Daily Archives: November 28, 2014

Bed Bugs

How do bed bugs invade a home? In most cases, bed bugs are brought into a home by clinging onto someones clothing, crawling into luggage, or are brought in the home along with new furniture or bedding. Bed bugs are increasingly being found in homes, apartments, hotels, motels, health care facilities, dormitories, shelters, schools, and public transportation (bus, train, etc). Less common sites where one might pick up bed bugs include movie theaters, laundries/dry cleaners, furniture rental outlets and office buildings.

How do I know if I have bed bugs? One of the easiest ways to identify a bed bug infestation is by the bite marks on the face, neck, arms, hands, or any other body parts while sleeping. However, these bite marks may take as long as 14 days to appear and may look similar to bites from other insects such as mosquitoes and spiders. A more accurate way to identify bedbug infestation is to look for physical signs of the insects:

You may see the bed bugs themselves, small bloodstains from crushed insects, or dark spots from their droppings.

Because many other kinds of small brown bugs may be discovered, it is critical to ensure that the bugs are correctly identified. It is often hard to see them because they hide in or near bed cracks, folds and creases in the bed linens, and seams of mattresses and box springs. They may also be found in pleats of curtains, beneath loose areas of wallpaper near the bed, in corners of desks and dressers, in wicker furniture, in laundry or other items on the floor or around the room.

How do I get rid of them? If you are a homeowner, you may want to consider using a licensed pest management professional who is knowledgeable and experienced in managing bed bug infestations. The Chester County Health Department recommends that homeowners hire a pest control professional licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to evaluate what type of pest is present, and to handle insecticides.

You may also consider taking the following steps to eliminate bed bugs:

Landlords and property owners have specific obligations to provide safe and livable accommodations for tenants. Tenants have an obligation to cooperate with owners and landlords. This includes preparing the apartment so that the pest management professional can easily inspect the rooms and treat if necessary. It is illegal for pesticide applications to be performed by an unlicensed person.

Where does the Chester County Health Department fit in? The Chester County Health Department has housing regulations that deal with the extermination of insects and rodents in rental properties. This applies to bedbug infestations in rooming houses and in two or more units in a multi-unit rental property. In these situations, the property owner or landlord is responsible for the treatment to eliminate the bedbugs.

Link: Chester County, PA Official Website Bed Bugs

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