Homeowners dealing with record highs in bed bug infestations – Palm Beach Post

Question: Our neighborhood is suffering from a terrible infestation of bed bugs. We havent been hit - at least not yet - but many of our neighbors have. How can we protect our home against them? What can we do if we suffer an attack, too?

Answer: Those pesky six-legged, reddish-brown insects can be found in everything from mattresses and other bedding to clothes and couches. But contrary to popular belief, the federal Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) states that they dont feed on cotton stuffing; they get their nourishment by sucking blood from humans and animals, usually at night. Then, the bed bugs nest inside various items throughout the house during daylight hours.

One way to help keep bed bugs at bay is to cover your bedroom pillows, mattress and box spring with store-bought plastic covers or similar protective wrappings. Such covers arent always comfortable if youre old enough, you might remember them on your mothers or grandmothers furniture - but they can contain an outbreak or even prevent one.

Cut clutter in your home in order to reduce hiding and breeding places, and vacuum frequently.

A key sign that you may have a bed bug infestation is that you get reddish-brown, small spots on your arms and other extremities that can cause itchy, irritating welts that prompt excessive scratching and can keep you up at night, the CDC says.

Simply throwing your bedding and clothes in a normal washing-machine cycle wont kill em, the CDC adds. Washing and then drying them at high heat, though, often will. So can dry-cleaning the infested items.

Some big-box stores sell bed bug extermination kits to do-it-yourselfers for as little as $20 or $30. Expect to pay $500 to $1,500 if you want a professional to do the work for you, according to Angies List (www.angieslist.com), a company that helps consumers link up with exterminators and other contractors in their area.

The best news: The CDC says that bed bugs dont spread influenza or other infectious diseases to humans. Their biggest risk is that a bite can trigger frequent scratching, which can then cause a skin infection.

Most such ailments can quickly be cured with a single antibiotic shot or a few applications of topical cream.

Question: What is a net lease?

Answer: Its a lease that requires a tenant to pay not only the agreed-upon rent, but to also pay some or all related expenses, such as utilities, insurance, maintenance or even property taxes.

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Homeowners dealing with record highs in bed bug infestations - Palm Beach Post

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