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Bed Bug Awareness Week Bed Bug Facts & Prevention

As part of National Pest Management Month, PPMA is launching “Bed Bug Awareness Week,” April 22 – 26 to promote public vigilance and provide essential prevention advice about bed bugs in advance of the summer travel season.

Tips Bed Bug Facts

• Bed bugs are found worldwide and are thought to have come to the U.S. from Europe in the 17th century.
• Bed bugs primarily feed on humans, but they can also feed on warm-‐blooded animals including birds, mice and family pets.
• Adults are just under ¼” long, relatively flat and oval in shape compared to most other insects.
• Bed bugs can lay one to five eggs per day and more than 500 in a lifetime.
• Bed bugs can survive for several months without eating.
• Bed bugs can withstand a wide range of temperatures, from nearly freezing to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Bed bugs draw blood for about five minutes before retreating to digest.
• Bed bug hatchlings are so small they can pass through a stitch-‐hole in a mattress.
• Bed bugs can ingest seven-‐times their own weight in blood, which would be the equivalent of an average-‐sized male drinking
120 gallons of liquid.

Bed Bug Prevention Tips

There are several steps you can take to help prevent bed bugs in your everyday life. Regular bed bug inspections are the best line of defense to help you avoid a bed bug infestation.

Here are some other prevention tips to keep in mind:
• Regularly inspect areas where pets sleep for signs of bed bugs such as pepper-‐like stains, molted bed bug skins and white, sticky eggs.
• Never bring second-‐hand furniture, especially mattresses and box springs, into a home or college dorm without thoroughly examining it for signs of a bed bug infestation.
• At hotels, thoroughly inspect the entire room before unpacking, including behind the headboard and in furniture. Pull back the
bed sheets and check the mattress seams for pepper-‐like stains that may be evidence of bed bug activity.
• If you suspect an infestation or problem, notify management and change rooms immediately. Be sure the new room is not adjacent
to or directly below or above the possibly infested room.
• Keep suitcases in plastic trash bags or protective covers during a hotel stay to prevent bed bugs from nesting there. Do not put
them on the beds.
• Upon returning home from a trip, inspect all suitcases and other belongings before bringing them into the house.
• Wash all clothes -‐ even those that have not been worn -‐ in hot water and dry them using an extra-‐hot dryer setting.

Information provided by Professional Pest Management Alliance

Bed Bug Awareness Week begins April 22nd

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Bed Bug Awareness Week begins April 22^nd.

What do bed bugs look like?

Adult bed bugs are brown, about a quarter of an inch in diameter and resemble a flat apple seed or lentil.

How pervasive is the bed bug problem in the United States?

There has been a significant increase bed bug infestations in recent years. According to 2013 research conducted by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the University of Kentucky, almost 100 percent of pest control companies have treated for bed bugs in the past year, compared to just 25 percent in 2000. In addition, an earlier NPMA survey conducted in January of 2011 found that one in five Americans has encountered bed bugs in their home or knows someone who has.

Why are bed bugs such a problem now?

While there is not one clear answer for the resurgence in bed bugs in recent years, the majority of pest professionals point to increased travel, lack of public awareness, and changing pest control products and methods.

What states have been affected?

Pest control companies have reported bed bug activity on a national scale. Today, bed bugs can be found throughout almost every region of the world and in all 50 United States.

Where are bed bugs found?
Bed bugs are not limited to any one specific type of dwelling. Pest control companies have been reporting infestations everywhere
including single family homes, multi-‐family housing, apartments, hotels and motels, hospitals, schools and college campuses,
office buildings, retail stores, movie theaters, libraries and even public transportation.
Are bed bugs just in beds?
While bed bugs are most often found in bed parts, such as mattresses, box springs and folded areas, they can also survive in alternative habitats. Bed bugs often conceal themselves behind baseboards, wallpaper, upholstery, picture frames, electrical switch plates and in furniture crevices.
What are some common signs of a bed bug infestation?

Telltale signs of a bed bug infestation include: • Small red to reddish brown fecal spots on mattresses, upholstery or walls • Molted
bed bug skins, white, sticky eggs or empty eggshells • Very heavily infested areas may have a characteristically sweet odor • Red,
itchy bite marks, especially on the legs, arms and other body parts which may be exposed while sleeping

Why are bed bugs so hard to treat?

Bed bugs are elusive, hardy pests that are easily transported from one place to another. They can live for several months without
eating and can withstand a wide range of temperatures from nearly freezing to almost 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
How does someone control bed bugs?

