Category Archives: Bed Bugs Connecticut

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Bed bugs are making a comeback in the United States. They are occurring in any type of residence or lodging from the most luxurious hotel to more modest homes. They are not associated with unsanitary conditions. Bed bugs can be introduced to any household or establishment from visitors or by hitching a ride in your luggage.

Aristotle described bed bugs two thousand years ago. Bed bugs have been recorded in American history as far back as the 17th century. The early colonists inadvertently brought them from Europe to the new world. Up until World War II, bed bugs were a common problem in the United States. Strong new insecticides, such as DDT, were developed during the 1940s and 1950s which effectively reduced the incidences of bed bug infestations. Domestic and international travel and the removal of many organo-phosphate pesticides have contributed to the population explosion that has occurred over the past decade.

What is a Bed Bug? The bed bug is an ectoparasite of warm-blooded animals including humans, animals, bats, and birds.The wingless, mature bed bug is brown, flattened and between 1/4 and 3/8-inch long. When engorged with food (blood) the body becomes elongated and swollen, and the color changes from brown to dull red. The change in size, shape and color is so great that bugs in different degrees of enlargement may appear to be of different species. Nymphs are smaller in size but of similar color and shape. All stages feed on humans; nymphs must have a blood meal before they can molt to the next stage of development.

University of Florida

Life Cycle A female bed bug lays about two eggs per day and may lay approximately 200 tiny white eggs. The eggs are oblong and sticky, hatching in as little as four or up to 24 days. Upon hatching nymphs, will immediately move to feed.There are five immature nymph stages, each one requiring a blood meal to continue. Adults require a blood meal for reproduction. Total developmental time from egg to adult ranges from six weeks to four months or more depending on conditions. They can live up to a year to a year and a half. The stages of the bed bug life cycle are illustrated below. (Diagram courtesy of North Carolina State University.)

Bed bugs are very hardy insects, able to withstand several months without food (blood) or adverse conditions.These insects are nocturnal, moving to their hosts at night to feed quickly for three to fifteen minutes and seeking hidden shelter upon completion.In bedrooms, bed bugs will hide in the joints and crevices of bed frames and box springs, in the seams and folds of mattresses and even in the upholstery of furniture, hollow bedposts, under base boards and behind wallpaper. Signs of Bed Bug Infestations Bites are very irritating and can cause severe itching. Bites are commonly seen as red welts with a tiny dot at the center.They have not been shown to transmit any human disease.People may have varying degrees of allergic reactions to the bites. This is caused by anesthetic and anticoagulant substances injected during feeding. Scratching can lead to secondary bacterial infections. Stress, anxiety and sleeplessness often result from bed bug infestations. Visual signs are spots of brown excrement from the insects, dead bed bugs and molted skins. Fecal spots of digested blood might be seen on bedding. Look for dead bugs and cast skins in or near hiding places; in mattress seams, furniture crevices, or small dark areas. Bed bugs are nocturnal, most active in the hours before dawn. They avoid the light and are seldom seen.Large infestations are characterized by a distinct and unpleasant odor.

Sources of Introduction

Bed bug infestations are the result of the introduction of viable eggs or live bugs into the household.Nesting rodents (including bats), nesting birds, pests, guests and contaminated bedding are important means of spread. Bed bugs are also carried from place to place in the baggage or on the clothing of transients and occasionally in packages.They may be brought into non-infested houses with infested furniture.They may crawl from house to house in thickly settled neighborhoods.They can live without food for several months or possibly feed on the blood of mice and thus maintain an infestation in vacant homes. Places bed bugs are found include hotels, hostels, used furniture and household products, universities, self-storage facilities, rental or moving trucks, movie theaters, and homeless shelters.

Controls Bed bugs are very difficult to control. Once these pests enter an occupied house, only the repeated applications of selective insecticides will remove them.This is best left to the professional exterminator. General sanitation will not eliminate bed bug infestations but will greatly help prevent their spreading.Sanitation measures include: washing all bed clothes in hot water and drying in a hot dryer cycle (sheets, pillow cases, blankets, mattress covers); washing floors and walls (paying particular attention to cracks and crevices); rough, thorough vacuuming of floors, mattresses and box springs (pay particular attention to seams and folds), infested furniture and pet bedding (after vacuuming throw away or thoroughly empty the cleaner bag). Special encasement covers can fully enclose the mattress and box spring preventing insects from getting into or out of the bed. Placing the legs of the bed in shallow cups of mineral oil will prevent the bed bugs from climbing up to you. Another method is wrapping the legs with two-inch-wide sticky tape with the sticky side out to snare any climbers. Pull the bed away from the walls to further restrict access. Steam clean carpets and rugs. Reduce clutter in home to eliminate hiding spaces. Items that cannot be laundered may be frozen for more than 72 hours or heated to 120 degrees F for one hour. There are no repellents effective against bed bugs and as far as attractants, we are the bait.

