Bedbug Infestations on Rise Across U.S.
Pastor Dale Morgan
Bedbug Infestations on Rise Across U.S.*
Monday August 7, 2006 8:46 AM
By KATE BRUMBACK
Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA (AP) - After waking up one night in sheets teeming with tiny
bugs, Josh Benton couldn't sleep for months and kept a flashlight and
can of Raid with him in bed.
``We were afraid to even tell people about it at first,'' Benton said of
the bedbugs in his home. ``It feels like maybe some way you're living is
encouraging this, that you're living in a bad neighborhood or have a
dirty apartment.''
Absent from the U.S. for so long that some thought they were a myth,
bedbugs are back. Entomologists and pest control professionals are
reporting a dramatic increase in infestations throughout the country,
and no one knows exactly why.
``It's no secret that bedbugs are making a comeback,'' said Dan Suiter,
an associate professor of entomology at the University of Georgia.
Before World War II, bedbug infestations were common in the U.S., but
they were virtually eradicated through improvements in hygiene and the
widespread use of DDT in the 1940s and 1950s.
Bedbugs are tiny brownish, flattened insects that feed exclusively on
the blood of animals and humans. Their bites may cause itchy red welts
or swelling.
Unlike mosquitoes, though, they are not known to transmit blood-borne
diseases from one victim to another. They are extremely resilient and
very difficult to exterminate. Experts say bedbugs are not necessarily
an indicator of unsanitary conditions.
In the past four years, reports of bedbugs have significantly increased
in U.S. cities, from New York to Honolulu, especially in hotels,
hospitals and college dormitories - all places with high resident turnover.
The National Pest Management Association, which represents many of the
country's pest control companies, says the number of bedbug reports have
increased fivefold in four years.
The Atlanta branch of pest-control firm Terminix saw no cases of bedbugs
in 2004 and only three or four last year. But in the first six months of
this year, they've had 23 new cases, said Clint Briscoe, a spokesman.
Experts are not entirely sure what has caused the marked increase. Some
speculate that increased international travel and immigration may be
partially to blame.
The tiny bugs may be hitching a ride in the luggage or clothing of
travelers. This could explain the high concentration of the pests in
cities like Atlanta and New York, which attract a lot of international
traffic.
Another factor is a change in pest control practices. Companies are
spraying more responsibly now, Suiter said. Instead of indiscriminately
saturating the perimeter of all rooms, they often use more conservative
measures and do large-scale spray treatments only when there's an
infestation. As a result of consumer demand, less toxic chemicals are
also being used.
``The bottom line is it may be a convergence of all those factors, but
none of that really explains the rapid increase in recent years,'' said
Michael Potter, a professor and urban entomologist at the University of
Kentucky.
Experts agree that the public needs to be educated about bedbugs - on
the symptoms and how to prevent them.
``A lot of people, including some physicians, don't even think they're
real,'' Potter said. As a result people may go months before realizing
the source of their discomfort.
In Hawaii, where tourism is a major industry, state lawmakers passed a
resolution for a prevention campaign after infestations at some hotels
damaged their reputations and annoyed travelers. Similarly, legislation
for a bedbug task force has been proposed by New York City Councilwoman
Gail Brewer.
For Benton, a 31-year-old graduate student, the bedbugs sparked a
seven-month battle that included bug bombs and the tossing out of his
and his fiancee's bedroom furniture.
They gave up and moved out of their apartment in New York and eventually
moved back to their native Memphis, Tenn. Benton said the bugs
essentially drove them out of New York because they couldn't sleep
knowing the bugs may be anywhere.
``The main part of it is psychological trauma that they create because
of the idea that they are feeding on you at night,'' Benton said. ``It's
still hard to talk about if it's anywhere near bedtime.''
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On the Net:
National Pest Management Association: http://www.pestworld.org/