Category Archives: Bed Bugs Hawaii

Bed bugs have benefitted from a resurgence, plaguing the nation over the last several years. The little bloodsuckers settle everywhere from schools to movie theaters.

And now it seems, at least in Honolulu, bed bugs are overtaking a new territory: ambulances.

Although specific numbers are not available, EMS crews in Honolulu say they encountered several hundred patients last year with bed bugs, according to a new report from local news station, KITV.

The city's paramedics are treating more patients than ever and finding the bugs on calls about two to three times a week, EMS public information officer Shayne Enright told The Huffington Post.

One just happened, actually, on my last shift when the person didn't even realize that he had bed bugs, paramedic Jojo Abuan said to KITV.

The cost to keep the bugs at bay isn't cheap and Honolulu's growing problem is prompting the city's Department of Emergency Services to ask for more funding. The price to fully decontaminate an ambulance, which is done by specialists at Ecolab, Inc., is about $2,000, according to Enright. Honolulu's EMS crews are trained on what to look for and how to disinfect their rigs -- last year, the city's ambulances went through only four or five full decontaminations -- but the recent rise in incidents is a challenge.

Were never going to not transport a patient that has bed bugs, Enright told HuffPost. "We clean the ambulances as if the next person getting in is a family member. We take every precaution to keep the vehicles safe for the public."

Bed bugs have not been proven to spread disease, nor are they considered to be a public health hazard -- unless bite sufferers are allergic or become ill as a result of misusing pesticides. However, they can cause financial hardships and negative effects on mental health when trying to eradicate a stubborn infestation.

Like Honolulu's EMS crews, rescue workers around the country are trained to keep an eye out for the pests and on how to contain them. Each of Honolulu's 20 ambulances, for example, carry preventative tools, according to Enright, including an environmentally friendly pest spray, plastic containment bags for patients that zip up to their necks, and Tyvek suits which can be worn by patients or paramedics.

In order to educate the public and alleviate the problem, Honolulu paramedics will begin handing out pamphlets to patients in locations known to have bed bug infestations.

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Bed Bugs Find New Homes In Honolulu Ambulances ...

Why have bed bugs become such a widespread problem?

Experts say bed bugs are making a comeback because of increased global travel and a shift toward less toxic pest control chemicals. Bed bugs are not associated with unclean conditions; bed bugs are associated with people. A bed bug's preferred food source is a sleeping human and this can be available no matter how clean the environment. Once bed bugs are introduced, they often spread throughout a building.

Bed bugs typically bite people at night while they are sleeping. They are attracted to body heat and carbon dioxide. They feed by piercing the skin with an elongated beak through which they withdraw blood. The feeding takes about three to ten minutes, but the victim seldom knows they are being bitten. Immediately after feeding, the bed bugs scurry off and reside elsewhere to digest their meal.

Even the most skilled dermatologist cannot pronounce with certainty that you have been bitten by a bed bug by examining the bitten area. Oftentimes, bed bug bites are mistaken for mosquito bites, so infestations may go a long time before being noticed. If you wake up with itchy bites that you did not have before you went to sleep, bed bugs may be the cause. Some people, however, do not have a reaction until several days after being bitten; others have little or no reaction. It should be stressed that finding and identifying the bugs themselves is really the only positive confirmation that you indeed are dealing with bed bug bites.

In Hawaii, bed bugs can be found in hotels, motels, college dorms, restaurants, hospitals, airlines and cruise ships--anyplace these pests have access to sleeping humans. They are difficult to detect visually in the early stages of an infestation because they are nocturnal and, when disturbed, bed bugs actively seek shelter in dark cracks and crevices. They'll hide inside mattresses, behind headboards, under carpets, in nightstands, clock radios, in baseboards, in electrical outlets--the possibilities are unfortunately endless! As long as they have access to a warm body for a blood meal, these nocturnal pests don't care if it's a four-star or one-star hotel. Travelers can accidentally carry bed bugs home in their luggage, clothes, or even reading materials. Or, bed bugs can be carried into a home via used furniture and reconditioned mattresses. They can be detected by the naked eye, but are detected far better by K9 scent detection teams.