Pesticide Safety Tips. READ THE LABEL on each pesticide container before each use. Apply as directed. Heed all warnings and precautions. Store pesticides in their original labeled containers out of reach of children, irresponsible people and pets, preferable under lock and key. Dispose of empty containers safely. For up to date chemical insecticide recommendations, call the UConn Home and Garden Education Center at (877) 486-6271.

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's Connecticut Coalition Against Bed Bugs page has many resources for homeowners.

Prevention Tips for Travelers Travelers can greatly reduce their risk of bringing bed bugs home by using several precautions. Inspect sleeping area of accommodations for any signs of bed bugs mentioned above. Choose hard sided luggage over soft. Put suitcases on luggage racks, not on the floor or bed. Do not place clothing in drawers. Hang items on shower rod instead of in closet, (Bring plastic hangers). Bring large plastic bags to bring clothing home. Once home, open the suitcases outdoors. Immediately wash all clothing in hot water. Dispose of empty bags in outdoor trash. Lightly spray luggage with pyrethrum-based insecticide. Read and follow label directions carefully whenever using pesticides.

Despite good cultural practices, pests and diseases at times may appear. Chemical control should be used only after all other methods have failed.

For pesticide information or other questions please call toll free: 877-486-6271.

References: Ridge, G.E. A Home Owners Guide to Human Bed Bugs http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/publications/fact_sheets/entomology/a_home_owners_guide_to_human_bed_bugs.pdf. Accessed on March 2, 2010. Jones, S.C. Bed Bugs http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2105.html . Accessed on March 2, 2010. Gauthier, N.L. 2004. Bed Bugs http://www.ladybug.uconn.edu/bedbugs.htm Accessed on March 2, 2010. Rev. by the UConn Home and Garden Education Center, 2019. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Dean of the College, Cooperative Extension System, University of Connecticut, Storrs. The Connecticut Cooperative Extension System is an equal opportunity employer and program provider. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, Stop Code 9410, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964.

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Bed Bugs - ladybug.uconn.edu

The state Department of Public Health has confirmed that there is an open investigation into Carlson Place, a retirement and assisted living facility in Norwalk.

A spokesperson could not get into specifics about what they are investigating. They said their job is to regulate for health care quality and safety and make sure the patients needs are being met.

Mark DiPietro, who has been living there since October 2019, says 27 people live at the residential care facility. He says many of the elderly patients are not fed properly and there are bedbugs in nearly every room.

DiPietro says the investigation is necessary and some residents were nervous to come forward.

"Some of these people haven't been out of the house in three to four months. They're scared to talk, they're scared to say anything," he says.

The Department of Aging and Disability is also involved in the investigation and is working to make sure the rights of residents are protected.

Employees at the facility referred all of News 12s questions to the state Health Department, which said inspectors would be on site through the weekend.

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Norwalk assisted living facility probed amid complaints from residents - News 12 Connecticut

Updated 10:09pm EST, Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Coroner ID's 6 killed in Las Vegas apartment building fire

LAS VEGAS (AP) A Las Vegas coroner identified six people ranging from age 46 to 72 who were killed in a weekend fire at a downtown apartment building.

County Coroner John Fudenberg identified the victims Tuesday as city and county officials were investigating the cause and spread of the Saturday fire that also injured 13. His office said it did not yet have the cause of death for the victims and expected to release that within six to eight weeks.

The victims were identified as: Henry Lawrence Pinc, 70; Tracy Ann Cihal, 57; Francis Lombardo, Jr., 72; Cynthia Mikell, 61; Kerry Baclaan, 46 and Donald Keith Bennett, 63.

Bennett was a maintenance worker at the building whom surviving residents credited with saving lives. Survivors said the disabled Marine veteran risked his life as he ran through the building early Saturday, pounding on his neighbor's doors and screaming fire as black smoke filled the hallways.

His actions allowed others to escape in time. Resident Floyd Guenther recounted seeing Bennett trying to kick open doors to a back stairway that was bolted shut.

It is not surprising. Helping people it was in his DNA, his cousin Ray Bennett of the Baltimore, Maryland-area, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The predawn fire appeared to start Saturday around a stove in a first-floor unit of the building, forcing some residents to jump down from upper floor windows to escape thick smoke blocking exits.

Firefighters began treating the injured and helping rescue people hanging or jumping out of windows, according to Las Vegas Fire & Rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski. He said three people were found dead inside the building and three outside after the fire was extinguished.

