Category Archives: Bed Bugs Indiana

As students arrive on college campuses nationwide this fall, Terminix announced its 2021 ranking of the top 50 most bed bug-infested cities in the country.

As students and parents have arrived on college campuses nationwide this fall, some additional annoying and uninvited roommates may also be taking up residence in dormitories. Bed bugs spread easily by hitching rides on luggage, backpacks and clothing, and can crawl through cracks in the walls, making common spaces of dorm living extremely vulnerable to infestations.

The top five cities on this years most infested list include Los Angeles claiming the top spot, followed by Cleveland, Philadelphia, Detroit and New York City. Thirteen states had more than one city on the list, including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.

Terminix based its rankings on the number of requests received from each city in 2021*. The top 50 cities for bed bug infestations in the United States are:

A few ways to identify the presence of bed bugs include small blood smears on your sheets, a musty odor, reddish-brown blood spots on your mattress, and bed bugs themselves. In dorm rooms, they tend to live in dressers, clothes, floorboards, couches and mattresses. When fully grown, bed bugs resemble the size, shape and color of an apple seed; however, students should also be on the lookout for recently hatched, cream-colored bed bugs (nymphs) hiding in their fitted sheets.

How to Protect Against Bed Bugs on Campus

Here are a few simple protective measures to help prevent the spread of bed bugs when moving onto campuses:

If you suspect a bed bug infestation in your dorm room, ask your university to contact a professional bed bug exterminator immediately. Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to eliminate, and college RAs are rarely equipped to handle infestations. Without the help of a professional, bed bugs can hide and survive in a home, apartment or dorm room for months.

*This ranking was created by compiling bed bug-specific data of customer interest from Terminix branches across the country. The rankings represent Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) with the most leads received between January 1, 2021 and August 20, 2021.

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2021 Top 50 Bed Bug Cities in U.S. | Terminix

True Bugs belong in the insect Order Heteroptera. There are approximately 40,000 described species of true bugs in the world, and over 3,800 in the United States.

The True Bugs are insects that have two pairs of wings, the front or outer pair of each divided into a leathery basal part and a membranous apical part. These wing covers are held over the back and often partly folded. True bugs have hypodermic-needle-like mouthparts that allow them to extract subsurface fluids from plants and animals. Bugs undergo incomplete metamorphosis, with their young looking much like adults, but without wings.

The hypodermic-needle-like mouthparts enable true bugs to extract body fluids from plants and animals, including humans. Plants generally show little effect of true bug feeding, unless the bugs are very abundant. A variety of insects, including caterpillars and cockroaches, often fall prey to assassin bugs. A few true bugs are pests or disease carriers. The notorious bed bug is generally uncommon in current households, but their close relatives often live in the nests of bats and birds. A group of assassin bugs in the tropics, known as Conenose bugs, transmit the serious human Chagas Disease, which sometimes causes death.

Some true bugs have been utilized as food for both humans and pets. Certain water bugs are used to give particular flavors to Chinese food, and are even imported into California for this purpose. An examination of commercial "turtle food" may reveal that it is composed largely of small water bugs. Some bugs are capable of producing a foulsmelling chemical from glands in the sides of their bodies, especially the group known as Stink Bugs. This disagreeable odor turns away predators, but has no staining effect to humans. The Common Milkweed Bug has bright orange and black colors, and feeds on milkweed plants. These colors are a warning to vertebrate predators that the bug is poisonous, with milkweed plant toxins. Although sound making in insects is generally restricted to katydids and their relatives, and cicadas, some Assassin Bugs can produce hissing sounds by rasping their feeding tube against the underside of their body.

Many true bugs are aquatic. Bugs of the Family Notonectidae are known as Water Boatmen, and are capable predators of other insects on the water surface. More familiar is the group of aquatic bugs known as Water Striders, which move on the water surface with their "feet" barely touching the surface. They detect the ripples of other insects on the water and run quickly to capture and kill the prey. Water scorpions are true bugs in the Family Nepidae that have long breathing tubes on their rear ends, which enables them to breathe air while still under water. They can survive in warm ponds or polluted waters low in oxygen.

Blatchley, W. S. 1926.Heteroptera or True Bugs of Eastern North America, with Special Refence to the Faunas of Indiana and Florida. 215 pages. Nature Publishing Co., Indianapolis.

Froeschner, R. C. 1960.ACydnidae of the Western Hemipshere.@Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 111:337-60.

Henry, T. J. & Froeschner, R. C., editors. 1988.Catalog of the Heteroptera, or True Bugs, of Canada and the Continental United States. 958 pages. E. J. Brill, Leiden.

Miller, N.C.E. 1956.The Biology of the Heteroptera. 162 pages. Leonard Hill, London.

Polhemus, J. T. 1985.Shore Bugs (Heteroptera Hemiptera; Saldidae). A World Overview and Taxonomic Treatment of Middle American Forms. 252 pages. The Different Drummer, Englewood, Colorado.

