Local counties don’t let the bed bugs bite

By Scott Nicholson

Bedbugs may be making a comeback nationally, but the pests haven’t been a problem locally.

Media outlets have reported the tiny bloodsucking critters  are bouncing back after nearly being eradicated through the use of the pesticide DDT. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) said bedbug numbers have increased 500 percent in the last few years

The New York Times reported that health officials in New York City logged 377 bedbug violations, up from just two in 2002 and 16 in 2003. Since July of this year, there have been 449.

Bedbugs are less than a quarter of an inch long, with flat and oval bodies and six legs. They feed on any warm-blooded animal, but primarily attack humans. Female bedbugs can lay as many as 500 eggs over a lifetime. Bed bug bites do not leave a visible wound, but their saliva causes swelling in most people.

Wendell Fox, a hotel and motel inspector with the local health department, said the county hasn’t had a reported case in more than a decade, and that motel is no longer operating. “We usually inspect in the spring so we can catch them all open,” Fox said. “We’ve not had any complaints.”

Fox said at one time, bed bugs were a fairly common problem for lodging establishments. He attributes the decline to health laws that require hotels and motels to change the sheets between each new room occupancy. “The rules say they don’t have to wash the sheets with repeat guests, but they have to change them between each customer,” Fox said.

Fox said there are about 60 or 70 motels, hotels, and bed and breakfast establishments that fall under health inspections in his jurisdiction. Time-share condominiums and many other types of short-term rentals are exempt from the inspections, as are establishments that have fewer than four rental rooms.

Fox said he hadn’t heard of any bed bug outbreaks in the state, adding that the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources would probably issue alerts if the pest began showing up in significant numbers. Fox said bed bugs could be present in private homes. “There aren’t any right now,” he said. “That’s not to say we won’t start seeing problems.”

Bed bugs like to hide in small crevices in mattresses, upholstery, wood trim, and electrical boxes, so cleaning the sheets isn’t always a way to stop an infestation. Professional pest control might be required. The pests also travel in suitcases and shoe boxes, which is why they can spread even into otherwise-sanitary hotels. Bed bugs don’t transmit diseases, but can cause itchy welts.

An infestation can be determined either through receiving the bites or by noticing small red or brown spots on the bed, which marks the pests’ waste.

The NPMA says, “Bed bugs should not be equated with filth or sanitation problems in hotels or in homes, for that matter. Bedbugs are very elusive, transient and nocturnal pests. They are often found in other areas besides the bed. And they are hardy. They can live for a year or more without eating and can withstand a wide range of temperatures from nearly freezing to almost 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Bedbugs can be controlled with vigilance and constant inspection and treatment by professional pest control companies.”

Travelers should check their clothes and luggage after returning from a trip. Since eradication is difficult, a pest control expert may be required for eradication.

• Scott Nicholson may be contacted at nicholson@wataugademocrat.com.