City officials say there had been past code violations lodged against the building but all had been quickly resolved. Investigators are looking into resident complaints that the building's smoke or fire alarms weren't working properly and that some residents didn't have heat and were using stoves to keep warm.

Resident Dejoy Wilson, who is three months pregnant, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that she and her husband tried to escape to the roof but found a stairwell door locked. Instead, she and her husband used a knotted bed sheet to escape from their third-floor apartment window.

Wilson said her hands slipped on the sheet and she fell to the ground, landing on her back. The 23-year-old was unconscious when her husband jumped to the ground and found her.

Wilson has been hospitalized since Saturday with injuries that include a broken back and broken ribs, but she says her babys heart is beating and should be OK.

Her husband Jonathan Wilson, 29, said that their apartment had bedbugs when they moved in several months ago, but it was affordable at $700 a month and they thought it was safe to live there.

Dejoy Wilsons grandparents have invited the couple to stay with them at their one-bedroom Las Vegas home.

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Coroner ID's 6 killed in Las Vegas apartment building fire - CT Post

Are There Bed Bugs in Connecticut?

A worldwide nuisance, bed bugs thrive in a variety of habitats, including Connecticut homes. Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed, with flat, chestnut-colored bodies. These pests live a little over a year and feed on human blood in order to grow. While they come out at night to bite residents, the bed bug typically hides in walls, bed frames, and mattresses during the day. As they can enter houses in a variety of ways and are hard to track down indoors, the pests can be a real problem for homeowners.

Since bed bugs feed on blood, the number one problem they cause is skin irritation. Aside from minor discomfort, bites may also lead to severe allergic reactions. When infestations are large enough, feedings can result in mild anemia in some people. In addition, simply knowing that bed bugs are hiding somewhere in the mattress creates stress for Connecticut homeowners, which can lead to anxiety and restlessness.

The most obvious sign of bed bug infestations is the small, itchy bite marks found in rows on the skin. Other indications include brown fecal spots or blood stains on sheets and a musty odor. Though bed bugs are not a result of dirty conditions, general sanitation may keep the pests from spreading. Washing bedding and vacuuming reduces their numbers, but it wont eradicate them. In order to properly eliminate bed bugs from Connecticut homes, contact the licensed specialists at Western Pest.

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Bed Bugs in CT: Info on Connecticut Bed Bug Control

How To Identify Bed Bugs

Adult bed bugs are light brown to reddish-brown, flattened, oval-shaped and have no hind wings. The front wings are vestigial and reduced to pad-like structures. Bed bugs have segmented abdomens with microscopic hairs that give them a banded appearance. Adults grow to 45 mm in length and 1.53 mm wide.

Newly hatched nymphs are translucent, lighter in color and become browner as they molt and reach maturity. A bed bug of any age that has just consumed a blood meal will appear to have a bright red translucent abdomen; this color will fade to brown over the next several hours and within two days will become opaque and black as the insect digests its meal. Bed bugs may be mistaken for other insects, such as booklice, small cockroaches, or carpet beetles, however when warm and active, their movements are more ant-like, and they emit a characteristically disagreeable odor when crushed.

Bed bugs are elusive and usually nocturnal (peak activity usually occurs around 5:00 or 6:00 a.m.), which can make noticing them difficult. They often lodge in dark crevices, and the tiny adhesive eggs can be nestled by the hundreds in fabric seams. Aside from bite symptoms, signs include fecal spots (small dark sand-like droppings that occur in patches around and especially beneath nests), blood smears on sheets (fecal spots that are re-wetted will smear like fresh blood), and the presence of their empty molted exoskeletons. Bed bugs can be detected by their characteristic smell of rotting raspberries.

If you suspect you have a bed bug problem in Connecticut, it is best to call a bed bug exterminator right away. Just as the old saying goes, you really dont want to let the bed bugs bite. Bed bug bites often appear as red and itchy bumps, typically in a line or small clusters. Some people even experience hives or blistering at the bite site. Bed bugs can also quickly spread to different rooms and even vehicles as they hitch a ride on a human host, clothing, or bedding.Fox Pest Control offers a powerful, customized Connecticut bed bug treatment that eliminates bed bugs where they live and breed. We work quickly and effectively with as little disruption as possible. A Fox technician performs an extensive inspection of your home, including beds, furniture and linens.Fox removes visible bed bugs and treats the area to eliminate any hidden bed bugs and their eggs. Fox backs the work with our Bed Bug Guarantee. Call us today to schedule a bed bug Inspection in Connecticut!*A fee may apply for a bed bug inspection. Please call.

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