Bed bug infestations are making a move to the U.S. in huge numbers. The small little insects have turned up in offices, homes and bedrooms across the nation and now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people are getting sick from the pesticides used to kill them.
The numbers
“From 2003 to 2010, 111 people were sickened and one died from bed bug insecticide, the government agency reported in a study that is the first of its kind in the country,” a report stated. Nearly three quarters of the illnesses occurred from 2008 to 2010 as the bed bug population in the United States increased.
While the agency is keeping an eye on the situation, it isn’t a big enough problem for a warning to be issued or an order to restrict the use of pesticides.
Those dealing with a pesticide illness often experience headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting and should seek medical attention right away.
At this point the CDC recommends using both non-chemical and chemical approaches to fight bed bugs, including hiring an expert to heat infested rooms to 118 degrees Fahrenheit or cool them to 3 degrees for an hour to kill the bugs.
The bed bug infestation
The tiny bugs are making their presence felt all across the U.S. Orkin, a nationwide pest control service, says the number of apple-seed sized bugs is on the rise. Typically the bugs only come out at night. Like mosquitoes, they feed on blood from biting humans. Most people don’t see the bugs; instead they see the bites on their skin. The itchy bumps are small bites that can be found all over the body, but hot spots are the neck, legs, and arms.
Once the bugs hit a house they are tough to kill, but there are steps you can take to prevent bed bug infestation. A local Orkin representative says it costs several hundred dollars per room to treat for bed bugs and it often takes more than one treatment to kill them.
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