Category Archives: Bed Bugs Nebraska

A bed bug nymph in the process of ingesting a blood meal.

The common bed bug mainly survives on human blood, but what happens when that human has upped his or her blood alcohol content with a few glasses of a nice red wine? New research from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln suggests bed bugs are not as fond of alcohol as their boozy hosts, which may lead to fewer bug bites.

According to the study, bed bugs prefer alcohol-free blood to blood with alcohol in it; the higher the blood alcohol concentration (BAC), the less the bugs eat. And, because there is a direct link between blood intake and reproduction rates, those bugs also lay fewer eggs.

"[Bed bugs] need a blood meal to grow and to molt and to reproduce," explained Ralph Narain, a Ph.D. candidate who conducted the work as part of his dissertation. "And one of their main hosts are humans, and we consume a lot of stuff. Alcohol was one of the easier ones to start with."

Narain presented the findings last week at the National Conference on Urban Entomology in Atlanta.

How bed bugs imbibe

While it's fun to imagine graduate students knocking back beers and feeding bed bugs on their arms, Narain took a more scientific approach in his experiment. He mixed 200 proof ethanol the same compound estimated by a Breathalyzer into four samples of expired blood from the Nebraska Blood Bank until he had BACs of 0.010, 0.025, 0.050 and 0.100 (0.08 is the legal limit for driving). A control sample contained no alcohol.

Next, he selected 20 adult bed bugs for each blood sample, weighed them, fed them their respective samples, and weighed them again. He repeated the experiment six times.

The average mass of the bed bugs that fed on the clean blood increased by over 100 percent. Those that fed on the blood with the lowest BAC, 0.010, increased just 60 percent, and the number decreased for each increase in alcohol. The bed bugs that fed on the 0.100 BAC sample went up a mere 12.5 percent.

As for the eggs, the control groups laid an average of 44 after the feeding, while those that fed on the highest BAC laid an average of just 12.

It's unclear whether the alcohol affected the adult bugs' behavior or their offspring's development, although future tests might attempt to measure both. Narain also plans to run tests on other drugs, although he wouldn't officially disclose which.

Way toward pest control?

So, can we just knock back a few glasses of wine every night to keep the bed bugs away? Probably not. "I'm not going to suggest someone should consume alcohol to control bed bugs," Narain said.

Ill health affects aside, it likely wouldn't help curb an infestation. While the bed bugs do feed less on alcohol-laced blood, they still feed, and while they lay fewer eggs, up to 95 percent still hatch. And it just takes a few to create a nuisance.

Dini Miller, an entomologist and bed bug expert from Virginia Tech, agreed: "I don't know what sort of implications it has ultimately, because unfortunately they still produce enough eggs to cause an infestation. So while they feed less, still, we're not going to experience less of a problem. But it's very interesting to know."

Brooke Borel is a contributor to Life's Little Mysteries, and is currently writing a book about bed bugs. For more crazy bed bugs stories, follow her on Twitter: @brookeborel

Originally posted here:
Bed Bug Infestations | Bed Bug Eggs - livescience.com

The city manager in Augusta, Maine, says the municipal office building had to be sprayed for bedbugs after a man threw a cup of the pests onto an office counter and about 100 of them scattered off. (Courtesy William Bridgeo)

The city manager in Augusta, Maine, says the municipal office building had to be sprayed for bedbugs after a man threw a cup of the pests onto an office counter and about 100 of them scattered off.

City Manager William Bridgeo tells the Kennebec Journal the man apparently complained Friday to the code enforcement office about bedbugs at his former apartment then left, but returned after he showed the cup of bugs to a manager at his new apartment and was told he couldn't live there.

Bridgeo says the man let the bugs loose in the General Assistance Office where he asked for a form to request assistance and apparently was told he didn't qualify.

Police didn't immediately release the man's name or say if any charges would be filed.

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Disgruntled man releases bedbugs in Maine city office - WJLA

Roger Schlueter, Belleville News-Democrat (TNS) 8:44 p.m. CT Feb. 9, 2017

According to a recent poll by the National Pest Management Association, 95 percent of pest control companies surveyed had reported treating at least one bedbug infestation in the United States within the last year.(Photo: Dreamstime, TNS)

Q: Were thinking of visiting the Badlands (of South Dakota) sometime soon Mount Rushmore, etc. But my wife has been fearful of bedbugs ever since one of our daughters brought them back from the Wisconsin Dells, Wisc., and it was total hell getting rid of them. I saw last fall that you trotted around a planet redolent in parasites, so Im wondering how in the world you have avoided them.

