and shoe boxes eliminated. After all of that, the furniture has to be moved from the walls toward the middle of the floor and all the plates on light fixtures have to be removed. Now the exterminators can come in and work their magic.

Because bed bugs are such hearty little pests the majority of pesticides do not work on them. The same pesticide that will rid a home of ants or cockroaches will not work on bed bugs, which is why it is a good idea to find a pesticide technician who has experience and the right chemicals to deal with the problem

Unlike mosquitoes or ticks, however, bed bugs are not disease carriers. They are just gross, pesky little varmints that nibble on warm blooded bodies in the middle of the night, which may or may not be bad if only the house guest wasn’t a bug. And while they are feasting on their human buffet in the middle of the night, the signs will be there upon awakening when little red marks, similar to a mosquito bite, are noticed all up and down legs, arms, back, even the face!

So once it is confirmed and bed bugs are the problem, be sure to call a certified pest control technician who knows how to take care of those little beasties forever. The technician will give the client ample opportunity to clear out the room and empty drawers and will offer other suggestions, such as the clothes all have to be washed then placed into another clean plastic bag. Finally after the exterminator has worked his magic—he or she may have to come back more than once, then and only then will the green light be given to return everything as it was before.