Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite

Bedbugs, shown here under a paint chip, leave dark excrement spots on linens.

We have to admit that after reading about the recent bedbug outbreak at New York City retailers Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch and hearing a few secondhand tales of infestations, we’ve been suspiciously eying every scrap of fabric that enters our home. The more we learn, the more we wish the blood-sucking creatures existed only in the nursery rhyme of yore.

In the interest of possibly sleeping tight once more, we spoke to bedbug expert Jeff White, research entomologist with Bed Bug Central for some tips about bedbug avoidance, detection and control.

“One of the biggest battles with bedbugs we face is the lack of public awareness,” White says. The first step is to understand the tiny, vampire-like creatures, who feed on the blood of sleeping hosts and seem hard to kill. While bedbugs are mobile and will travel up to hundreds of feet, they cannot hop or fly, says White. “In terms of getting around, they typically travel on people’s personal belongings or occasionally in the clothes themselves.” However, he adds, “They don’t live on you.” Reports of them in public spaces — such as movie theaters, office buildings and, of course, those aforementioned NYC retail establishments seem to be steadily increasing. But, White notes, beds are still the bugs’ preferred residence. The good news: Bedbugs don’t transmit disease.

During peak vacation season, when people often bring bedbugs home from traveling, it’s a good idea to inspect hotel beds along the visible edge of the mattresses and the bottom edge of the box springs. Also check the back of the headboard if possible, and look for obvious signs — the bugs themselves and their waste matter, which appears as little black spots.

To deter hitchhiking bedbugs, use luggage stands instead of placing suitcases on the floor or under a bed. A variety of anti-bug travel products are available as well — including suitcase encasements, luggage spray and a free downloadable travel guide. Remember, bedbugs don’t discriminate. “Anybody can stay in a five-star hotel tonight and pick up a bedbug infestation,” White says.

At home, periodic inspections could catch infestations fairly early; check out “How to Inspect a Bed for Bed Bugs” on Bed Bug TV for White’s tips on checking beds. Bites in rows or clusters on exposed body parts (arms, legs and face) in the morning are also a warning sign, though research has shown that not everyone reacts to the bites. Mattress and box spring encasements give bedbugs fewer places to hide, promoting earlier detection. However, White says that bedbugs can go months without feeding, so he recommends keeping the encasement closed for at least a year. Because bedbugs can fast for so long, immediately leaving upon the discovery or after the treatment is not always effective. “The bugs will just sit and wait, and when you return, they’ll just come back out to feed,” he says.

Bed Bug Central has a list of companies that take a proactive approach to bedbug treatment, which typically includes mattress encasements, climb-up devices (trays placed under the legs of beds and other upholstered items that trap bed bugs), steam treatment of infested areas and pesticide treatment. Cost varies by area; in New York City, for example, prices are about $800 to $1,200.

The cost to your mental well-being is another issue altogether; according to this New York Magazine article, the stigma forces embarrassed residents of NYC’s tony Upper East Side to hire bedbug companies for covert missions. In reality, “Bedbugs have nothing to do with sanitation,” White says. “I’ve been in ultra-clean apartments and completely filthy apartments, and they can all have bedbugs.”

Now that we have our facts straight thanks to Bed Bug Central, we think we can quite literally rest easier. What are your thoughts on the growing bedbug epidemic?

Photo credit: Courtesy BedBugCentral.com