Click Free Pest Control Quote
to fill in a form to obtain a free pest control quote today.
Seth Garber, co-owner of Nvirotect Pest Control Services in Lutz, Fla., says the most dangerous thing about bed bugs isn't related to health or cleanliness but denial. "When we see a horrible infestation, it's often because people didn't want to admit they had them," he says. "They'll try to take care of it with over-the-counter products, and by the time we come in, it's too late."
Efforts after World War II nearly wiped out the common bed bug 60 years ago. Now, several large cities across the country are reporting massive infestations. While Tampa has been spared the worst of it, highly rated exterminators on Angie's List say their bed bug calls have increased significantly in recent years.
University of Florida entomologist Roberto Pereira says bed bugs have been on the way back for a decade. He says nobody's completely sure why, but increased travel, lack of public awareness and resistance to modern pesticides play a role.
Randall Bennett, manager of Thonotosassa-based Cross Pest Control of Tampa, Fla., expects the worst is yet to come. "In a few years, we'll be as bad as the big cities up north," he says.
David Bailey, owner of Bullseye Termite & Pest Control in New Port Richey, Fla., says the social stigma arises from misinformation. "The first thing people think is that they must be dirty, but it has nothing to do with trash," he says. "You carry them back when you travel. I've seen people catch them from both low-end and high-end hotels." The stigma is so strong that service providers say none of their clients will speak to the media, and no Angie's List members in Tampa have written reports about bed bug service.
The critters live only on blood, so they go to wherever people are hence their propensity for sleeping spaces. "They've evolved into extremely effective hitchhikers," says entomologist Jeffrey White of BedBug Central, a nationwide online clearinghouse of bed bug information. He says a single pregnant female can lead to an infestation.
Garber suggests calling in professional help as soon as possible if you think you have bed bugs. "It's easy to take care of if not extensive, but it gets enormously expensive if they're out of control," he says. "We're lucky in Tampa because the bed bugs here haven't really developed a resistance to pesticides like the ones up north."
Pesticide-based solutions can involve multiple applications, extensive preparation to protect the house itself, and cost thousands of dollars.
Pereira suggests remaining vigilant. "Eradication of these things is not likely," he says. "But as they get more common, people will recognize the warning signs and understand common preventive measures. We'll deal with them just like we do cockroaches and ants."
Read this article:
Tampa area Exterminators see uptick in Bed Bugs | Angies List
- Bed Bug dog sniffing out the bed bugs - May 20th, 2011 [May 20th, 2011]
- Exterminating Bed Bugs with Heat Treatment in St. Paul, MN call to get 10% off - August 7th, 2011 [August 7th, 2011]
- Kill Bed Bugs with HeatTreatment in St. Paul, MN - September 9th, 2011 [September 9th, 2011]
- Pest Control in Pinellas County FL Hunt Exterminating Co. Inc. - Video - October 27th, 2011 [October 27th, 2011]
- Advanced Pest Control Florida - On The News- Using ThermaPure Heat to Kill Bed Bugs -WPBF-TV.mp4 - Video - November 12th, 2011 [November 12th, 2011]
- K-9 Training Chicago - The Office - Video - November 22nd, 2011 [November 22nd, 2011]
- A Closer Look at the Verifi™ Bed Bug Detector - Video - November 27th, 2011 [November 27th, 2011]
- Bed Bugs 101 - Video - December 11th, 2011 [December 11th, 2011]
- K-9 Training Chicago - Bozo.mp4 - Video - December 12th, 2011 [December 12th, 2011]