Slater, J. A. & Baranowski, R. M. 1978.How to know the True Bugs. 256 pages. Wm. C. Brown, Dubuque, Iowa.

Torre-Bueno, J. R. de la. 1939-1941.AA synopsis of the Hemiptera-Heteroptera of America north of Mexico.@Entomologica Ameicana, 19:141-304 and 21:41-122.

Van Duzee, E. P. 1917.ACatalogue of the Hemiptera of America north of Mexico, excepting the Aphididae, Coccidae, and Aleyrodidae.@902 pages. University of California Publications,Technical Bulletin in Entomology II.

Prepared by the Department of Systematic Biology,Entomology Section,National Museum of Natural History, in cooperation with Public Inquiry Services,Smithsonian Institution

Information Sheet Number 170, 1996

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True Bugs (Heteroptera) | Smithsonian Institution

It's not that our two states don't agree that there are insects that should be hated, it's just that we disagree on which creep-crawly should draw the most disdain.

Let's begin with a little self-examination. Are you cool with bugs, or do they freak you out? It's okay to admit to being bugged by bugs, and please keep in mind that you are far from being alone in feeling that way. I have a bug-phobic daughter, and believe me, the most dangerous place in our home is standing anywhere near an exit if she sees a bug (of nearly any sort) in the room. Move or die has become a family motto.

As I said, being freaked by bugs is very, very common.In Chapman Universitys 2016 Survey on American Fears, 25 percent of respondents said they were afraid of insects and/or spiders. Thats more than the number of people who were afraid of:

TheCut.com, in a piece called "Insects Are Scary Because Your Brain Confuses Disgust With Fear,"offers up the theorythat disgust for bugs brings about something called therejection response. Basically, it's your brain launching an overwhelming feeling that you've just got to get this creepy thing away from you right now.

TheCut.com:

Were disgusted by feces and rotting food, for instance, because each has the potential to make us sick. Along those same lines, the presence of insects often indicates that something isnt safe to consume or touch.Over time, weve come to associate the messenger with the threat itself.

Now that we've covered why some of us (Molly, looking at you) get really freaked out by bugs, let's look at what bugs we hate the most.

PestStrategies.com has a piece up at their website that takes a look at the most hated bugs in America state-by-state. Their survey of about 3,500 people found that there were 6 bugs (I'm including spiders as bugs) that really get to Americans. They are:

Cockroaches are your big winner, or loser, depending on your perspective. Roaches are the most hated bug in 29 states, including our state of Illinois. North of the Cheddar Curtain in Wisconsin, they're hating big-time on the bed bugs. Indiana residents are also down on the bed bugs, while over in Iowa, they have their sights on mosquitoes.

I'm just glad that we haven't had to add Murder Hornets to our list of choices.

Original post:
Illinois And Wisconsin Disagree On The Most Hated Bug - 1440wrok.com

Leaving itchy bite marks on your skin, the thought of these bugs feeding on your flesh at night can creep anybody out. One plant-based essential oil could ward them off.

Known as Cimex Lectularius, according to Pest Smart Control, bed bugs can range from 1mm to 7mm in size.

Notoriously difficult to see, they can hide in the nooks and crannies of a mattress.

One of the best essential oils to deter bed bugs from settling in your bedroom is lemongrass.

Belonging to a small evergreen tree found in Southeast Asia, lemongrass has a citrusy aroma bed bugs can't stand.

Take advantage of lemongrass essential oil by adding a few drops into your washing detergent.

This will help to clear any infestation from your bedding, although there's another technique to get rid of them from your mattress.

Using lemongrass essential oil, mix a few drops with 30ml of water and use this to spray your bedding and mattress.

READ MORE:Bedbugs warning: Possible sounds and smells warning you may be at risk of an infestation

Make sure not to use lemongrass essential oil directly onto your skin, as its high acidity levels will lead to irritation.

Whenever using essential oils, it's best practice to dilute them - not only will they freshen up your home, they will help keep bed bugs at bay.

Other essential oils that can be useful in deterring bed bugs include tea tree, lavender and lemon.

This way, you can choose the fragrance most appealing to you when clearing your home of bed bugs.

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The experts at Pest Smart Control added: "They may not rid the bed bugs instantly, but it is often effective after a couple of tries.

"Not to mention you can bring the beautiful smells of nature into your home at the same time without toxic chemicals."

Entomologist Ameya Gondhalekar from Purdue University, Indiana, USA, identified lemongrass as one of the most effective essential oils for bed bug control.

Published in the journal Scientific Reports, Gondhalekar commented on his findings: "Since bed bugs are found on beds and sofas, people want chemicals that are safe for humans.

"With [lemongrass] essential oils, its compounds are considered to be a low-risk option for bed bug control."

Lemongrass was proven effective to kill bed bugs upon application, but a multidisciplinary approach to eliminate the pests is encouraged.

WebMD suggests using a stiff brush to scrub the mattress seams, and then vacuum the mattress and surrounding areas.

