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What To Do When The Bed Bugs Bite*

By Marc Miner, Esq.

Bedbugs were mentioned in ancient Greece as early as 400 BCE. Pliny's Natural History, first published circa the year 77 in Rome, claimed that bedbugs had medicinal value in treating ailments such as snake bites and ear infections.i

John Southal wrote in his Treatise of Buggs that he was bitten by them in the West Indies in 1726 and that bed buggs have been known to have been in England above sixty years, and every season increasing so upon us as to become terrible to almost every inhabitant in about this metropolis. He was the maker of the nonpareil liquor for destroying buggs.ii

Bed bugs were believed to have been eradicated in the United States over fifty years ago. However, over the last several years they have made a resurgence. Likewise, litigation over the effects of bed bugs has been on the rise. Experts arent sure what has caused the return of bed bugs but speculate that it is due to a combination of greater international travel and the decreased use of strong pesticides.iii

Common bed bugs (Cimex lectularis) are small wingless insects that feed on warm blooded animals. They range in size from a poppy seed to a quarter of inch. Bed bugs can live up to 12 months and can survive 6 to 7 months without feeding. Females can lay a total of 200 to 300 eggs during their lifetime. The bugs hide in crevices, mattresses, books, picture frames, or any other opportune hiding place near a suitable meal. Because of their size and ability to hide they are notoriously difficult to exterminate. Often, if only the room they are in is treated for extermination they will travel to abutting rooms, whether next door, above or below.iv

As Bed Bugs do not fly they are usually transported via persons, animals, luggage, furniture, or other movable items. There is also a risk that furniture that has been left outside for garbage pick up may be infected by bed bugs, and therefore should be avoided.v What appears to be a hidden treasure may bring disaster.

Bed bugs inject a tiny bit of saliva and then sip out a few drops of blood from the body. While they have been known to harbor pathogens in their blood, including the Plague and hepatitis B, they have not (yet) been linked to the transmission of any diseases.vi Some individuals, however, will get welts as a result of an allergic reaction, and can get skin infections from scratching. Additionally, the stress effects of a bed bug attack include insomnia, panic attacks and/or post traumatic stress syndrome. The economic costs as a result of a bed bug attack include: Medical treatment; cleaning costs; extermination services; and loss of property as a result of having to discard, and replace, belongings.vii

The effects of the bites might not appear for a few days after the first bites take place. The effects can vary greatly from person to person, even among those sleeping in the same bed, as a result of a difference in allergic reactions.viii PRACTICE TIP: Pictures of any bite marks should be taken as soon, and as often, as possible to document the physical effects of the bites, as the bite marks will fade and usually disappear. Pictures showing particularly bad reactions (large red welts) will be invaluable to proving and settling a case, and will usually invoke a visceral reaction from the person viewing the photograph.

Bed bugs have been found in hotels, apartments, office buildings, dormoratories, and all places where large amounts of people frequent.ix In July of 2009, the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association, whose members include 1,000 hotels and other lodging properties, held a Web seminar on bed bugs as a proactive initiative for members who want to learn more about how to spot, treat and cope with bed bugs.x

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 10th, 2015 at 2:40 am and is filed under Brooklyn Bed Bugs.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.