Bed Bugs Biting In Increasing Numbers

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TheOmahaChannel.com
10:01 a.m. MT, Mon., Jan. 28, 2008

OMAHA, Neb. - Angie Rempe finds herself staring at the ceiling wherever she goes. It's a nervous habit, born out of living with bed bugs for eight months. "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite. I don't say that anymore," the Lincoln woman said.

Rempe, her husband and four children moved into a Lincoln apartment in June. She said by July, the family was scratching with unexplainable welts that resembled mosquito bites. An inspection of the mattresses revealed a creepy discovery.

"By the time we found out what they were, the bed bugs had totally coated the seams of the mattresses," said Rempe.

She now finds bed bugs in the baseboards, closets and in cracks in the ceiling of her apartment.

Bed bugs are flat, brownish bugs that feed off humans. Adult bed bugs are about one-quarter inch in size. They don't spread disease, but the psychological impact of thinking about these nighttime visitors is unnerving.

"If he falls on me, I'm going to scream," said Rempe recently, watching bed bugs crawl out of a hole in her textured ceiling.

Bed bugs can live in second-hand furniture, especially in bed frames and mattresses. They lay eggs the size of a pin head, and adult bed bugs can stay dormant in a wall without feeding for up to a year.

"I've seen bed bugs on the kids before. My sister stayed here one and had one crawl in her ear," said Rempe.

According to health experts, the United States has seen an increase in infestations of bed bugs in hotels, apartments and homes in recent years. Experts said pesticides like DDT, that controlled the population of bed bugs in the past, are no longer safe for humans.

Last week, officials in New York, Kentucky and Ohio held emergency meetings to form task forces to educate people about outbreaks of bed bugs plaguing residents in increasing numbers.

New York is dealing with infestations of bed bugs in expensive hotels, with unwitting guests taking the bed bugs home with them, stowing away in luggage or clothing.

Cleanliness does not come into play in an infestation. Bed bugs can be found in low-rent apartments and high-end houses. The only requirement is that bed bugs have something to eat.

"Bed bugs only feed by sucking blood. They're parasites," said Barb Ogg, UNL extension educator.

Lincoln property managers and Rempe are at odds over who's responsible for the infestation of bed bugs. But both are working together to exterminate the pests. Ogg said licensed exterminators must use insecticide every few weeks until inspections no longer reveal evidence of living bed bugs.

Tiny brown spots in patches on the wall indicate droppings from bed bugs, a tell-tale sign of a possible infestation.

"You can't just come in and spray the baseboards and leave," Ogg said.

Ogg instructed property managers of Rempe's apartment to have exterminators drill holes in the ceiling to insert the pesticide, and then caulk the holes and plug up any cracks and crevices where the bed bugs might live.

Rempe said exterminators have completed two treatments in recent weeks and she isn't seeing as much activity from the bed bugs as she has in the past. She said exterminators also treated the vacant apartments that share walls with her unit.

She's thrown away most of her furniture, sitting only on lawn chairs or milk crates in her three bedroom apartment.

The family sleeps on the floor, with quilts and blankets that can be laundered weekly. Rempe said anything worth saving she's stored in the garage, hoping sub-zero temperatures will freeze the pests.

Rempe said when she threw her bedding and upholstered furniture in the dumpster, she cut it up, to prevent anyone from trying to salvage it.

Ogg said if you suspect bed bugs, trap one and take it to an exterminator or extension office. With proper identification, pest control and vigilance you don't have to let the bed bugs bite.

Experts sais that if you travel, inspect your luggage, wash your clothing and vacuum suitcases. Be cautious about used furniture and mattresses. And thoroughly inspect homes and apartments before moving in.

Because bed bugs aren't known to spread disease, renters and hotel guests aren't required to report infestations to health authorities. So many times, the extent of the problem is difficult to determine.

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