Any effective bed bug control strategy should start with a careful, thorough inspection by a licensed pest professional of all known
and suspected spots where the bugs may be hiding. This is not a pest that can be controlled effectively with do-‐it-‐yourself measures.
Once bed bugs are discovered, a pest professional will develop a treatment and control strategy with their customer depending on
the extent of the infestation. It is imperative for the customer to fully follow the advice, including removing infested items and laundering clothing.

Information provided by Professional Pest Management Alliance

Are head lice a thing that pest control companies handle?

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Are head lice a thing that pest control companies handle?

Head lice are often associated with school children or children in general. There is a big difference between Bed Bugs and head lice.

Bed Bugs versus Head Lice
Bed Bugs don’t live on the host.	Head Lice die after 24 -478 hours after falling off host.
Small, reddish brown insects no wings	Head Lice look like small grains of rice
Hide and come out to feed at night	Oval bugs attach themselves to the hair in order to feed
Hitch a ride on furniture	Spread through contact
Live anywhere, beds, cracks, etc	Live on hair not scalp
Professional Pest Control	Lice treatment at pharmacy

Here are some recommendations concerning Head Lice control

Use a product from a pharmacy recommended for head lice. Seek the advice of the Pharmacist.
Wash hair and comb out the head lice with a lice/nit comb.
Head lice do not transmit any diseases.
Wash bedding in very hot water and hot cycle for drier.

If you encounter Bed Bugs then seek a Pest Management Professional at http://www.pestworld.org but Head Lice can be handled by medications and a little work of your own. By the way don’t use kerosene, gasoline or anything else you might have laying around your home – somebody can get hurt.

How do rodents get into homes and attics?

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How do rodents get into homes and attics?

It is extremely important to understand how and why critters try to get into our homes. Animals/wildlife need the same thing we need – Food, Water and Shelter. As you can see by the pictures, these holes are all that is needed by birds and other small animals to gain access into the house. Along with these critters some other pests can get into your attic or crawlspace and if you get rid of the original critter the parasites may linger behind.

You should conduct an inspection of your home or property at least once a month, just to be sure you haven’t invited any unwanted pests. If you need some help sealing up your home just give us a call 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176 ProBest Pest Management.

So just how many babies can mice have?

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So just how many babies can mice have?

Mice are capable of producing six to eight babies in each litter, sometimes as many as ten.

The biggest problem with mice is that they have multiple litters each year. One male and female mouse can produce up to 40 babies in one year. Multiply that by the fact that each litter will start producing babies as well within the year and you can see how quickly a couple of mice can get out of control. In just that first year those original mice can product up to 139. In one year, a pair of little house mice could produce thousands and thousands of offspring. This could happen if every baby survived and carried on the family system of multiplication. So it is very important to seal your home.

So here is a quiz:

Mice are famous for their ability to multiply at breakneck speeds. The type of mouse we have here gives birth once a month, birthing 12 babies each time. Baby mice mature and can give birth two months after they are born.You picked up one of these cute baby mice at the pet shop and brought it home the day after it was born. In 10 months from now, how many mice will you have? Don’t peek, have a guess – see below

Answer

One, the mouse cannot have any babies by itself.

Rodents will get in!!

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Rodents will get in!!

Rodents will do their best to gain access into a structure and once in they will continue to nest and quite possible raise their young. As you will notice from the damage to this structure, the rodents have brought in food (seeds) and this is mixed with fecal material and other nasty things. The trouble is not only the animals but parasites and all the nasty urine and fecal materials that are being left behind. Notice that everyone was wearing breathing masks to prevent the possibility of breathing in any fungal spores or contaminated urine or feces dust.

Could your neighbors give you the bugs?

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Could your neighbors give you the bugs?

What do you know about your neighbors? Do they visit you, do their children come and play at your house? Do you exchange things, do you borrow luggage? Do their children bring toys over, including stuffed bears or animals? Do their animals visit your home? Are you expecting guest who may spend a few days at your home?

All these questions seem somewhat benign but are they really? ProBest has seen some really bizarre ways that Bed Bugs are traveling these days. Spring break may be the perfect chance for these little blood suckers to get their travelin on. By the way it’s not just Bed Bugs but fleas, ticks, parasites of all sorts. No sense panicking but we just want you to be prepared and contemplate the options and consequence of a visit.

Read this survey – Bugs without Borders conducted by National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and University of Kentucky – Where are Bed Bugs found these days?

Someone has lost it in Washington D.C. —– amazing new law

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Someone has lost it in Washington D.C. —– amazing new law.

