The Bedbugs Are Coming! The Bedbugs Are Coming!
The Problem
The first annual Bedbug Summit was held in Chicago this September. Vendors, scientists, experts, exterminators and victims met to discuss their common nemesis.
A survey based on results from the two major exterminators (Terminix and Orkin) has listed the “Dirty Dozen” worst infested cities. In order:
Cincinnati
Chicago
Detroit/New York (tie)
Columbus (Ohio)
Denver/Philadelphia (tie)
Washington DC
Dayton
Boston
L.A.
Minneapolis-Saint Paul
There is an online Budbug Registry where one can check for infestation by hotel or city. It includes some 20,000 reports covering 12,000 locations. You can add your own horror story.
Profile of the Enemy
Technically, the insect is a member of the Cimicidae family. In layman’s terms, it’s a blood-sucking creepy crawler that hides in cracks and crevices. It loves bed sheets and mattresses and enjoys hitching a ride on your person or luggage. The adult is around a quarter inch long featuring a red brown color, which turns redder after engorged on your blood. The juveniles, called “nymphs,” are tiny but mean. They are clear but become bright red after a meal.
They can be found anywhere: in homes, restaurants, movie theaters, dorms, and especially hotels.
The good news: The bedbug doesn’t fly and can be exterminated in a locality (at least temporarily). The actual bite doesn’t hurt. The mixed news: As of now, scientists believe the bedbug doesn’t carry disease, but the jury is still out.
The bad news: The creatures are adept at hiding in hard-to-see and reach places. Bites itch like the dickens and it’s common to be the victim of a feast. In fact, bites often appear in neat little rows that pathologists call the “breakfast, lunch, and dinner” phenomenon. Rashes, bleeding and infection can occur if scratched too much. Once the creature is spotted, only the pros can get rid of it.
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