Category Archives: Bed Bugs North Carolina

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  Thursday 18th of April 2024 02:25 AM


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Latest Bed Bug Incidents and Infestations

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North Carolina Bed Bug Hotel and Apartment Reports …

Bed Bug Hotel and Apartment Reports. Click on the city below to find our latest bed bug reports in North Carolina on hotels. To report a new bed bug incident, navigate to our city page below to see further details.

Recommended tips after hotel check-in: 1. Pick up the mattresses in the rooms and look under it. Check around the edges of the box springs. 2. Check under the box spring. 3. Lift up each headboard an lay it on the bed. Carefully inspect the hole where the headboard was lifted out of. Also, inspect all niches and corners of the headboard. 4. If you decide to stay in the hotel, do not put any clothes in dressers. Keep them in your luggage and your dirty clothes in plastic bags.

Happened in June 30-July 3rd, saw a bed bug on abdomen upon leaving the room on July 1st but thought I could have picked it up anywhere. After sleeping July 2nd into the 3rd, woke up scratching everyw...

I traveled to Charlotte on 6/11/2020 through 6/14/2020. I stayed at Hyatt Place Arrowood. The first night I slept in the bed and woke up with bite marks, I thought it was just the bugs in North Caroli...

Bed bugs found on 5/3/20 Found bed bugs in my room, staff treated the situation like it was no big deal, horrible customer service ...

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North Carolina Bed Bug Hotel and Apartment Reports ...

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Bed bugs modify microbial diversity of homes they infest – THE WEEK

New study says that bed bugs can modify microbial communities in homes they infest, an advance that could lead to better indoor environmental quality (IEQ).

Homes infested by bed bugs appear to have different bacterial communitiesoften referred to as microbiomethan homes without bed bugs, according to a first-of-its-kind study from North Carolina State University.

In addition, once bed bug infestations were eradicated, home microbiome became more similar to those in homes that never had bed bugs.

According to American health agency CDC, Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) refers to the quality of a buildings environment in relation to the health and wellbeing of those who occupy space within it. IEQ is determined by many factors, including lighting, air quality, and damp conditions.

Microbes can affect indoor air quality. So NC State entomologists Coby Schal and Madhavi Kakumanu wanted to learn more about the microbiome of bed bugs, whether bed bugs can shape the microbial community in homes they infest, and whether eliminating bed bugs changes the microbiome of homes that were once infested.

The study, held in an apartment complex in Raleigh, compared the microbiome of bed bugs with the microbiome in the household dust of infested homes as well as the microbiome in apartments that had no bed bugs. Nineteen infested homes were studied over the course of four months; seven were treated with heat to eliminate bed bugs after the initial sample was taken, while 12 infested homes were treated after one month. These homes were compared with 11 homes that had no bed bugs.

The results showed similarities between the microbiome of bed bugs and the dust-associated microbiome of infested homes, mostly through the presence of Wolbachia, a symbiotic bacterium that comprises the majority of the bacterial abundance in bed bugs. Bed bug and infested home microbiome differed significantly from the microbial communities of uninfested homes.

"There is a link between the microbiome of bed bugs and the microbiome of household dust in bed bug infested homes," said Schal, the Blanton J. Whitmire Distinguished Professor of Entomology at NC State and co-corresponding author of the paper. "No previous study has reported the impact of chronic pest infestations on indoor microbial diversity."

The study also showed that, after bed bugs were eliminated, infested home microbiome gradually became more like those in homes without bed bugs.

"The elimination of the bed bugs resulted in gradual shifts in the home microbial communities toward those of uninfested homes," Kakumanu, an NC State research scholar in Schal's lab and co-corresponding author of the study, said. "This paper is the first experimental demonstration that eliminating an indoor pest alters the indoor microbiome toward that of uninfested homes."

"Bed bug infestations are problematic in many homes in both developed and developing countries," Schal said. "There is a critical need to investigate infestations from the perspective of indoor environmental quality, and this paper represents a first step toward this end."