DC Rat Law ‘Crazier then Fiction’ – Requires Rats to Be Relocated with Families

VA AG Fears DC Law May Relocate Rat ‘Families’ to Virginia

OK so sometimes you see stuff and you think how the hell did that happen? This has got to be one of those events, somebody who thought this was a good idea and somehow people went along with this. Rodents rats, mice are vermin – plain and simple. Now I understand that rats deserve a place on this earth, its just not in our homes or businesses. If you don’t keep check on things they will take over or spread disease – just like the Plague in the 14th Century – 1/3 to 1/2 of Europe died.

Cuccinelli said D.C.’s new rat law–the Wildlife Protection Act of 2010 (Wildlife Protection Act of 2010.pdf) –is “crazier than fiction” because it requires that rats and other vermin not be killed but captured, preferably in families; no glue or snap traps can be utilized; the rodents must be relocated from where they are captured; and some of these animals may need to be transferred to a “wildlife rehabilitator” as part of their relocation process.

The law does not allow pest control professionals “to kill the dang rats,” Cuccinelli told CNSNews.com. “They have to capture them–then capture them in families. [Not sure] how you’re going to figure that out with rats. And then you have to relocate them. That brings us to Virginia. Now, if you don’t relocate them about 25 miles away, according to experts, rodents will find their way back. Well, an easy way to solve that problem is to cross a river, and what’s on the other side of the river? Virginia.”

Hantavirus and Plague Filthy Cities (Medieval London) and early New York…

My opinion – BAD MOVE, vermin are vermin – end of story. Who comes up with this stuff?

Arizona winter -Where do the bugs go?

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Where do the bugs go in the Arizona winter?

Arizona winter – Any ideas?

Do they fly to Cancun or Puerto Vallarta, where do they go? Well the simple answer is that they just hang around usually staying put whereever they were when it got cold. All insects are technically cold blooded, actually they really don’t have blood like you or me. In Arizona it may not get cold enough to kill them. But they get cold, they shut down. They do try to find an area which stays warmer, maybe a block wall that heats up during the day and stays warmer at night as it releases the heat. Rodents on the other hand will find a way into a structure in search of heat. They will gnaw their way in and once in will set up shop, along with any parasites they may have.

So the key here, is to keep them out. Seal, caulk and exclude them out and if you can’t do it – you know who to call —– ProBest Pest Management!

Beds – not all Bedbugs found in them

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Beds and Bed Bugs

Beds -Did you know bed bugs are present in 9/10 beds in the U.S. That means there’s a 90% chance that YOU have bed bugs. What can you do about it, and how can you fight it? Simply grab a copy of the bed bugs help book and we’ll guide you on getting rid of bed bugs FOR GOOD!!!Bed Bugs Book Benefits:
– Discover exactly what bed bugs are & how to prevent them.
– Find out what bed bugs look like.
– Where exactly bed bugs can be found.
– Discover all the different habits of the bed bug.
– What exactly a bed bug can do to you.
– How do you determine if you have bed bugs.
– Exactly how to prevent bed bugs.
– Discover how to properly sanitize bed bugs.
– Find out how bed bugs get into your home.
– Detailed pictures of bed bugs for you to be able to identify them.
– Find out what the life cycle is of bed bugs.
– Discover all the different species of bed bugs there are.
– Discover all the different ways to eliminate bed bugs.
– Plus much MUCH More!This app will help get rid of bug beds! Grab Your Copy Of Bed Bugs Book App Today!
Keywords :bed bugs, get rid of bed bugs, bed bugs treatment, bites from bed bugs, how to get rid of bed bugs

Ok I just had to reprint this entire article, I have no idea who wrote it and I wasn’t able to track it back. But look at that first line “(Did you know bed bugs are present in 9/10 beds in the U.S. That means there’s a 90% chance that YOU have bed bugs.)” NO WAY NO HOW!!!!! Just not true, 90% just not true. Now maybe this is an app or a way to get people to buy a book but when a good intention person reads this and believes it – then where do we go? Any way don’t believe everything you read – except here at this site.

All posts in “parasites”

Bed Bug Awareness Week Bed Bug Facts & Prevention

Bed Bug Awareness Week begins April 22nd.

So just how many babies can mice have?

Mice are capable of producing six to eight babies in each litter, sometimes as many as ten.

Answer

Where do the bugs go in the Arizona winter?

Beds and Bed Bugs

Bed Bug Awareness Week begins April 22^nd.