John Turner, Davenport, Iowa

A: I wish I had some brilliant personal advice for your better half, but the only way Ive steered clear of being bugged in my many travels has been through sheer, dumb luck.

Last fall, for instance, I was so worried about mosquitoes giving me yellow fever, elephants charging our safari van, and eight-hour flights causing insomnia that bedbugs didnt even cross my mind. Besides, I was at the mercy of my travel company, which made all the arrangements. It wasnt as if I could have pitched a tent in a hotel courtyard. I guess I hoped that if the hotels were good enough for former first lady Michelle Obama and her daughters (which the one in Morocco had been just four months earlier) they would be acceptable for me.

And I dont have a spotless record on this subject. In 1961, long before these critters became a massive blip on travelers radar screens, our family took a summer vacation in the West. My dad had just traded his 11-year-old Pontiac Chieftain for a nearly new Buick LeSabre, so we thought we were ready for a week in the Rocky Mountains and Yellowstone. Well, in addition to a leaky radiator that plagued us during our return trip through Nebraska, we woke up from our one-night stay in a Hoxie, Kan. motel scratching to the beat of the band. We soon realized we had been eaten alive overnight by bedbugs. Fortunately, we were able to wash all our clothes at my uncles house in Denver and, unlike your daughter, we avoided bringing any six-legged hitchhikers home.

So, your wife is smart to be apprehensive, because the bedbug problem has become a major headache. According to a recent poll by the National Pest Management Association, 95 percent of pest control companies surveyed had reported treating at least one bedbug infestation in the United States within the last year up a mind-boggling 70 percent over a decade before. These invasions included not only hotels from fleabag to luxury, but also office buildings, department stores, movie theaters, college dormitories, etc., etc.

But experts say there are steps you can take to help prevent yourself from being a smorgasbord for these miserable pests. Here are a few courtesy of Frommers, Purdue University entomologist Gwen Pearson and Missy Henriksen at the pest management association:

Before you even leave the house, you can reduce your chances of dragging unwanted guests home by using a hard-shelled suitcase. You also might want to pack your clothes, shoes, etc., in sealable plastic bags. Or, once in a hotel, carefully wrap the entire suitcase in a huge garbage bag or a specially designed zip-up plastic bag sold by some storage and luggage stores. You might also check reviews on such sites as tripadvisor.com to see whether past guests have complained of any creepy-crawlie activity. (Unfortunately, http://www.bedbugregistry.com seems to have no new postings since last February.) And if you book directly with the hotel, ask what bedbug prevention measures they employ to see what they say.

Once you check in, do a little work before you relax. First, dont throw the suitcases on a bed or put them on a carpeted floor. Instead, keep them on a table, dresser, luggage rack or tile floor of the bathroom, where bedbugs cant hide. Immediately check the bed for not only the insects themselves (about the size and shape of an apple seed) but also for tiny blood stains or small black dots resembling mold or grains of pepper. Pull back the sheets and check under the mattress, behind the headboard and under the bed. Then expand your search to include an inspection of curtains, soft chairs, sofa and the closet. While youre at it, you might want to keep an eye out for white powder in case the establishment has tried to treat a problem with insecticide.

If you find suspicious activity, report it immediately and demand a new room. Make sure that room is at least two floors above or below the original, advises Henriksen.

Even if youre satisfied with a room, dont let your guard down. Be alert for bite marks because while bedbugs arent active carriers of disease like ticks and mosquitoes, one Canadian study has found they may be able to carry germs from person to person, including the antibiotic-resistant MRSA.

They often bite in a line-shaped pattern, in threes, Henriksen told health.com. In the industry we call that breakfast, lunch and dinner.

When you return home or even before to be extra safe wash all of your clothes in hot water; bedbugs cant survive temperatures above 125 degrees. Wipe off and carefully vacuum out your suitcases and dispose of the waste bags. And if youve still managed to tote some home even after all of these precautions, it is recommended you call a professional exterminator to make your home bug-free again.

If my experiences are any indication, chances are its not going to happen. As you obviously know, Ive stayed in countless hotels around the country and the world (including many budget inns in my early days) and except for Hoxie, Ive never had a problem. So dont douse yourself in pesticides or sit around the pool in a hazmat suit.

Panic and paranoia doesnt help at all, Henriksen said. Vigilance is the most important thing following a checklist, doing an inspection. Those are the things that are going to minimize your likelihood of an infestation.

So have a nice trip. And, hey, dont let the bedbugs bite.