- Dr. Philip Koehler talks about the Verifi™ Bed Bug Detector - Video - December 18th, 2011 [December 18th, 2011]
- Trace at Work Detecting Bed Bugs (Top Dog Scent Detection) - Video - December 18th, 2011 [December 18th, 2011]
- Bed bugs close Orlando Salvation Army shelter - January 29th, 2012 [January 29th, 2012]
- Bed bugs close Salvation Army homeless shelter - January 29th, 2012 [January 29th, 2012]
- Good day, bad day: January 26, 2012 - January 29th, 2012 [January 29th, 2012]
- GOP leads the way in apoplexy - January 29th, 2012 [January 29th, 2012]
- Palm Club Apartments, Lake Worth, Florida, The WORST! Unhealthy and Unsafe! - Video - January 29th, 2012 [January 29th, 2012]
- La Niña and Flu Outbreaks; Men Overspend When Women Are Scarce - January 29th, 2012 [January 29th, 2012]
- Bed bug infestation closes Salvation Army shelter - January 29th, 2012 [January 29th, 2012]
- Saratoga Springs Housing Authority put under microscope at City Council, resident meetings - February 1st, 2012 [February 1st, 2012]
- Saratoga Springs Housing Authority put under microscope at City Council, resident meetings (With videos) - February 2nd, 2012 [February 2nd, 2012]
- P Diddy,Jay Z,Beyonce And Drake-Please Buy Crazy Rockin Ronny Some Bed Bug Spray - Video - February 6th, 2012 [February 6th, 2012]
- The Drive Home: Episode 35: October 7, 2011 6:06 PM - Video - February 6th, 2012 [February 6th, 2012]
- Bank robbery couple sentenced to prison - February 15th, 2012 [February 15th, 2012]
- After bedbugs suspected in 166 rooms, accuracy of dogs is questioned - February 27th, 2012 [February 27th, 2012]
- Bedbugs confirmed in 166 rooms; treatments continue regardless of 'false-positives' - February 27th, 2012 [February 27th, 2012]
- Bedbugs confirmed in 166 rooms; treatments continue even in cases of false positives - February 27th, 2012 [February 27th, 2012]
- New Hanover Courthouse Denies Bed Bug Infestation, Still BedBugControl911.com Suggests the Purchase of Green Bed Bug ... - March 11th, 2012 [March 11th, 2012]
- Connecticut Lawmakers' Bill Mandates Expensive Bed Bug Treatment, BedBugControl911.com Offers Less Costly Solution - March 13th, 2012 [March 13th, 2012]
- Warm winter leads to more bugs in SWFL homes - March 15th, 2012 [March 15th, 2012]
- Pest Control Company Releases Top 50 Bed Bug Infested US Cities, BedBugControl911.com Offers Residents Green Help - March 23rd, 2012 [March 23rd, 2012]
- Not just drugs or bombs. Newest sniffing target for dogs: bed bugs - April 18th, 2012 [April 18th, 2012]
- EarthSky video schedule on Galavision’s Détras del Saber spring 2012 - April 26th, 2012 [April 26th, 2012]
- Pests appearing due to mild winter - May 1st, 2012 [May 1st, 2012]
- Senior residents complain of bed bug infestation - June 5th, 2012 [June 5th, 2012]
- Senior living residents complain of bed bug infestation - June 5th, 2012 [June 5th, 2012]
- University of Florida Study Examines Potentially Harmful Effects a Bed Bug Infestation Can Have on Humans - October 15th, 2012 [October 15th, 2012]
- Florida Bed Bugs - Are You Bugged By Florida Bed Bugs? Get ... - November 3rd, 2013 [November 3rd, 2013]
- Bed Bugs in Florida | Everything you need to know about bed bugs ... - November 3rd, 2013 [November 3rd, 2013]
- bed bug - Cimex lectularius Linnaeus - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA ... - November 3rd, 2013 [November 3rd, 2013]
- Bed Bugs Florida - Bed Bug.org - November 3rd, 2013 [November 3rd, 2013]
- EENY140/IN297: Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius Linneaus (Insecta ... - November 3rd, 2013 [November 3rd, 2013]
- Florida Bed Bugs | How Do You Get Rid of Bedbugs in FL? - November 7th, 2013 [November 7th, 2013]
- florida — Got bed bugs? Bedbugger.com - November 7th, 2013 [November 7th, 2013]
- Bedbugs Miami, FL | Bedbug Control Services - November 7th, 2013 [November 7th, 2013]
