Posted by Emily Diggins on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 @ 11:38 AM
check out this video:
Bed Bug Artist Hopes to Bring Attention to New York City's Bed Bug Problem
Samuel Mark is an accomplished artist in Brooklyn who has been using graffiti in order to bring attention the growing bed bug problem in New York City. Nice work, Mr. Mark!
In the video, he says, "You'd be amazed at how many people think it's a joke and don't realize how bad of a problem it is." That's what I've been saying all along!
Posted by Emily Diggins on Tue, Aug 03, 2010 @ 11:21 AM
I found this blog article over on Equisearch.com and it's one I can totally relate to! It's called "Married with Horses When Bed Bugs Bite" and it's about a woman and her husband who get bed bugs while staying overnight at a horse show. The article certainly drives home the discomfort, lack of sleep, and itchiness that can result from a bed bug infestation. However, the article leaves out the fact that these bed bugs were surely transferred to the writer's home!
It's an amusing read, however, and fits well with our bed bug theme. Check it out and let me know what you think!
Posted by Emily Diggins on Wed, Jul 14, 2010 @ 10:27 PM
I thought we'd deviate from our regularly scheduled programming today to have a discussion that is slightly less disturbing than our usual blog features.
What did I have in mind, you ask?
Vampires!
See, vampires are kind of like bed bugs. They only come out at night, they drink blood, they leave nasty marks on one's skin, etc.
The main difference is, I suppose, is that a bed bug:
is not nearly as attractive as, say, Edward Cullen:
The other main difference, of course, is that vampires (unfortunately for us Twilight fans) don't exist, whereas bed bugs pose a very real physical and psychological threat.
Protect yourself from bed bugs (and vampires) today!
Posted by Emily Diggins on Sat, Jul 10, 2010 @ 08:08 PM
I found this humorous article over at The Chicago Tribune website. The original link is here. It's a funny take on the same age-old bed bug problem I talk about so often.
"Bed Buggin' Out
New York City seems to be the place where most of today's bed-bug action is, which would be fine if it only afflicted those people who move there and two weeks later act like you're a rube for not.
By Mark Bazer, Tribune Media Services
July 8, 2010
'Abercrombie and Fitch Co said Friday that it closed a second store in New York due to a bed bug infestation.' -- Associated Press
It's rare to read a feel-good story about bed bugs, but there you have it.
Although, you do have to feel some sympathy for the bed bugs for making such a poor retail choice. One hopes the chain sent legions of shirtless young men to fumigate the poor things out of their misery.
And with any luck, the bed bugs were so turned off by the humanity inside the Abercrombie & Fitch stores that they've sworn off -- and told all their friends to swear off -- people altogether.
Because, as you have no doubt heard over the last few years: "Bed bugs are back." Indeed, some are invading your home right now.
All but eliminated for decades thanks to now-banned pesticides like DDT (which did their job but just may have had minor side effects like causing cancer in people, killing bald eagles, etc.), bed bugs look at today's environmentally friendly pesticides as refreshing palette-cleansers to the main course: us.
They get into your clothing, your bed, and then into your skin, and, while you're not going to die from their bites, they'll a) drive you mad and b) make you the subject of unaffected friends' dinner conversations for months.
According to the Bed Bug Advisory Board in New York City, the following dialogue occurs an average of 25 times a night on Manhattan's Upper East Side:
"They had to throw out their beds, their clothes, their children."
"That's horrible. They had such nice clothes."
New York City seems to be the place where most of today's bed-bug action is, which would be fine if it only afflicted those people who move there and two weeks later act like you're a rube for not.
But bed bugs are equal-opportunity parasites: They don't care about your personality or your income or how attractive you are, and with luck they don't care if you've ever written about them, either.
New York is hardly the only city affected. A recent check of www.bedbugregistry.com, a site where people can post about where they've encountered bed bugs and where bed bugs can post about where they've encountered people, shows recent bed-bug appearances everywhere from Los Angeles to Warrensville, Ohio.
And once you get bed bugs, you can carry them wherever you go, except for the strip clubs in Northwest Indiana, which depress even them.
In other words, if you've ever been bitten by bed bugs, there's nothing funny about them at all. With luck, these people are in too much discomfort right now to e-mail me.
The picture, however, isn't entirely grim. Experts suggest several ways you can reduce your risk of encountering bed bugs (and know of several other ways but don't feel like suggesting them):
-- Avoid hotels, where bed bugs are especially prevalent. If you must travel overnight, hide in furniture stores at closing time.
-- Buy a can of black-market DDT and spray yourself with it every night before bed.
-- Bite bed bugs near you before they can bite you.
-- Dabble in Eastern religion.
-- Fulfill your Abercrombie & Fitch needs online.
(Mark Bazer is a writer living a few blocks away from Chicago. He also hosts "The Interview Show," a Chicago-based talk show available at The Huffington Post. He can be reached via www.markbazer.com.)"
