www-bedbug.com

When Florida resident William Orozco and his 12-year-old daughter snuggled into their beds at the Super 8 Motel in Wisconsin Dells they did not suspect anything was wrong, but they had trouble sleeping anyway.

They awakened early.

“We checked the bed, and there was something there. It was a lot of bugs,” Orozco said.

The insects proved to be bed bugs after environmental technicians from the Sauk County Health Department and the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services conducted an investigation.

The bugs were found on the box spring, at the bed’s base and behind the headboard, said Nick Oasen, environmental health technician for Sauk County who inspected the infested room on Aug. 18 after Orozco made a complaint about the bugs to the Wisconsin Dells Police Department.

According to the police report, the officer noted 50 bugs of different sizes crawling on the bed. The bugs were as small as the size of a pinhead to as large as an aphid. Some of the bugs that Orozco killed seemed to contain blood, the report stated.

The Sauk County environmental health technicians found the bed bugs in one room. The infestation had not spread to the laundry room or any of the adjoining rooms, Oasen said. The bugs found were in the adult stage, leading Oasen to believe that they were not reproducing yet and had been discovered in the early phases of an infestation.

On Tuesday, Oasen participated in a follow-up investigation and inspected 20 percent of the hotel’s rooms, finding no more bed bugs.

The infested room was closed for several days while an exterminator serviced it, said Super 8 Motel manager Jignesh Jagaria.

“The situation is not good for anybody, for the business, for the people, for the building,” Jagaria said.

The motel’s pest control service has been visiting the motel every month, Jagaria said. There were no bed bugs reported in the motel before, so Jagaria believes one of the motel’s customers transported the insects that measure 3/16 of an inch, the size of an apple seed.

Symptoms of bed bug bites include redness and swelling, similar to those of mosquito bites. They are not known to carry diseases.

Even so, Orozco said he and his daughter have made an appointment with a doctor as a precaution.

“My daughter, she was scared bad,” he said.

Orozco said he is considering contacting a lawyer to see if he can sue Super 8 Motel.

Orozco had been on vacation in Chicago with his daughter before visiting Wisconsin Dells. He said they probably won’t come back to the area.

He said he’ll take precautions before staying in the next hotel room.

“I’m just going to make sure everything is fine before I go to bed,” he said.

Bed bug infestations are rare in Sauk County.

“This is the first one we’ve had in a hotel,” Oasen said. “We’re hoping it’s the last one.”

Joe Lally, Sauk County environmental health specialist said in the 14 years he has worked with the department, the discovery of bed bugs at the Super 8 Motel is the fourth case. Two of the cases surfaced in the last two years, he said. Three of the four cases involved apartment rental property.

Reports indicate that bed bugs are making a comeback after a period of low activity. According to a March news release from the National Pest Management Association, bed bug cases were documented in 47 states and the number of infestations rose 63 percent in the past four years.

The bugs are nocturnal. They hide in cracks and crevices during the day and emerge at night to feed on animals or people. Their diet consists solely of blood.

“They usually go to the beds because they’re looking for that blood meal,” Lally said.

According to Oasen, the bugs depend on a blood meal before they can shed their skin and advance to the next growth stage.

They travel well in luggage, clothing, bedding and moved furniture. Bed bugs can flourish in environments regardless of sanitation.

“Unlike cockroaches, infestation has little to do with cleanliness. You can find bed bugs where ever there are vulnerable people,” Oasen said.

Clutter, by providing more nooks and crannies to shelter the bugs, contributes to the likelihood of an infestation, but clutter was not a problem at the Super 8 Motel where Lally suspects the bed bugs were carried in by a guest.

“I think they just exist and with opportune circumstance they spread out and multiply,” he said.

Jagaria believes the public should take precautions against transporting the bugs.

Minimize spread of bugs
Dr. Mohammed El Damir, an entomologist for Guardian Pest Control Inc., outlined certain steps travelers can take to minimize the chance that they spread a bed bug infestation: inspect closets and drawers for bugs before placing clothes inside, wash sheets and clothes after traveling, dry items in a dryer at 120 degrees fahrenheit for 20 minutes to kill the bugs, vacuum luggage, being sure to dispose of the vacuum cleaner’s bag by sealing it in a plastic bag and throwing it in the dumpster.

Attempting to “starve” the bed bugs by leaving an infested room vacant for a period of time may not be successful because bed bugs can survive for more than a year between meals.

Hotels need plans
Karen Brock, public health inspector with the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services said hotel managers should work with licensed pest control operators in removing a bed bug infestation and have a plan in place.

A plan should include the correct identification of the insect. Managers can capture the bugs in a vial filled with rubbing alcohol or in a tightly sealed plastic bag and take the specimen to the county health department to be identified, Brock said.

Clutter should be removed from the infested room, and the room should be cleaned and treated with insecticide. Follow-up insecticide treatments should be conducted to ensure no recently hatched bugs survive. Infested furniture should be labeled as such, bagged and defaced to deter people from reusing it.

Brock, who said the case of bed bugs at the Super 8 Motel is the first one she has encountered since she began working for the state in 1988, said the public should not panic. Bed bugs can be isolated and conquered.

“Once they get established, they tend to stay in the area where they feed,” she said.

http://www.wiscnews.com/wde/news/index.php?ntid=97244&ntpid=1

Let’s get right to it:

“Bed bugs are increasingly becoming a problem within residences of all kinds, including homes, apartments, hotels, cruise ships, dormitories and shelters.”

