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Revision as of 18:47, 7 October 2009
I Spy a Bed Bug
It is amazing to think that after World War II our country was totally free of
bed bugs. They have a reputation for being a particularly pesky parasite. Things
have changed today as the world has opened up to lots of us with the advances of
air travel. People from all over the world and from all walks of life are
traveling from place to place. Unbeknownst to them, these little parasites hide
in their clothing or baggage and take a ride to a new country, laying their eggs
when they get there and starting a whole new infestation in a new place. Without
the help of DDT (banned for causing serious health complications), it is much
harder to get rid of bed bugs.
Bed bugs are difficult to see and to recognize. Therefore, you should become
familiar with their description. Young bed bugs are so small they are barely
visible. When bed bugs fully develop they are about ¼ of an inch long. They
appear to be flat and resemble an apple seed. Colors of bed bugs also vary. They
range from white to a harvest orange color to a light tan. After the bed bugs
feed on their host, their color changes and they balloon up because of the blood
meal they have consumed. They may be a dark red or black color. These bugs also
produce waste and when they do you may see reddish spots on the bed and these
linens may become foul smelling. Other times there are no signs that these
parasites are around. Nymphs are immature bed bugs. They look like the adults
but they molt and afterwards are a yellowish color. It takes a nymph a month to
become an adult. Pretty scary when you figure how many bed bugs are out there
and how many eggs each of the female adults lay per day (up to five).
If you have a bed bug infestation, there are products, “green” products, which
work effectively in the treatment of bed bugs. Diatomaceous earth and sodium
lauryl sulfate have been proven to be champion fighters in the battle against
bed bugs. Both are safe for the environment and for us.
By: Bradley Skierkowski