Make sure to place the contents of the vacuum in a bin bag, and to remove the bin bag from the house immediately.

Bed bugs can survive for up to a year without feeding, so it may take a while to discover you have an infestation.

Signs include bed bug faecal material, eggs shells or shed skins where bed bugs hide.

If the infestation is particularly large in numbers, a musty odour will be apparent.

This scent is from the bugs' scent glands, with large numbers needed in order to detect the smell.

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Bed bugs: A home remedy could deter the creepy crawlies from infesting your home - Express

As bed bug infestations become more common in Columbus and Bloomington, Indiana, landlords should pay special attention to their properties. According to the 2015 Bugs without Borders survey, rental units and condominiums remain the most common places for bed bugs to take up residence. And Indiana state law requires landlords to deliver their premises to tenants in habitable condition. Federal law also requires agents and owners of HUD housing maintain their premises in a decent, safe, sanitary condition. This means if bed bugs, rodents, or other pests invade your property, the propertys owner needs to address it.

Indiana state code IC 32-31-8-5 states A landlord shall do the following: (1) Deliver the rental premises to a tenant in compliance with the rental agreement, and in a safe, clean, and habitable condition. Notice the word deliver. In Indiana, state law does not require landlords to keep their tenants properties in habitable condition; it only requires that landlords deliver their premises in such condition. If a bed bug or other infestation occurs, the landlord is therefore not responsible for eradicating the pests if its stated in the rental agreement that the tenant is responsible for maintaining the property. If, for some reason, the landlord introduced the pests, the responsibility for killing the pests would, of course, fall on the landlord.

For single-tenant rentals, distinguishing who introduced the bed bugs is fairly easy. If there were no bed bugs before a tenant arrived and a year or more later bed bugs infested the premises, its logical to conclude the tenant introduced the pest. However, for multiple-unit rentals, figuring out who introduced a pest becomes problematic.

In multi-unit rentals, tenants are continually coming and going. It can be difficult to pin down who introduced a pest and when. If the landlord cannot prove that an individual tenant introduced bed bugs, it might very well fall on the landlord to hire a professional to kill the pests.

Killing bed bugs in a multi-unit facility without bickering over who introduced them is a good practice, anyway. As a landlord, you do not want a bed bug infestation spreading. An infestation will drive tenants out, and rumor might keep new tenants from moving in, even if the bed bugs are treated.

Landlords will also likely be responsible for paying to destroy bed bugs if there has been a history of bed bugs in a given unit, even if it is a single-tenant dwelling. Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to kill, and they have been growing resistant to insecticides. Sometimes it takes multiple treatments to eradicate a bed bug population.

For these reasons, its important to contact a pest control expert if you suspect an infestation. Professionals know how to identify bed bugs, and they can identify which treatment option will best kill pests in your property.

Federal regulations require more of owners and agents of HUD housing than does the Indiana State Code of landlords. In a 2012 notice, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Housing Carol J. Galante informed HUD owners and agents of their responsibility to treat bed bug infestations.

Notice H 2012-5 states:

Pursuant to 24 CFR Part 5, Subpart G, HUD housing must be decent, safe, sanitary and in good repair. Owners of HUD-insured or assisted housing must maintain such housing in a manner that meets physical condition standards. In accordance with project Regulatory Agreements and Section 8 HAP Contracts, the housing must have no evidence of infestation.

HUD owners are therefore required to take care of bed bug or other pest infestations. This, however, does not necessarily mean that the owner-agent must always foot the bill for extermination. The requirements simply put urgency on addressing the infestation. Who pays for the pest control service is determined by who introduced the pest. As mentioned, it can be difficult to determine who introduced bed bugs in multifamily units.

Because bed bugs are spreading, the notice suggests that HUD owners and agents create an integrated pest management (IPM) plan to prevent infestations before they begin. An IPM plan includes steps to educate tenants, stop infestations before they occur, respond to possible infestations, and following up on treatments.

Many pest control companies also offer pest protection plans, which HUD owners might want to consider. These plans involve regularly scheduled inspections and service, which can prevent infestations before they arise.

Photo courtesy of John Benson, Moving Out.

Addressing bed bug infestations is important because ramifications for ignoring an issue can be severe. For example, tenants might withhold or reduce their rent payment if a landlord does not respond in adequate time. They may also go ahead and hire outside company to conduct service and then deduct the cost from their rent.

Worse, the tenant might contact local authorities if you do not respond in a timely manner. If inspectors then come and find an infestation, they can issue an order for you to fix the problem and penalize your company. Worse, if the problem is pervasive and disturbs tenants ability to live in the building, the tenant can legally move out without notice. At that point, they might file a lawsuit.

When your tenant says, bed bugs, its important to respond without delay. Figure out later who will pay the bill. Protect your property and keep your tenants happy by killing bed bugs before they spread.

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Rentals, HUD, and Laws About Bed Bug Treatment - Yes Pest ...