New York City Bedbugs

A recent bedbug incident has hit New York City!

Of all the places to hit...a City Agency, none the less!

And right next to city hall, of all the places!

The same unit had a few bedbugs two years ago but it was never reported. This time, much of

the media jumped on it!

And at the same time, a College in Manhattan was also hit, forcing them to close a building.

In both cases, professional exterminators were called in to solve the problem.

Students at the college were a little upset, but they are looking forward to the "bedbug free" building.

The City agency downplayed the incident, saying the bugs were probably brought in

by a worker.

The bedbug is in the "cimicidae" family and the common bedbug is a species called

"Cimex lectularius."

They are small, about the size of an apple seed and a little less than 1/4 inch long.

They are oval shaped and flat. They are so thin that they can go just about anywhere.

They are a brownish color that turns to red brown after eating.

Oh, did I mention their food source?

YOU! Yes, YOU! You tasty devil!

The bugs are masters at feeding on your blood (for about 10 minutes) without you ever

knowing it!

Later on, it might be kind of itchy and red, the same as a mosquito bite.

Meanwhile, they have eaten at least three times their body weight feasting on you!

Medical professionals might be suspicious that it's bedbugs if you have three bites in a

straight row. They then suspect bedbugs and call your three bites: "Breakfast, Lunch And

Dinner."

Some folks might have no sign of a bite, yet they have an itching (which can be helped by

hot water) sensation.

And you're not going to see the little bugger when he eats! He comes out when it's dark and

when you're sleeping (maybe your snoring is his signal?). He has his meal and leaves.

That's nice.

He doesn't hang around.

He splits. And without leaving a thank you note!

He is also patient. If you aren't available, he can go without a meal for six months or so.

And they can run fast. About the same speed of an ant.

They don't like brightness, so they wait until dark. And the majority of them (about 85 percent)

are found in or near the bed.

But take heart: They can be anywhere, including:

+ Carpeting.

+ Pictures on the wall.

+ Bedboards.

+ Dressers.

+ TV's.

+ Telephones.

+ Clocks.

+ Light switches.

+ Electical outlets (which then gives them access to other rooms).

+ Wallpaper.

+ Clothing.

+ Suitcases.

+ Laptop bags.

+ All closet items.

+ TV gaming systems.

And the list goes on. To simplify it:

They could be ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE!

But a vacuum cleaner will get them all, right?

Maybe! It'll get lots of them, but there is always bound go be stragglers unfound.

Waiting.

Just waiting.

Until the time is right.

Then, some day...."Surprise!"

Bedbugs are difficult to get rid of. Very difficult.

Many "experts" say to call in the professionals. Just like termites. Don't try to do it yourself!

Plus...the bugs seem to be resistant to many of our modern chemicals. Or so it seems.

Years ago, the U.S. thought the bedbug problem was over. Most of them were eliminated,

quite by accident, when DDT was used to kill cockroaches. And wouldn't you know it?

It also killed bedbugs too!

So how are we getting them back?

Probably by travelers. International travelers.

They are now in many (and maybe even all?) countries around the world.

Bedbugs are not new. They've been with us for thousands of years!

We have found fossilized bedbugs dating back thousands of years to ancient Egypt.

Aristotle and other great minds have written about them.

Many years ago (before the internet), an advertisement was run in a publication to solve

the bedbug problem. It read something like this:

"Surefire Way To Get Rid Of Bedbugs!

Guaranteed! Send $________Now!"

For those who bought the item, they received two small blocks of wood, with the instructions

that said:

"Put One Bedbug On One Block.

Hit It With The Other Block!"

Bedbug problem solved!

Those same people are probably selling something on the internet now!

So how did the U.S. get the bedbugs in early times? Did our original native Americans have

them?

Doubtful. Very doubtful. They were probably brought over by the new settlers from Europe.

So what do we do about the problem?

+ Steam will kill them (above 120 degrees F).

+ Freezing will kill them (below 32 degrees F).

+ Let the pros do it.

Bedbugs aren't attracted to bait like cockroaches. So that is out of the question.

Some say that using rubbing alcohol might even help the problem.

But one of the best ways to find them is by using a specially trained "bedbug dog!"

Yes, it's a dog trained just for the purpose of sniffing out bedbugs!

Fabulous.

And it works.

A dog can go right to the spots in a matter of minutes. Research has shown that they are

97 percent effective! Now that is a good record!

Whereas the pros might spend hours trying to locate them, they are beat by the dog every

time!

Plus, the dog is much cheaper.

It has been said that one can spend in excess of $10,000 USD trying to solve the problem.

After all, who can sleep at night thinking they are being crawled upon?

Some experts say it's just about impossible to get rid of them.

Also...the little bugs even get into books! Library books to be returned!

The hitch hikers have gone from book to book, or made such a mess in some, that many had

to be destroyed. One library had to fumigate to solve the problem. And they then sent

the bill to the cardholder responsible. But the cardholder refused to pay.

So he'll probably have to use library privileges somewhere else.

So where could we catch the bedbugs and bring them home? Possibly on:

+ Buses.

+ Trains.

+ Subways.

+ Theaters.

+ Hotels.

+ Cruise ships.

+ College dorms.

+ Homes

+ Apartments.

And the list goes on. You can catch them just about anywhere!

For those folks worried about catching a disease from bedbugs, forget it!

Science does not show that to be a problem. So you can relax. They are not a health hazard.

And forget the myth that only unclean places have bedbugs. Super clean hotels and upper

class homes also have the problem. Even those places with pristine housekeeping.

Since they can hitch a ride, it's suggested that when traveling, hang up your clothes, keep

your suitcases closed and inspect the bedding before you climb in.

Cockroaches generally come from unclean areas, but not bedbugs.

They are equal opportunity bugs that will go anywhere for a meal!

It is interesting to note that a blogger on this subject seems to have the answer. He most

definitely has expertise solving this problem, and he says that we could do it ourselves

without hiring the pros. And we can do it cheaply.

He says to buy a product called "Chinchilla Dust Bath." It can be purchase at pet stores and

online. By sprinkling it in the infested areas and using a whisk broom to sweep it into the

cracks and crevices, it will kill the bedbugs.

The good news is it's not at all expensive. Two and a half pounds sells for under $20 USD.

Or fifty pounds for about $30. That's enough for the entire neighborhood!

He also says that the powder will get rid of fleas on dogs.

While this method is perhaps uncertain, at least the price is right!

He claims it works!

So as we end up, what's that old saying our mother used to say?

"Sleep tight...don't let the bedbugs bite!"

But help, mom! They're biting! They're biting! Stop 'em! Stop 'em!