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Bed bugs modify microbial diversity of homes they infest - THE WEEK

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Charlotte Ranked As A Top 20 City For Bed Bugs: Orkin – Charlotte, NC Patch

CHARLOTTE, NC It's the two words no homeowners want to hear: bed bugs. Orkin, the pest control and protection service, recently released its annual rankings of the 50 most bed bug-treated cities in the nation, and Charlotte finished in 20th place.

There is some slightly good news for our city. The No. 20 ranking means Charlotte improved from its No. 19 ranking on last year's list.

The rankings were based on metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from Dec. 1, 2018, to Nov. 30, 2019. Both residential and commercial treatments were included.

For the last three years, Baltimore was the No. 1 city in the nation for bed bugs; but its nearby neighbor, Washington, D.C., took the top spot in 2020.

Here are the top 10 cities overall:

"While bed bugs have not been found to transmit any diseases to humans, they can be an elusive threat to households," said Chelle Hartzer, an Orkin entomologist who was referenced in a press release for the rankings. "They are excellent hitchhikers, and they reproduce quickly, which make it nearly impossible to prevent bed bugs."

A description for the blood-sucking bugs on the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website sounds like something from a Stephen King novel: "parasitic insects that feed solely on the blood of people and animals while they sleep."

The reddish-brown bugs are typically 4 to 5 millimeters in length, or the size of Abraham Lincoln's head on a penny. The creatures are also known for multiplying incredibly quickly, as females can deposit one to five eggs a day in the right conditions.

Orkin provides a range of tips to prevent bed bugs from inhabiting your home:

The complete ranking of the most bed bug-treated cities is available on Orkin's website.

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Charlotte Ranked As A Top 20 City For Bed Bugs: Orkin - Charlotte, NC Patch

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Can bed bugs make you sick? [2018 comprehensive health …

Repeated exposure to bed bug bites for several weeks and months can sensitize you to the saliva, and you can develop mild to intense allergic reactions. Some peoples skin does not react to bed bug bites. Some unlucky others develop severe rashes or blisters.

Some peoples skin does not react to bed bug bites. Some unlucky others develop severe rashes or blisters. Even when they are sharing the same bed, their skin can be affected differently.

Approximately 50 to 70% of people develop an allergic reaction to the saliva injected by the bed bugs. This usually results in small, flat or raised bumps, red, swollen, and itchy skin. The bed bug bite areas can become infected when scratched.

The effect of bed bug bites varies, and everybodys reactions are different. Bed bugs require blood to feed and reproduce. Their bites usually cause itchy red welts.

Usually, when bed bugs bite, you wont feel the pain. If you are living with a significant infestation, your sleep will be disturbed, and your skin will become more sensitive. You could experience notable blood loss and anemia.

As the bug numbers rapidly increase, the problems usually become much worse. Health problems grow, and the added social stigma affects victims of bed bugs significantly.

There is no evidence that bed bugs are involved in the transmission (via a bite or infected feces) of any disease, including hepatitis B virus and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.(Source)

When a bed bug feeds, it inserts saliva into its blood-meal host, usually causing an allergic response. How your body will respond much depends on your immune system.

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Bed bug bites usually cause only itchiness. Usually, when bed bugs bite, you wont feel the pain.

Yes, they are. According to one study, 72% of people have itchy red welts, and 28% percent have to itch in the absence of welts.

Our bodies respond in different ways at different times. Bites are more likely to itch if you are overheated, such as in a warm bath or shower, during exercise or in a hot car.

Usually, you cant feel them. Bed bugs prefer not to climb onto you as they feed. Bed bugs crawl along the edge of the exposed skin, seeking for a suitable feeding spot. This can cause bites to occur in rows.

Bed bug bites create minor swelling, local reddening, itching, and inflammation of your skin. Itching can be very intense.

The skin reaction to a bed bug bite may be delayed for up to two weeks, mainly if it is the first time that you have been bitten. That leads to delays in the detection of an infestation.

