Bedbugs (aka:
Bed
Bugs)
Flat,
reddish-brown, oval insects about 3/16 inch long, similar to the size
of an apple seed when fully grown. Swollen and reddish after feeding.
Females lay 1-5 eggs per day, which hatch in 6-10 days. They do not fly
(they have no wings).
Bedbugs feed by sucking
blood
from people and
animals, usually taking between 3-10 minutes. They will try
to
feed again in 5-10 days, however, bedbugs can live
off a single blood meal for several months. Bites can leave
itchy, bloody welts on the skin and can
cause
allergic
reactions, such as severe itching.
"Because
the insects don't
pose a serious health hazard or spread disease, there's no legal
requirement to notify the public of infestations. Without a
requirement, people seem reluctant to admit their homes or
establishments have the bugs."
Fecal
stains, egg cases, and exuviae (shed skins) of bedbugs in crevices and
cracks on or near where people sleep are suggestive that bedbugs may
be present, but only by observing the bugs themselves can confirm an
active infestation.
bedbugs
have been on the rise for several years and can be found in any
living quarters: apartments, shelters, rooming houses, hotels, cruise
ships, buses, trains, dorm rooms, and single-family homes. They are
often found hiding in mattresses, box springs, bed frames, headboards,
dresser tables, and in any clutter or objects around a bed. A
populations build they will be found behind the baseboards, behind
picture
frames, behind electrical outlet plates, around door and window
casings, in seams, crevices and inside furniture I.ie..nightstands,
dressers chairs, couches), behind peeling
wallpaper, in radios, table lamps, stereo speakers, backpacks, and in
the folds of curtains.
There's
a greater
chance of spreading bed bug infestations July through
November,
as there's an increase in travel, increased moving activities, college
kids in and out, and greater opportunities for picking up used
furniture.
bedbugs
hide in the daytime and become active at
night,
when the sun is
down. They can travel 100 feet in a single night but tend to
live
within eight feet of the sleeping area. They can travel between
apartment units through ceilings, walls and underneath doors.
Plus, unwanted and infested mattresses,
sofas and
other furniture often
get left curbside, only to be hauled into other homes by unsuspecting
treasure hunters. With harder economic times in recent years,
people have been
scavenging more.
- If
you're throwing out
furniture or bedding,
- be
sure to make it unusable
by ripping it
- open
with a utility knife,
officials advise.
Bedbugs
in the Local Area News...
Brown
County -
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Calumet County -
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| Outagamie
County - |
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CREATED Jul 15, 2013 - NBC26
APPLETON--
Those tiny
blood-sucking parasites known as bedbugs are spreading in Wisconsin.
It’s
been 2 years
since health department officers say bedbug infestation peaked in our
area. But local exterminators say they’re seeing an increase in calls
to treat the problem.
Bedbug
complaints to the Outagamie County Health Department are declining
slightly according to department officers. But county leaders admit
they do not
individually track bedbug complaints. Complaints about bedbugs are
grouped together with other insect and rodent complaints. It is not
required by law to report bedbug sightings.
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July
2013, APPLETON, Wis. — Ongoing complaints about bedbugs in Outagamie
County suggest the problem may not be going away any time soon.
The
county doesn't require public reporting, so it's not exactly clear how
severe the issue is. But health officials say the number of complaints
has been growing, and pest-control experts say business has been
growing more brisk in recent years, the Post-Crescent Media reported
(http://post.cr/1aCX987 ).
County
officials say the problem is especially prevalent in lodging
facilities, which are now resigned to the idea that infestations will
occur. [5 star hotels are no exception; however hotel staffs are being
trained in bed bug inspections and checking bed frames and mattresses
between checkouts and check-ins.]
"Those
establishments aren't left wondering if they'll ever arrive — they now
assume they're coming in," said Natalie Vandeveld, the county's
environmental health sanitarian.
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Winnebago
County -
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Jan.
30, 2014 - fdlreporter.com -
Just the thought of them makes the skin crawl. They can even cause
psychological damage.
Reports of bedbug infestations, although not widespread, occur in Fond
du Lac just as they do anyplace else. And while they can be a nuisance,
the blood-sucking insects are not considered a health hazard, according
to the Fond du Lac County Health Department.
Calls come to the department from residents asking what they can do
about bedbugs and hoping that someone will step in and resolve the
problem. ...
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More...
we invite you to view a few articles
which
well answer important questions and concerns regarding possible bed bug
infestations and bed bug bites.
Bed
Bug
Registry
- UW-Extension
Diagnostic Lab
- Centers
for
Disease Control & Prevention
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