Bed Bug Central TV » Bed Bug Basics

Bed Bugs In Retail Stores

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:56:59 +0000

In this episode Jeff discusses the recent news articles on bed bugs being found in retail stores such as Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister and Victorias Secret and what you should do if you're concerned about encountering bugs in retail stores. Even though most of the information presented in this episode is in generalizations (from working with bed bugs for years I know anything is possible), the likelihood that you are going to encounter bed bugs in a retail store is extremely remote. Retail stores are not ideal environments for bed bugs as a host is not theoretically sleeping there nor sitting still long enough for bed bugs to feed. Therefore, if bugs are found in these environments, they were most likely introduced from either a shopper or employee that has a problem at home and bed bugs hitched a ride into these stores on a personal belonging. If you are still concerned about this possibility you just need to educate yourself on what bed bugs look like and how to inspect the items you purchase at these stores. You can also watch the Bed Bug TV episode on how to treat personal belongings ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LASW1c… ) for more information on options you have to proactively treat items that you are concerned about. Again, the chance you are going to encounter bed bugs in a retail store are slim due to the biology and behavior of bed bugs.

Fox 5's Good Day, NY

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Bed Bug Preparations

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:41:50 +0000

In this episode, Jeff will discuss what the typical recommendations are for bed bug treatment that most of the pest control industry is requiring and what Bed Bug Central's position is on preparing for bed bug treatment. Please remember that regardless of the information provided in this episode, you should also follow what the pest control company is asking you to do for bed bug treatment. Typical bed bug preparations include: emptying dressers and closets and laundering all clothing contained within those areas, stripping the beds of their bedding and laundering those items and standing the beds on end. Most pest control companies require you do perform these tasks because there may be a bed bug in personal clothing and the pest control company cannot treat those items with pesticide. By laundering them you kill any bugs associated with those items and if you strip the bed and stand it on end, it makes the treatment easier the day of treatment. Bed Bug Central's position on bed bug preparation is to clean your home so that the pest control company treating the home can move freely in the house. Outside of cleaning the home, we will ask you to empty closets and dressers only if we find evidence in those areas. Emptying dressers and closets and laundering all of those items because there may be a bug contained within them we feel is unnecessary and an unfair amount of work when finding bugs in these areas is only common in very high level infestations (only about 10% of bed bug infestations). We also don't want homeowners/renters to strip the bed and stand it up because we want to see the infestation as it was originally and performing these tasks will distribute bugs into unpredictable locations. Please remember that this is Bed Bug Central's position on bed bug preparations and you should always follow whatever your pest control company is asking you to do.

What is biting me? Unexplained Bites

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:29:47 +0000

In this episode Jeff will provide some options that may explain what the source of an unexplained reaction may be. Jeff will cover the common symptoms of bed bugs, fleas, a few species of mites, mosquitoes, lice and spiders. As it is a surprise to many, there are actually very few insects that infest the home that can be the source of repeated reactions on the skin. It is always recommended that if you are experiencing unexplained reactions that you either hire a knowledgeable pest control professional to inspect your home or visit your family doctor or dermatologist. These professionals will assist you in identifying your problem. Please be aware that it is virtually impossible to definitively identify the source of a reaction by just looking at the reaction.

Related Links:

Invisible Itches Article – http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/entfactpdf/ent58.pdf

Bed Bugs in Schools

admin — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:21:37 +0000

In this episode Jeff will talk about bed bugs being found in schools and the issues surrounding this topic. Unfortunately, bed bugs are being found in more and more schools and with bed bugs making the comeback that they are, this will probably be an occasional occurance moving forward. What happens is that a student has a problem with bed bugs at home and mistakenly transports a bug to the school on their backpack, personal belongings or clothes. The first thing to be aware of is that at this point it seems that bed bugs being found in schools is not a common occurance. In addition, there are really two different types of bed bug issues at schools: was one bug introduced and it does not turn into a reproducing infestation or is the problem more than one bug that is feeding and reproducing in the school. Obviously, if one bug was introduced and it was found and removed it is much less of a concern than if a reproducing infestation is found. Jeff will also discuss some steps parents can take to prevent bugs from being brought into their homes.