The duration of a bite will depend mainly on your bodys ability to heal itself. If you scratch a bite, then it becomes a wound, open to secondary infections. When left unscratched, the bite will usually heal without scarring.

Bed bug bites in a line can be small or large, flat or raised, red welts to rashes, hives, or blisters.

Yes, they do. Bed bugs can bite any exposed skin. Most bed bug bites occur on the chest or back, neck, hands, feet or face.

Bed bugs commonly like to feed an hour or two before sunrise, when you sleep. They can bite you in the daytime if theyre starving. When you sit for a long time on an infested chair or sofa, bedbugs will be forced to feed while you are there.

Bed Bug Bites Treatment from your Kitchen Cupboard

Bed bug bites show up in a cluster of red bumps, a row of several bites, or in a zig-zag line.

Bed bug bites can occur alone, but they tend to bite multiple times since they often test a few areas first to locate the best source of blood for their meal.

The classic breakfast, lunch and dinner bite patterns it is not very common. Often, bed bugs can get enough food from a single piercing. If it is unable to get a full meal due to a tricky spot on your skin or some other factor, then it may need to pierce again in a close cluster.

Environment, stress, and many other factors can result in an old bite flaring up. Some people just think about bed bugs and bites appear again.

As high as 60% of all exposed people never react to bed bug bites, and they can live unaware of the fact that they have bed bugs. The rest develop from mild to severe reaction.

You could respond immediately to bedbug bites, or develop some reaction up to 21 days later, depending on your immune system. This is the reason for an infestation going undetected for a very long time.

They look different for different people. Some have an extreme reaction and develop severe swells like a blister. Others have nothing more than a red spot that fades away after a few minutes.

Bed bugs crawl along the edge of the exposed skin, exploring for any suitable feeding spot. They could attack any inch of your skin.

The skin of your body responds differently. As a rule, try to avoid bed bug bites on your hands, feet, and face as they tend to react the most. If you develop bullous/blisters within a few minutes, seek immediate medical attention.

According to the CDC, bed bugs are not a health risk for the public; they dont spread any pathogens or transfer any disease.

There are a few reports of systemic allergic reactions from bed bug bites, like asthma, generalized hives, and anaphylaxis (Source).

Bed bugs do carry 24 known pathogens, but do bedbugs transmit disease? Nope, bed bug bites wont make you sick unless, of course, the bites get infected.

While bed bugs do feed on blood, they dont spread AIDS or other blood-borne illnesses. If youre bitten by bed bugs, the only things you need to worry about are not scratching the bites until they bleed and finding a way to control the itching.

Bed bug scars and marks on the skin can last for weeks and in some cases, result in permanent scarring. For advice from Dr. Loretta Ciraldo, check the video below:

(suggested by http://www.bedbugsbites.net)

According to research and victims experience, these are the actions you should consider to make your skin feel better:

There is evidence that subsequent infections from bed bug bites can cause significant problems for some people:

Modern research has already answered the question: Can bedbugs make you sick?. It is confirmed that there is no evidence that bugs can transmit diseases. Still, this does not mean that bed bugs should be excluded from a medical standpoint. Bed bugs and bed bug bites are a pain to deal with. We must take all necessary measures for their prevention and control.

BEDBUGS are a nasty pest that no one wants in their house. But even when they are gone they leave traces behind that can cause allergic reactions and even asthma attacks. When bedbugs poop in your bed they leave behind a chemical called histamine, which causes allergy symptoms in people.

According to PCT Online, bed bug histamines are substantial, persistent in infested homes

Newresearch findingscould turn perceptions of the already despised bed bug from nuisance pest into a medically important threat. A study from North Carolina State University shows that histamine levels are substantially higher in homes infested by bed bugs than in pest-free homes and that these histamine levels persist for months even if the bed bugs have been eliminated from the home. It is histamine that causes your runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing and trouble breathing.

Histamine levels in bed bug infested homes were at least 20 times higher than histamine levels in homes without bed bugs, DeVries said. And these levels didnt decrease much three months after treating the infested homes with heat and insecticides.

