The National Pest Management Association revealed that there is a resurgence of bedbug infestations across the country. No longer infesting just homes, these apple-seed-sized insects have also been reported in hotels, college dorms, retail stores, offices, hospitals, libraries and movie theaters.

Dining on human blood, bedbugs hide in crevices such as baseboards, electrical switch plates, picture frames, cubicle dividers and upholstery. These pests are resilient to many insecticides and can live for a year without feeding. They also replicate quickly — female bedbugs will lay between one and five eggs a day. Without proper action, some experts believe that the bedbug infestation will soon become a pandemic.

The belief is that the rapid spread of bedbugs is due to heightened travel and facilities such as hotels, motels, hospitals and dorms are most susceptible to exposure. As these areas become infested, it is natural that some workers will inadvertently transport them into the workplace.

According to a survey, pest management firms have had a 57 percent increase in bedbug-related calls in the last five years. Of those firms polled, 95 percent said they've had to tackle a bedbug case in the last year, 40 percent of which were in commercial buildings.

For facilities infested with bedbugs, solutions are available. Possible antidotes include applying heat treatment, frequent dusting, vacuuming and steam cleaning, sealing cracks, using non-chemical pesticides and proper use of effective chemical pesticides. Jan/san distributors can also help by supplying literature and training for proper action. But, bedbug management can get litegius and in some cases calling in pest management professionals might be the best bet.

For more information on bedbugs, visit www.cleanlink.com/PestControl.




POSTED ON: 11/11/2010