Although bed bugs can harbor pathogens such as Hepatitis and HIV, transmission to humans is considered unlikely. Their main medical significance is primarily limited to the itching and inflammation from their bites. Although disease transmission is not an issue, bed bugs can severely reduce quality of life by causing discomfort, unsightly bites, scarring, sleeplessness, anxiety, stress and embarrassment.

Adults: About the size of a small apple seed and approximately 1/4 of an inch long, bed bugs are flat and oval. Adult bed bugs are brown unless engorged with their human victims blood, and then they are mahogany red.

Nymphs: Before bed bugs mature, they are called nymphs. Nymphs are almost devoid of color before they feed and are about the size of a poppy seed. After five molts, which takes approximately ten weeks, the nymphs reach maturity.

Eggs: The female bed bug lays approximately 200 to 500 eggs during her lifetime at a rate of one to 12 eggs per day. The eggs are laid on rough surfaces and coated with transparent cement. Within four to 12 days, bed bug nymphs emerge from the eggs.

Oftentimes, bed bugs are carried into the unaware victim's home via suitcases or clothing. Once the infestation is evident, bed bugs can be difficult to eliminate. Typically, several treatments are needed. As one expert remarked, "People who throw away all their possessions and battle this for months and spend thousands on pest control only to relocate and have the bugs reappear are really traumatized. They are getting only a few hours of sleep at night, they feel itchy all the time; some go to therapy over it."

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Hawaii Bed Bug Education | Tips To Recognize A Bed Bug ...

Bedbugs are a growing concern for many commercial enterprises and homeowners. Due to the discontinued use of some pesticides and more frequent travel to 3rd world countries, bedbugs have made a big comeback here in Hawaii.

Bedbugs feed off humans like fleas feed on cats. Although they are not vectors of disease, they can cause skin irritation and can quickly produce an unappealing environment. Although Waikiki has traditionally been a bedbug hotspot, we have found cases in homes from Hawaii Kai to Pupukea. Bedbugs are so invasive, that they take much more thorough treatment than most pests. Many exterminators wont even deal with them because theyre so hard to control.

A big part of control has to do with catching the infestation early. Bedbugs generally will be introduced into a structure through luggage, used furniture, or from storing or moving your belongings in an infested truck or container. If you think you may have bedbugs, call us today at 236-2847. We offer the best Oahu pest control services.

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Bed Bugs Honolulu Hawaii Pest and Termite Control ...

by nobugsonme on September 30, 2009 8 comments

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by nobugsonme on November 25, 2008 3 comments

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by nobugsonme on March 28, 2008 3 comments

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by bedbugger on November 26, 2007 3 comments

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hawaii Got bed bugs? Bedbugger.com - bed bug news ...

Worried About Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are small, flat, oval insects that were thought to be a pest problem of the past. Unfortunately, we are now experiencing a widespread recurrence of bed bugs in Hawaii, all across the United States and abroad. The most significant factors that explains their return is the increase in international travel and the decrease in the availability of effective pesticides, such as DDT. Often unknowingly introduced into a property on luggage after a trip, on clothing, in used furniture and even directly on people, bed bugs are posing a real challenge for property owners and managers in Honolulu and for all Oahuand Big Island.

At Sandwich Isle Pest Solutions, we understand that a bed bug infestation and the resulting bed bug bites can cause unhappy guests, bad publicity, lost room revenue, loss of property, costly pesticide treatments and client lawsuits. We also realize that bed bug infestations in homes often lead to the disposal of the contents in the affected rooms, emotional trauma and stress associated with dealing with these elusive pests. That is why we offer effective bed bug services that include:

Sandwich Isle will monitor your bed bug infestation, even before you get one! With the newest tools, Sandwich Isle can show you how to monitor for the introduction of an infestation! We can also keep tabs on the progress of conventional or ongoing services, or even confirm the elimination of a bed bug infestation with our bed bug detecting K9s and other monitoring tools!

Let Scout and Ally and the rest of Sandwich Isles bed bug professionals resolve your toughest bed bug infestation. We are proud to provide K9 Scent Detection and EnviroPureHeat treatments to Waikoloa, Aiea, Kapoleiand elsewhere in our service area. For more information please contact us.

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Bed Bug Exterminators For Oahu And Big Island | HI Bed Bug ...