Good night, sleep tight, and don't let the bed bugs bite. The well-known nursery rhyme is more of a reality than you might think or hope. On Thursday the Sioux Falls Health Department held a bed bug panel to raise awareness about the pests.
If your skin isn't crawling yet it will be soon. You also may want to double check your bed sheets tonight. Bed bugs are on the rise across the country, South Dakota is no exception.
"We have seen a steady increase of bed bug samples being sent in to our clinic." Said Buyung Hadi, an entomologist with SDSU.
In the pastfour months theSDSU entomology clinic has identifiedfive bed bug samples. A yearly total of three is considered abnormally high.
"Our message today would be for tenants to talk with landlords, heyI got a problem here can you take a look." Said Kevin Smith, director of building services for Sioux Falls.
Afew Sioux Falls hotels and apartments have seen bed bug cases and the city health department wants people to be aware.
Tim Nicolai was just one of the landlord's who stopped by for more information on the pests.
"The main reasonI came down today is to see what our next step is in controlling the issue we have before it gets out of hand in Sioux Falls." Said Nicolai.
The health department says the first step is finding them.
"The bed bugs themselves will congregate in areas close to their host, which is mainly a bed, you're stationary, not moving, you're easy to get to and they have nice little corners and tucks in your mattress where they can hide." Saidhealth program director Denise Patton.
Read the rest here:
Sioux Falls raising awareness to bed bugs
Residence 
Location 