- Bed Bugs -- School IPM - November 10th, 2013 [November 10th, 2013]
- South Florida Bed Bug Heat Treatment | West Palm Beach Bed Bug ... - December 7th, 2013 [December 7th, 2013]
- Florida Bugs | Florida Exterminators: Bed Bugs-Ants-Spiders - December 11th, 2013 [December 11th, 2013]
- Reports of Bed Bugs in Orlando Hotels - Orlando, Florida ... - December 23rd, 2013 [December 23rd, 2013]
- Broward County Bed Bug Control | Ft. Lauderdale Exterminator ... - January 5th, 2014 [January 5th, 2014]
- Bed Bug Control Boca Raton | Bed Bug Removal Delray Beach - April 21st, 2014 [April 21st, 2014]
- K9 P.I. SCENT DETECTION BED BUG Serving South Florida ... - April 21st, 2014 [April 21st, 2014]
- Researchers create easy, cheap way to trap bed bugs - May 27th, 2014 [May 27th, 2014]
- Bed Bugs Shut Down Pasco County Fire Station, My Cleaning Products Suggests a Bed Bug Spray to Help Others Kill the ... - May 27th, 2014 [May 27th, 2014]
- Family files $1.5M suit over reported bed bug infestation - June 13th, 2014 [June 13th, 2014]
- Bed Bugs In Florida | Bed Bug Identification In Tampa ... - June 28th, 2014 [June 28th, 2014]
- A low-cost trap to get rid of bedbugs - July 5th, 2014 [July 5th, 2014]
- Florida Bed Bug Control - October 14th, 2014 [October 14th, 2014]
- Bed Bugs Jacksonville Florida Termite Treatment and Pest ... - October 30th, 2014 [October 30th, 2014]
- Charlotte Co. movie theater treated for bed bugs - November 14th, 2014 [November 14th, 2014]
- Bed Bug Exterminating | RIP Environmental Services of ... - November 27th, 2014 [November 27th, 2014]
- Veterans living with bed bugs in building not zoned for residential use - December 16th, 2014 [December 16th, 2014]
- Gary Geiger: Florida Bed Bug Buster| FMC Pest Wire - December 24th, 2014 [December 24th, 2014]
- Bed Bugs Conference on HUD Requirements By AudioSolutionz Gets a Tremendous Response - January 7th, 2015 [January 7th, 2015]
- Bed Bug Report for Rosen Center Hotel, Orlando, FL - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Bed Bug Control | Bed Bug Inspection - Florida Pest Control - August 7th, 2015 [August 7th, 2015]
- Orlando and Florida Bed Bug Inspection - August 9th, 2015 [August 9th, 2015]
- Bed Bug Report for Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, FL - August 14th, 2015 [August 14th, 2015]
- Bed Bugs - Pest Control Tampa Bay Florida Area - September 4th, 2015 [September 4th, 2015]
- Charlotte Co. movie theater treated for bed bugs - NBC-2 ... - October 8th, 2015 [October 8th, 2015]
- Bed Bugs - UF/IFAS Extension: Solutions for Your Life - December 20th, 2015 [December 20th, 2015]
- Fleas, Ticks, Bed Bugs Exterminator Pest Control Company ... - December 20th, 2015 [December 20th, 2015]
- Effective Home Remedies for Bed Bugs | FULL GUIDE - December 11th, 2016 [December 11th, 2016]
- Rare bed bug re-emerges in Florida after 60 years - February 2nd, 2017 [February 2nd, 2017]
- Letting bedbugs bite -- because science - Firstcoastnews.com - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Tropical Bed Bugs Returning to the United States SAT Press ... - Satellite PR News (press release) - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- Bed bugs are a problem in these Florida cities - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- Why Not Just Tent Fumigate For Bed Bugs And Save The Mess ... - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Allergy Technologies Hits the Road for 'Bed Bug Awareness Week' - PCT Magazine - June 5th, 2017 [June 5th, 2017]
- This Is How to Actually Spot a Bed Bug - SELF - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- Bed bugs disappeared for 40 years, now they're back with a vengeance. Here's what to know - USA TODAY - June 22nd, 2017 [June 22nd, 2017]
Click Free Exterminator Quote
to fill in a form to obtain a free exterminator quote today.