About Me!

My photo
Every City, Every State
I come packaged small and tight, so I can fit anywhere! (under your arm, in a handbag...) <a I am made of 100% Recycled Material, Polypropyline. I am soft and comfy (good to sleep with.) I am disposable, and inexpensive, especially when bought in bulk. My top and bottom are stretchy to adjust to almost any seat. I can be Black, White or Gray. If you request other colors I may surprise you with it! Check us out! BugOff Seat Covers

Search This Blog

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Seriously Scary Housing Trends: Bedbugs Make a Comeback

by Christina Aragon, Contributor

The ghouls and goblins have all gone home, counted their bounty and returned to the relative normalcy of daily life. While the fantasy and fright of Halloween is behind us, some sobering  - and alarming – realities remain.  In light of this, we are kicking off a series of articles on Seriously Scary Housing Trends that impact the housing and rental markets.
Our first scary trend really has our skin crawling. We go to a lot of apartment conferences, read apartment industry publications and talk to a lot of apartment owners. While vacancy rates, occupancy rates, capital market and economic trends have always been hot topics of conversation, over the last year or two, there has been a new buzz in the biz that is keeping us up at night: Bedbugs.
More and more we see the topic of bedbugs popping up on conference agendas, and the National Apartment Association – one of the largest apartment associations in the United States- even has a Bedbug Resource Center on its website. Although the bedbug population in the U.S. dropped dramatically in the mid-20th century, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last year issued a joint statement on Bed Bug Control in the United States stating that the United States is now experiencing “an alarming resurgence in the population of bed bugs.”
To make matters worse, those pesky critters have developed a resistance to many pesticides, so chemical approaches to eradicating the problem could actually make these unwanted houseguests  long-term tenants.
Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, it is important to understand how to detect and treat a bedbug infestation. The EPA provides resources for residents and housing managers alike, and offers these top ten bed bug tips:

  1. Make sure you really have bed bugs, not fleas or ticks or other insects: You can verify your insect on their bed bug web page or check with your local extension agent.
  2. Don’t panic: Eliminating bed bugs is difficult, but it is not impossible. Don’t throw out all of your belongings; most of them can be treated and saved. Throwing out belongings is costly, may spread the infestation, and could be unnecessarily stressful.
  3. Think through your treatment options — Don’t immediately reach for the spray can: Be comprehensive in your approach. Integrated pest management techniques may reduce bed bug populations and limit pesticide exposure to you and your family. If pesticide treatment is needed, it is best to bring in a professional
  4. Reduce the number of hiding places — Clean up the clutter: A cluttered home provides more places for bed bugs to hide and makes locating and treating for them more difficult. If bed bugs are in your mattress, using a mattress/box spring encasement makes it more difficult for them to get to you while you sleep. To be effective the encasement must be left in place for a year. Be sure to buy a product that has been tested for bed bugs and is strong enough to last for the full year without tearing.
  5. Frequently wash and heat-dry your bed linens: Wash bed spreads, and clothing that touches the floor to reduce bed bug populations. Bed bugs and their eggs can hide in laundry containers/hampers so clean them when you do the laundry.
  6. Do-it-yourself freezing is not usually reliable for bed bug control: While freezing can effectively kill bed bugs, temperatures must remain extremely low for an extended period of time. Home freezers typically are not cold enough to kill bed bugs. Freezing temperatures outside may be used to kill bed bugs, but can take several days (at 0oF) to almost a week (at 20oF).
  7. High temperatures can kill bed bugs: Raising the indoor temperature with the thermostat or space heaters won’t do the job, though. Space heaters must always be used with care, as they have the potential to cause fires and serious burns. Specialized equipment and very high temperatures are required to successfully heat treat a structure. Black plastic bags in the sun might work to kill bed bugs in luggage or small items, provided the contents become hot enough (approximately 110oF for at least 3 hours).
  8. Don’t pass your bed bugs on to others: Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers. If you throw out a piece of furniture that is harboring bed bugs, take steps to destroy the item so that no one else adopts it (along with the bugs!).
  9. Reduce populations to reduce bites: Thorough vacuuming reduces populations. Carefully vacuum rugs, floors, under beds, around bed legs, bed frames, and all cracks and crevices around the room. Thoroughly vacuum upholstered furniture. Change the bag after each use so the bed bugs can’t escape. Place the used bag in a tightly sealed plastic bag and in an outside garbage bin.
  10. Turn to the professionals, if needed: Hiring an experienced, responsible pest control professional can increase the likelihood and the speed of success in eliminating bed bugs from your home. If you hire an expert, ensure it is a company with a reputable history and ask them to use an IPM (integrated pest management) approach.