In humans, histamines are generally released as part of an immune response. They cause inflammation and help allow other immune system chemicals to fight a pathogen or to do cellular repair work. Histamines, though, can have deleterious effects in humans, including rashes when contacted with skin and respiratory problems when inhaled think of the allergic reactions to certain foods, pollen, mold or other environmental conditions.

Histamines are used in skin and respiratory allergy tests as a positive control they cause a bump in skin tests and restrict breathing in respiratory tests, DeVries said.

Bed bugs naturally give off high levels of histamine in their feces; DeVries says that bed bugs use histamine as a marker of a good place to aggregate. When bed bugs find their way into homes, they tend to aggregate in bedrooms where sleeping humans the food source for bed bugs spend a good part of their day.

In Conclusions

Bed bugs have become a major social, economic, and health problem since their global resurgence in the early 2000s. Infestations can reach exceedingly high levels, especially among the elderly and in disadvantaged communities, where interventions may be unaffordable. While bed bug bites have been recognized as a dermatological concern that can be exacerbated and lead to secondary infections, bed bugs have not been implicated as disease vectors or allergen producers. The results of this study demonstrate that the presence of bed bugs strongly correlates with histamine levels in homes, and thus may adversely affect the health of residents through exposure to exogenous histamine.

Furthermore, bed bug eradication with heat and insecticides does not appear to reduce histamine levels in homes, suggesting high thermal and chemical stability of histamine.The intimate association of bed bugs with humans and the spatial distribution and persistence of histamine in homes suggest that histamine may represent an emergent indoor environmental contaminant whose impact on human health should be investigated.

This information is not meant to be used for self-diagnosis. If you have any questions about the bed bug bites described above or think that you may have a bed bug infestation or skin rash, allergy or infection, immediately consult a healthcare provider.

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Id love to hear what you think

Im probably leaving out some information. What other tips can you provide about this issue? Lets beat the bed bug! Share your story in the comments.

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How to inspect your hotel room for bed bugs | Rentokil …

Early detection of these small unwanted guests is critical to avoiding major problems

Bed bugs have made a comeback in the U.S. in the last decade, being transported across the country with travelers belongings without being noticed, has allowed these pests to make their way into all types of properties: transportation vehicles and hubs, hotels, colleges and universities, movie theaters and libraries, retail stores, and even offices. Nowhere is safe.

However, hotels remain a primary concern in the fight against bed bugs.

One common misconception is that the presence of bed bugs represents a lack of cleanliness but that is not the case. Bed bugs can live anywhere there is a food source, and since they feed on blood, hotels make a perfect spot for them to take up residence.

Once introduced to a hotel, bed bugs can easily infest mattresses, sofas, bed frames, and under carpet. They can also travel easily from room to room and are quick to reproduce. They hide in cracks and crevices, including behind headboards, during the day and come out at night to feed on unsuspecting guests.

Early detection through regular inspection is the best way to catch a bed bug problem before it blooms into a full-blown infestation. Although quick turn-around treatments are now available, such as low-impact heat treatments that kill all life stages of bed bugs, they still take rooms out of service and impact your bottom line.

Daily inspections for bed bugs should be performed by the housekeeping staff as they clean rooms and change linens. Rentokil Steritech, or your pest control company, can conduct training sessions with your housekeeping and maintenance staff to teach them how to identify these pests, as well as the potential signs of a bed bug problem.

You should also work with Rentokil Steritech, or your pest control company, to schedule routine bed bug inspections to catch issues that your staff may not during their daily inspections. Routine inspections can be conducted by your pest control professional with specially trained canines who alert to the presence of bed bugs, or manually with a visual inspection.

If you suspect a bed bug problem, call Rentokil Steritech to have someone perform an inspection immediately. Make note of the room number and the specific location of the pest.

The infographic below illustrates five easy steps for your staff to perform a bed bug inspection. Devoting a few extra minutes to this practice will help you to identify any issues quickly and to continue providing your guest with an optimal experience.

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