How to Inspect a Couch for Bed Bugs

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:58:56 +0000

In this episode Jeff will explain the areas on a couch you should inspect if you want to inspect your couch for bed bugs. As information spreads about bed bug infestations on the rise, more and more people want to inspect their homes for bed bugs. This episode will walk you through a couch inspection and the critical areas you should look if you want to inspect your couch for bed bugs. You should consider inspecting your couch as a couch is one of the first and most common areas for bed bugs to infest. Many people sleep on their couch and spend an excessive amount of time sitting on the couch and therefore, bed bugs prefer to be located on or in them. Please be aware that a visual inspection can be unreliable when trying to detect low level infestations of bed bugs. Therefore, if you perform an inspection and don't find any bed bugs, it does not necessarily mean you don't have bed bugs in your home. A knowledgeable professional should always be contacted if you think you may have bed bugs.

How to Inspect a Bed for Bed Bugs

admin — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:53:42 +0000

In this episode Jeff will explain the areas on a bed you should inspect if you want to inspect your bed for bed bugs. As information spreads about bed bug infestations on the rise, more and more people want to inspect their bed for bed bugs. This episode will walk you through a bed inspection and the critical areas you should look if you want to inspect your bed for bed bugs. Please be aware that a visual inspection can be unreliable when trying to detect low level infestations of bed bugs. Therefore, if you perform an inspection and don’t find any bed bugs, it does not necessarily mean you don’t have bed bugs in your home. A knowledgeable professional should always be contacted if you think you may have bed bugs.

Reasons Why Bed Bugs Spread

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:12:28 +0000

In this episode Jeff will discuss the scientific article that was recently published in the American Entomologist and the Journal of Medical Entomology which discusses the bed bug reproductive process “traumatic insemination” and how this may influence the way bed bugs spread throughout an infested home. Traumatic insemination is the process by which bed bugs reproduce in that the male pierces the females abdomen with his reproductive organ and injects his seminal fluid into the body cavity of the female which then circulates to the ovaries and fertilizes the egg. For years bed bugs experts have noticed that when they are in an infested apartment, the bugs they typically see away from the aggregations of bugs (away from the sleeping areas) are typically female bed bugs. The theory behind this behavior has been that females will be continually “assaulted” by males who are trying to reproduce with the females and this aggressive reproductive behavior can lead to infection and death in females. The theory was that by fleeing the aggregations of males the females increase their chances to survive the reproduction cycle. The paper that was recently published from the University of Florida proved in laboratory tests that adult females were typically the life stage that was dispersing away from aggregations of bed bugs. This article started to put some scientific evidence behind this long-standing theory.

Releated Links:

New York vs. Bed Bugs

Journal of Medical Entomology Download

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Placing Items in the Cold to kill Bed Bugs

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:30:04 +0000

In this episode Jeff will discuss why placing bed bug infested items outside in the cold may not be an effective option for eliminating bed bugs from items. Bed bugs may not be as susceptible to cold as they are to hot and therefore, placing items outside may not be effective for eliminating bed bugs. In addition, no matter how cold it is outside, there may be areas on that couch that the cold never treats and thus the bugs may be insulated from the cold temperatures. Even though snow may be on the couch, the snow may insulate the bugs from the cold environment and not eliminate bugs from it. In conclusion, placing items outside in the cold to eliminate bed bugs is not recommended and may not be effective in controlling bed bugs.

Related Links:

University of Kentucky

Bed Bugs 101

Taking the Bite out of the Holidays

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:38:38 +0000

In this episode, Jeff will discuss a Holiday Bed Bug Charity he has been working on. For more information regarding “Taking the Bite out of the Holidays”, please visit http://www.bedbugcentral.com/holidays/

Bed Bug Treatment by Structure

admin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:42:48 +0000

In this episode Jeff will discuss the differences in bed bug treatments when the infestation is in a stand-alone, single family house vs. an apartment vs. a townhouse or condominium. From a treatment perspective, the manner with which a pest control company treats bed bugs shouldn’t differ depending on a structure. For the most part, the way a company treats a bed in an apartment shouldn’t differ from the way it is treated in a house. Where these treatments start to differ is when you start to consider surrounding unit concerns. In a stand-alone, single family home, surrounding units aren’t a concern. In an apartment, the property management will need to be involved in order to gain access to the surrounding units to make sure that the known infestation wasn’t caused by one of the surrounding apartments. In condominiums, townhouses and row-homes, this process can become more complex due to the fact that the surrounding homes could be owned by different people and different management companies and they may not be interesting in allowing you to inspect their home. If that is the case, and they do have bed bugs, it may be almost impossible to eliminate the bugs in the known infestation if they are originating from a surrounding unit that the pest control company is unable to address.
Related Links:

Bed Bugs 101 – Surrounding Units

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs

New Jersey Apartment Association