That’s the Harvard School of Public Health speaking, and it’ll tell you more, much more, at http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/bedbugs/invade.

The National Pest Management Association tells The Associated Press that calls to exterminators to come kill bedbugs have increased fivefold in four years.

For centuries, bedbugs were one of many little afflictions mankind just had to live with, but by late last century they had almost disappeared, probably because of the widespread use of DDT.

Many people thought their existence was between a myth and a joke.

Now the bedbugs are making a comeback, not just here but in Europe and Australia as well.

Bedbugs are small — the biggest ones are a quarter-inch long, rust-brown in color, shaped like a flattened football and are very fast. Beds and bedding are not their sole habitat, but they are nocturnal and, at night, the bed is where their favorite food — us — is most likely to be found.

They tend to arrive as unwelcome companions to welcome guests, which is why they initially turn up in places with high turnover like hotels and dorms.

Then they have an unpleasant tendency to accompany their unwitting hosts home, where they can be a nuisance to get rid of. Several Web sites, including Harvard’s, tell you how.

If it’s any consolation, their presence is not a commentary on the level of housekeeping; the bugs can set up shop anywhere.

Until we regain the upper hand over this pest, that old bedtime benediction is not just to amuse the children anymore: “Sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

Bed bugs, the longtime scourge of nursery rhymes, have made a real world comeback, leaving experts scratching their heads to find a solution.

Before World War II, infestations were as common as polio, but improvements in hygiene and the widespread use of DDT (not available at Whole Foods) helped relegate the little brown bloodsuckers to bedtime myth.

Now entomologists and pest control professionals are reporting a dramatic increase in infestations throughout America.

A combination of factors such as less aggressive spraying, environmentally friendly poison, and increased travel may be to blame for the current outbreak.

Emil Steiner

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Aromatherapy may be of help in dealing with the intense itching caused by bed bug bites.

Camomile has the ability to calm and soothe itching, as does Lavender and very dilute Melissa.

Camomile and Lavender used together are very effective. Blue Camomile is the best of the varied Camomiles.

Depending on the area of the bites use either a drop or two rubbed directly onto the skin, or in the form of lotion or cream.

If a large area is affected then a lukewarm bath with the addition of Lavender and Camomile is very soothing and comforting.

A good night’s sleep might become next to impossible if one is constantly being bitten by bed bugs.

Bed bugs have been a problem for many centuries dating as far back as medieval times and classical Greece, as these have been documented in various writings. Sleeping on an infested bed is one thing but being bitten is another.

While a bed bug bite is painless and has an extremely low chance of transmitting diseases, people with such problems are mostly ashamed about their dilemma.

Many believe that a bedbug infestation is detrimental to a relationship and can cause psychological strain. Outside of mental anguish, bed bugs can cause physical harm. The question now is how do you treat bed bugs and their bites.

Just bite it

Bed bug bites initially appear as large read wheals that eventually become a red mark. The mark can last for as lost as five days. The mark is also made in orderly way unlike the random pattern of mosquito bites.

Characteristics of bed bug bites

- Irritation, inflammation and destruction of the local tissue
- Allergic reactions that can happen immediately or delayed
- Orderly pattern of marks

Bed bugs bites cannot transmit harmful diseases and their medical significance is only limited to itching and inflammation. The immediate treatment for the affected part is by washing it with soap and water.

Scratching is not advised, as this will surely lead to infection and possibly require more advanced medical aid. Treating the area with ice or possibly special herbs is also recommended, as these will help speed up the healing process.

Which Herb
Herbal treatments are primarily used to control infections, stop itching or pain. In addition, these are used to improve symptoms, correct imbalance, boost the immune system, and increase energy. The body needs to be strengthened for better health and quality of life.

Chinese herbs are advantageous because they can be used in combination with other herbs depending on the status of the bed bug bite. Herbal treatments used with optimized herbal combination are highly effective to treat the illness and address the symptoms. Below are some herbs that can be used to treat bed bug bites.

Plantain- also known as the band-aid plant, ribwort and pig’s ear. This herb is a common weed of parks, driveways and playgrounds. The five parallel veins that run on each leaf distinguish this herb from others.

A broad leaf plantain can has a tall seed head and long thin leaves, while a narrow leaf plantain has a small flower head that looks similar to flying saucer and long thin leaves. A considerable number of Plantago species have leaves and seeds that used food or treatment for bed bug bites.

Mud- this is the simplest and oldest poultice. A bed bug bite can be treated with powdered white clay that should be mixed with herb tea. Clay can be stored anytime and is not likely to contain fungal spores.

Bed bug or other insect bites that cause severe itching or pain should be treated with bland starchy substances such as arrowroot powder, graded potato and mallow root or finely ground grains such as oatmeal or rice.

Fresh-herb poultices- these are slightly more complicated to prepare that other herbs. A person must first chew it then apply the substance to the bed bug bite. For maximum effect, the poultice can be placed in an adhesive bandage or large leaf to keep it in place. Some examples of the poultice include:

- Plantium

- wild geranium (Geranium maculatum)

- comfrey (Symphytum uplandica x)

- yellow dock (Rumex species)

- wild mallow (Malva neglecta)

- chickweed (Stellaria media)

The best herbal leaves are those that come from willow, maple, oak or hazel. The herbs need to be recognized properly before they are chewed. The most recognizable and safest to chew of all herbs are oak and Maple.

Leaves that are either slick or shiny should be avoided if one is uncertain about which herb should be used for the treatment. If the leaf is extremely bitter when chewed it is advisable to spit it out immediately.