20 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing the post. You need to hire the professional pest control service for bed bugs spray singapore for the pest treatment.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Growing pests in your surroundings is a serious health concern. Advancepest.ca offers the best pest control services in Richmond at a competitive price. For the further details you can visit on Wasp Control Vancouver

    ReplyDelete
  3. This information is meaningful and magnificent for us which you have shared here about the bed bug control. Megapestcontrol.ca is a mice, ants, bed bug, Cockroach control services provider at the fair cost. Visit on Bed Bug Control Mississauga for the pest control services.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is an awesome post. Really very informative and creative contents which is about bedbugs. I like it and help me to development my ideas very well. Thank you for this brief explanation and nice information. Bed Bugs Treatment Edmonton

    ReplyDelete
  5. India’s most haunted destination- The Bhangarh Fort history and culture

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi there, I read your blogs on a regular basis. Your humoristic style is witty, keep it up! Thank You for Providing Such a Unique and valuable information, If you are looking for the best Bed bugs control in Mumbai, then visit Bed Bugs Treatment.I enjoyed this blog post.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It was really a nice experience to be on your blog. Conquer Pest is one of the reliable platforms where you can get pest control services at the best prices. Visit us on pest control services singapore

    ReplyDelete
  8. I really appreciate the kind of topics you post here. Thanks for sharing us a great information that is actually helpful. Hoy Hoy Ibiza is offering the cleaning services of your house and garden by professionals.

    ReplyDelete
  9. nice http://blog.bugoffseatcover.com/2011/11/seriously-scary-housing-trends-bedbugs.html

    ReplyDelete
  10. Der eigentliche Kammerjäger dieses Unternehmens verwendet umweltfreundliche Produkte, um die Schädlinge auszurotten, vor allem, weil sie erkennen, dass Chemikalien einen schlechten Einfluss auf den Planeten haben können. Diese Firma bietet die Dienstleistungen zu einem sehr erschwinglichen Preis an, und die Dienstleister dieser erstaunlichen Firma beseitigen die Schädlinge sofort. Diese Firma steht Ihnen rund um die Uhr zur Verfügung, während Sie die Dienste benötigen, die Sie problemlos kontaktieren können. Die Vernichter erreichen genau zum richtigen Zeitpunkt, wenn Sie sich an diese Firma wenden. Sie können verschiedene Bewertungen überprüfen, die von den Personen unmittelbar nach Erhalt des Supports geteilt wurden. Wenn Sie dieses Unternehmen für einen Fehlerkontrolldienst auswählen Kammerjäger, werden Sie mit seiner Unterstützung zufrieden sein. Wenn Sie diese Website besuchen, können Sie sich im Internet über den Kammerjäger informieren.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Schädlinge verursachen im Haushalt viele Probleme, und ein Kammerjäger kann die Schädlinge mühelos aus dem Haus entfernen, indem er einige umweltfreundliche Waren verwendet. Ein hochqualifizierter Kammerjäger kann innerhalb kurzer Zeit hervorragende Ergebnisse erzielen . Jemand kann auf der Website nach vollständigen Beobachtungen Kammerjäger zum Kammerjäger suchen.

    ReplyDelete
  12. If you have ever experienced a termite infestation in your home or know somebody who has, you know how upsetting and stressful it can be. Not only do termites cause expensive damage GM Fumigation

    ReplyDelete
  13. The post you've shared here is informative because it contains some best knowledge that is extremely essential. Thanks for posting it. Keep it up. Termites Adelaide

    ReplyDelete
  14. I got some wonderful knowledge from this post. The post is extremely informative and helpful also. Thanks for sharing such a post. Keep it up. animal control san antonio

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am very grateful that I got some useful knowledge from this post. Many thanks so much for posting it. Keep it up. San Antonio bug exterminator

    ReplyDelete
  16. You have shared a lot of information in this article. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who contributed to this useful article. Keep posting. Pest Control in Adelaide

    ReplyDelete
  17. It’s great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same out of date rehashed material. Fantastic read. Best Rodent exterminator McKinney Tx service provider.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I just wanted to say this is an elegantly composed article as we have seen here. I got some knowledge from your article and also it is a significant article for us. Thanks for sharing an article like this.Edmonton Fumigation Service

    ReplyDelete
  19. I read the above article and got some knowledge from your article which is about.pest control inspections brisbaneIt's actually great and useful data for us. Thanks for sharing it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am impressed with how nicely you described this subject, It is a gainful article for us. I found decent information in your article about Mouse Control Vancouver. Thanks for sharing it.

    ReplyDelete