Category Archives: Bed Bugs Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY -

Don't let the bed bugs bite, isn't just a goodnight expression, it can prove to be true - especially for travelers. However, there are some steps you can take to avoid taking home an unwanted souvenir.

"We paid for the three rooms," said Michael Crawford, of Chicago.

Crawford works for Technology Solutions, Inc. and traveled to Oklahoma for work last fall. He booked several rooms for his crew at the Biltmore Hotel but says he didn't stay.

"The top blanket had blood spots on the top," he said. "We pulled it back to see what the linen looked like on the top of the bed and you can notice that the bugs were crawling on top of the bed."

He captured the first sign of these unwanted guests on video and showed it to the hotel manager.

"We shut that room down and we shut both rooms down on either side of it and we treat it several times," said Billie Sadorra with the Biltmore Hotel.

Sadorra said they get complaints about bed bugs from time to time and says they take every complaint seriously.

"People do bring things like that in, but the majority of it the people that call us and tell us that they think that's what's in the room, it's typically not that, but it doesn't stop us, we still shut that room down," Sadorra said. "We've been working closely with the health department."

Carmen Pando is a health inspector with the Oklahoma City County Health Department. She is assigned to the Biltmore and several other hotels here in the metro and says no hotel is immune to bed bugs.

More:
Avoid Hitchhiking Bed Bugs When Traveling

Michael Wolfe

Michael Wolfe has been writing and editing since 2005, with a background including both business and creative writing. He has worked as a reporter for a community newspaper in New York City and a federal policy newsletter in Washington, D.C. Wolfe holds a B.A. in art history and is a resident of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Bedbugs are a difficult pest to kill, as they are resistant to many common insecticides and to all but the most extreme and prolonged cold. They can, however, be killed by exposure to very hot temperatures. According to "The War On Bedbugs" blog, extreme heat kills bed bugs by disrupting their bodies' lipids, affecting their water balance, and damaging their cell structures. Placing infected items in a hot dryer, an oven, or in boiling water should eliminate all bugs present. For objects and areas that can't be treated in this fashion, use a portable space heater.

Bed bugs are persistent pests that infest the bed and other areas of the house and feed on you while you sleep....

Using heat to get rid of bed bugs is very effective, however you need to use the right forms of heat to...

Bed bug infestations can happen to anyone regardless of their standards of cleanliness. All it takes is coming into contact with an...

Bedbugs are making a comeback in the U.S. and are more prevalent now than any time since WWII. Look for the bugs,...

Bed bugs can be a nuisance to humans, resulting in uncomfortable bites and difficultly sleeping at night. They are also extremely difficult...

Bedbug infestation often begins in mattresses, but as the problem increases the bedbugs spread farther and conceal themselves in surrounding hiding places,...

But placing clothes and pillows in a hot clothes dryer is one good step in a multifaceted approach to getting rid of...

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How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs With Heat | eHow

TULSA, Oklahoma -

Bedbugs can cost thousands of dollars if they infest our homes, and now it's looking like we have bats and cavemen to thank.

One TU professor's study goes back a quarter-million years and uses bedbugs that came over from Europe.

The best kind of bed bug is a dead one, most would say, and that's exactly how they came in to TU Biology Professor, Dr. Warren Booth's lab.

We send out packages on a weekly basis to pest control companies, hoping that they'll return vials of bed bugs, Booth said.

His most recent study was published in the journal Molecular Ecology. It zeroed in on where bedbugs came from and why they reappeared in the 1980s.

Based off DNA studies, he said there are two distinct groups of the blood-sucking pests.

So this paper essentially shows there's a bat-associated lineage and a human-associated lineage in Europe, Booth said.

He said bats were the first host for bedbugs in ancient times, and said bedbugs were introduced to humans a quarter of a million years ago when people shared caves with bats.

That's when Booth said some of the parasites feeding on bats evolved and started feeding on humans instead, and now the two groups no longer interact.

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TU Study Shows Bats, Cavemen To Thank For Bedbugs

MUSKOGEE, Oklahoma -

Muskogee parents are being warned to check their children for bed bugs Friday night.Crews quickly cleaned and sanitized a classroom after a teacher found one of the bugs crawling on a student.

Muskogee Public Schools calls it an isolated incident, but parents were warned to check their children for bed bugs.

The district said they are taking the situation seriously and even developed a new bed bug policy.

"Just because somebody had a bug crawling on their clothes doesn't mean they have an infestation, so we want people to remember that," said Wendy Burton with Muskogee Public Schools.

Read More About The Policy

She said administrators at Pershing Elementary found a bed bug on a student; and just like any case where a student shows lice, they took measures to clean the classroom.

"We just don't want people to panic, but we do want them to be aware so they'll take preventative measures at home, check things out at home and things like that," Burton said.

The Oklahoma Health Department said parents shouldn't be alarmed, but should take steps to sanitize backpacks and wash clothes.

"Bed bugs don't live long off the body; basically they come like head lice, they cause no disease or illness, they're just a nuisance," said Oklahoma Department of Health District Nurse Manager Joyce Walker.

See original here:
Muskogee Public Schools Develop New Bed Bug Policy

What Are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are small insects that feed on human blood. They are usually active at night when people are sleeping. Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed and they are big enough to easily be seen. They hide in cracks in furniture, floors, mattresses, walls, or electronics. They can live for several months without feeding.

What Does a Bed Bug Bite Feel and Look Like?

Most bed bug bites are initially painless, but later turn into large, itchy skin bumps. These bumps do not have a red spot in the center as do the bites from fleas. The bumps itch and usually go away after a few hours. Some people do not have a reaction to the bites of bed bugs.

Are Bed Bugs Dangerous?

While bed bugs are NOT known to spread diseases, their bites often cause itchy skin welts and can lead to secondary infections of the skin and lymph glands when scratching and irritation allows introduction of bacteria from the skin surface. Bed bug bites may induce an alllergic reaction or digestive upset.

Where Are Bed Bugs Found?

How Does A Home Become Infested?

In most cases, people carry bed bugs into their homes unknowingly. Usually bed bugs arrive in infested furniture, bedding, clothing, or luggage.

How Do I Know if My Home Is Infested?

More:
Bed Bugs | Tulsa Health Department