Bugs in your bed, bloody parasites.

Bedbug problems should not be taken lightly. Immediate action should be taken to treat the affected individuals and to remove them from the infested environment. You would rather prefer to deal with cockroaches or spiders. The reason is that bedbugs are notoriously difficult to eradicate, often requiring clients to throw out mattresses and bug professionals to check or treat rooms several times. Costs can top several hundred dollars. But over the past decade with increased world travel that might allow bedbugs to hitch rides in suitcases and furniture joints the creepy tick-sized critters are staging a comeback, exterminators say.

Hotels and apartment buildings seem to bear the brunt of the bedbug problem, according to pest-control companies. "You can find them in the flop hotel downtown and you can find them in some of the most expensive hotels," said Richard Kramer, director of technical services for American Pest Management in Takoma Park says sanitation really doesn't have anything to do with it. He believes it has more to do with traveling. David McQuillan, a prominent management professional and operator says "It has to do with mobile society, along with immigration of population internationally"

The bedbug is a formidable pest problem. Its affect on people is substantial and debilitating. Bedbugs bite the host most commonly around the waist while in bed, sleeping. They scurry into mattress tufts, bed frames, moldings, floor joints, picture frames and in any other crack or crevice they may find. The sole source of food is the blood meal that they take at night while the victim sleeps. When the victim awakes, the only sign of bedbugs is the telltale bite and/or blood on the sheets.

Consider the world from a bedbug's perspective.

The six-legged, ladybug-size creature doesn't fly, so it has to hitch rides to go places. Luggage or household items of people on the move, particularly those coming from countries where bedbugs have remained a problem, are perfect. The bedbug bite leaves a nasty, red welt that is not easily dismissed and can cause more severe problems for hypersensitive individuals. However, if no evidence of bed bugs can be found, then the diagnosis of such bites should be done by a qualified physician or dermatologist.

To understand why, consider the world from a bedbug's perspective

The bedbug is a secretive insect and is similar to a flea in that its body, too, appears to be flat. However, while the flea appears squashed sideways, the bedbug appears flattened down. As a result, these insects can squeeze into very small openings. As mentioned above, the areas to look for bedbugs include mattresses (including mattress tufts and edges), box springs (edges and within the enclosure underneath), bed frames and hollow areas where frame components connect, floor and wall moldings, picture frames and in any other objects adjacent to the victim's sleeping area. Bedbugs are able to survive for a long time without a blood meal. Thus a mattress that is infested with bedbugs may still be a problem, even when the bed is unused for some period of time. The initial reaction is to dispose of the offending mattress or furniture. This is often not necessary, and such action may not eliminate the problem.

Awareness, and how to take back your bed.

Treatment of the immediate area should include spraying of the mattress and box spring with
ZEP BANISH (water based product for regular infestation) and
ZEP FORMULA PYRETHRIN (oil based product for heavy duty efficacy).
It may be necessary to cut open the net enclosure on the bottom of the box spring in order to properly inspect and treat this area. Most attention should be given to the edges under seams or under mattress tufts or buttons. You must seperate the mattress and box spring and treat areas in between as necessary.

Bedbugs have limited powers of dispersal beyond adjoining rooms, and their movement is dictated by the relocation of infected furniture and possessions to a new environment. Initially, minor infestations may result from the transfer, but the population of bedbugs will rapidly grow if left untreated. Heavy infestations are usually accompanied by a sweet sickly smell. This is due to the scent glands which each bug possesses that emit an odour for communication purposes. Bedbugs are usually associated with substandard housing and poor hygiene; walls, bedding and other areas that are infested are often marked with black and brown spots of blood and excreta.

Applicable products for treating bed frames, floor and wall moldings are:
ZEP EXTERMINATOR (Available in 2 sizes: 320g, 660g) aerosol for penetrating into crevices and target spray, and ZEP SUPER BUG BUSTER (Available in 2 sizes: 900ml, 3.75L) for spot and surface treatment. These must be applied as well to any other objects or hollows that offer "shelter" for bedbugs. Treat night tables and dressers by removing the drawers, the objects in the drawers and then spray in the corners of the drawers both inside and then on the bottom corners of each drawer. Also check behind any objects hanging on the wall such as behind picture frames or clocks.

In some cases, treatment of adjacent may be necessary, even without seeing the tell-tale signs of significant infestation. All linen must be laundered with maximum care after treatment so as not to allow any of the insects to contaminate the freshly cleaned sheets.

It is suggested that the reason for the recent resurgence of the bedbug is a shift to the use of bait gels, a common food based replacement for liquid insecticides previously used inside homes. Although sprays may have helped to suppress bedbug populations, they do not attract bed bugs which seek blood from a live host.