This past week I attended the Pest Expo in New York City; its focus was the current resurgence of bed bugs. The main speakers, Dr. Michael F. Potter, Professor of Entomology at the University of Kentucky and Dr. Dini M. Miller, Ph.D, Associate Professor in the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech., are leading experts in the field of bed bugs and both stress this simple fact, the future does not look good. Why? There is nothing on the horizon that addresses the need for an effective residual material assisting in the elimination of bed bugs. Their research therefore stressed the importance of educating ourselves and our clients on the need of vigilance if control is to be achieved.

Dr. Potter stated that bed bugs have become the six legged mold (health concern of today). Both Dr. Potter and Dr. Miller expressed that what continues to contribute to the resurgence of this blood sucking pest is the negative stigma that individuals associate with it. Incidentally, another contributing factor to the difficulty in dealing with this problem is the attitude many have today of instant gratification. The idea that as a client, they play an important role in the elimination process is unthinkable (after all, this is what they are paying us for). This is why education is an important facet of any bed bug elimination program (we provide a seminar as part of our program); it stresses the partnership that must exist if the program is to be effective.

A recurring theme during the Expo was “amateur treatments produce amateur results”. Not to mention the misapplication of insecticides (as seen in the case of an individual setting off 30 total release foggers in his apartment, where each fogger treats an area of 100 sq ft). I’m sure that you have heard it said that “God protects children and fools” this case is proof He does. This individual very easily could have blown up his apartment and those adjacent to his. As a pest management professional, I recommend the documentation of any previous treatments performed by the homeowner as well as taking photographs of the current conditions. Hence, as I stated in an earlier Newsletter, this is one of those occasions better left for a trained professional to handle.

Though the use of extreme heat and fumigation have been proven to be effective (costs are prohibitive), it can only guarantee that you are bed bug free for just one day. Which is why, the future does not look good. Stay tuned as we continue to monitor this story.

As you slip into your warm, cozy bed your body begins to ease itself to the z-zone. Just before you fall into dreamland keep this in mind: you may not be alone. You could be sharing your bed with 2 million others. Your response may be, what are you talking about? Does dermatophagoide ring a bell? Dermatophagoide what? It’s a fancy way of saying skin-eater, or dust mite, and yes, they are real.

They are microscopic animals found in dust, which produce common allergens. Dust mites are members of the same family as spiders and ticks. Mattresses and upholstered furniture are their primary living quarters. Their diet consists of the skin that flakes off of our bodies. On average we shed about 1.5 grams of skin per day, that’s enough to feed 1 million dust mites. But where do they come from? Dust mites, along with their waste, travel on dust that floats in the air.

Maybe this will make you feel better: their life span is only two to four months. However, here’s the kicker, it produces 200 times its own body weight in waste or fecal matter. In time its excreta breaks down into very small particles that mix in with the dust in the air you breathe. This is what causes those allergy symptoms and not the dust mite itself.

It’s estimated that about 20 million Americans have symptoms of watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, sinus congestion and in those very sensitive individuals, asthma. Pollen allergens are only present part of the year unlike dust mites that are present year round.

So, if the next time you slide into bed it starts to bring tears to your eyes, it may have little to do with your beloved and more to do with you “sleeping with the enemy”.

It has been said that if you wait long enough, what was fashionable years ago will become fashionable again. This appears to be the case with pests as well (case in point, Bed Bugs). Years ago, parents would say to their children just before putting them to bed, good night don’t let the Bed Bugs bite. This bedtime saying had disappeared for decades. But like fashion it too has made a comeback.

It’s obvious that they never really disappeared which is why you may find yourself sharing your bed with these nasty blood sucking critters. The increase in international travel has been mentioned along with pest management treatments being less toxic as reasons for their resurgence. In fact, treatments increased 80 percent from 2003 to 2004 as an example.
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