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Answer Man: Want to avoid bedbugs on vacation? Follow these tips - San Angelo Standard Times

In this photo taken Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017, Fire Chief Jeff Perkins talks about a bed bug infestation forced the shutdown of a fire station in Florence, Ala. The station will be cleaned and bedding material destroyed before it reopens. (Matt McKean/The TimesDaily via AP)

A fire station in northwestern Alabama has had to be temporarily closed after an infestation of bed bugs sent at least one firefighter for medical treatment.

Florence city officials said in a news release Thursday that Fire Station 2 is undergoing treatment by an exterminator. The bedding will be destroyed.

Fire officials say they were notified of a potential infestation when a firefighter discovered bites on his wrist Monday. No other firefighters were noticeably affected.

Mayor Steve Holt says officials have determined the cause of the infestation and are taking preventive measures to make sure the same thing doesn't happen at any other facility.

Station 2's nine firefighters have been moved to two other stations, along with their trucks and equipment.

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Bed bug infestation temporarily closes Alabama fire station - NTV

By Lisa Jo Lupo

Updated November 02, 2015.

continued from Part 1: Questions about Bed Bugs, Bites and Your Home

13. How can I tell if my hotel room has bed bugs?

Anytime you enter a hotel room, you should check for bed bugs before bringing in your suitcase or other possessions. Place your items in the middle of the bathroom floor, then lift the bed lines to inspect around the seams of the mattress for bugs, eggs, cast skins. Also check the mattress and linens for blood spots. Do the same for any furniture in the room and behind the headboard. For a complete guide to hotel room inspection, read the "Tips for Travelers" section of Prevention Tips for Top Bed Bug Cites

14. What should I do if I find bed bugs in my hotel room?

If your inspection reveals bed bugs or makes you suspect there is an infestation, immediately remove your belongings from the room, return to the front desk, and ask for a new room. You will not want to relocate to any room that shares any wall, floor, ceiling, or corner juncture with this room, and hotel management should move any guests currently in these rooms to other rooms and immediately call their pest control professional to service the rooms.

You do not need to leave the hotel altogether, however you should do a very thorough inspection of the new room to which you are assigned.

15. I've heard that running a space heater on high next to my bed will kill any bed bugs that try to live there. Is this true?

No. Although heat does kill bed bugs, they need to be exposed to temperatures greater than 122F for a sustained period of time to kill all life stages, explains University of Minnesota Professor Stephen Kells, in a report from the University of Nebraska/Lincoln adding that the heat needs to be distributed evenly and completely through the entire room (and into cracks and crevices), and monitored to ensure it does not fall too low. Additionally, it is recommended that homeowners never attempt to heat their homes or apartments to kill bed bugs because many such attempts to use space heaters to do so have resulted in fires, melted plastic, and even damaged electronics.

16. Can I kill the bed bugs by turning off my heat and freezing them out?

No. Bed bugs can withstand low temperatures much better than they can high temperatures, so it would be very difficult to get and keep your home cold enough to kill the bed bugs. In fact, in lab studies, Kells found that it takes 4 days at temperatures of 0F to kill bed bugs. Flash freezing has also been found to be effective by some pest control professionals, who shoot frozen carbon dioxide, Cryonite, into places the bugs are hiding. The immediate drop from room temperature to zero will kill bed bugs it contacts.

17. Can't I just get a bug bomb and kill them all?

You are more likely to spread the infestation further around your home than to kill them. A 2012 study by Dr. Susan Jones, associate professor of entomology at The Ohio State University, showed that over-the-counter bug bombs and foggers had little effect on bed bugs even through direct exposure for two hours. Some of the bed bugs were resistant to the pesticide, other simply burrowed further into the mattress, furniture, or other area in which they were hiding and avoided the fog altogether.

18. Why are bed bugs so hard to kill?

According to new research, scientists have learned that bed bugs have genes in the outer shell that create a protective "armor" by which they can resist insecticides and survive in homes and hotels.

19. How can I get rid of bed bugs?

Unfortunately, bed bug control is not recommended as a do-it-yourself service. The bugs are difficult to detect and difficult to eliminate, and when done wrong, you are more likely to spread than to get rid of bed bugs. Thus, it is recommended that you seek professional service and carefully follow all instructions for preparation and follow-up.

20. What can I do to keep from getting bed bugs in the first place?

Because bed bugs are brought into your home from other infested locations, your best defense is conducting a thorough inspection of any overnight accommodation, and inspecting your belongings before bringing them into your home if you have any doubts or suspicions about anyplace you or your family and guests have been. More tips and guidance are available at Controlling Pests that Pester You: Bed Bugs and Do's and Don'ts of Bed Bug Control.

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20 Questions about Bed Bugs, Part 2 - About.com Home