Posted by Emily Diggins on Sun, Jun 27, 2010 @ 03:55 PM
I found this sad article on yahoo news:
The original article can be found here: Waco woman's home infested by bed bugs
By John Cuoco
WACO - A raging infestation of bed bugs is ruining one Waco woman's life. She started feeling the bites about two weeks ago and exterminators sprayed multiple times, but she still can't seem to get rid of them. Jessica Bell's life has been reduced to 24 trash bags. "You know, I've had to throw everything away, our lives have been destroyed," Bell said. She has spent thousands on replacing furniture teeming with the creepy crawlers and exterminators to get rid of them. "I've had to depend of family and friends to help us out," Bell added. So how hard is it to actually kill these things? "There's no way to eradicate bed bugs with just one treatment it has to be multiple treatments, and a series of methods of treatments in order to ensure you completely eradicate the infestation," Mark Arensman, BUGSDOTCOM, said. Arensman has worked six years in pest control and has seen the worst the parasitic insects have to offer. So what can you do to avoid a bed bug infestation. "You have to call a licensed professional with experience getting rid of bed bug infestations," Arensman added. The worst part about these pests is you never really know where they came from. Jessica and her family are trying to move on, they're looking for a new apartment, but with the thousands they've spent, she might have to put off buying a house and her wedding she had planned.
This article is indicative of the financial, psychological, physical, and emotional toll that bed bugs can take on a person and their family. There is no cheap or easy way to eradicate bed bugs, so prevention is truly the best cure.
Posted by Emily Diggins on Sun, Jun 27, 2010 @ 03:09 PM
Wow, there has been lots of attention given to bed bugs in the media lately, especially in popular television. First it was 30 Rock, then It's Always Sunny, and now Seinfeld!
At one point in the show, Jerry said he needed to hire “Rusty” the bed bug dog to fumigate his Citi Field suite after Lady Gaga spent time in it.
The bed bug dog is actually named Roscoe, and he is quite the icon in New York City, appearing on TV commercials, billboards, and the sides of trucks.
Thanks, Seinfeld, for giving the bed bug problem some more attention! If more people become aware that bed bugs are not a myth and can wreak serious havoc on one's home and life, hopefully we can stop them from spreading.
Posted by Emily Diggins on Tue, Jun 01, 2010 @ 10:11 PM
In catching up on the TV I've missed lately, I discovered that the gang on "It's Always Sunny..." had a run in with bed bugs! In the episode, Frank and Charlie's apartment gets fumigated for a bed bug infestation.
You can watch the episode on hulu by clicking here.
I think it's interesting and important that popular TV shows are giving attention to the issue of bed bugs. This show, though a comedy, raises the serious question of whether toxic gases should be used to kill bed bugs. What do you think?
Posted by Emily Diggins on Tue, May 25, 2010 @ 08:42 PM
On the Season Finale of the popular TV series "Mad Men," there was an interesting and funny reference made to bed bugs:
Kenneth: Oh my sir. It looks like you got a bad case of the Chew Daddies. Ozark Kisses. The Woodsman Companion? Bed bugs. They’re a big problem in New York.
Jack: I don’t have bed bugs, Kenneth. I went to Princeton.
Kenneth: Sir, anyone can get them. Back in Stone Mountain even the mayor had bed bugs. And she…was a horse.
This conversation reveals a common misconception about bed bugs: that if you're clean, or smart, or rich, you don't have to worry about bed bugs. But the fact is that even 5-star hotels are subject to bed bug infestations. Like Kenneth said, "anyone can get them." And if you're wealthy and happen to have the luxury of traveling often, then you're actually at a higher risk of picking up bed bugs than someone who may keep a less tidy house but doesn't travel.
The episode also brings attention to the growing bed bug problem in New York City, and it's nice that popular TV is raising awareness about the social stigmas and psychological trauma that are linked with bed bugs.
Just a friendly reminder, thanks to 30 Rock, that we've all got to protect ourselves from bed bugs. :)
Posted by Emily Diggins on Wed, May 19, 2010 @ 09:24 PM
Some things you should know about bed bugs:
- When a bed bug bites, it injects anesthetic into its victim's skin so the victim doesn't wake up
- After biting, the bed bug injects anticoagulant into the victim so that blood flows more freely
- Bed bugs bite just before dawn, when humans are in their deepest REM sleep.
- Most people have an allergic reaction to the bed bug's saliva, which is what causes the tell-tale itchy red bumps
- Bed bugs can bite a single victim up to 500 times in one night
- A single bed bug can drink 3 times its own weight in one feeding
Scared yet?
Don't let the bed bugs bite!
Posted by Emily Diggins on Sat, May 15, 2010 @ 10:11 AM
The original article can be seen here.
Bed Bugs Get a Taste For Blood This Summer
Mitya Underwood and Anealla Safdar
They tend to venture out at night looking for blood. Although they can live for up to 18 months without food, they usually feed every five to 10 days. Itchy bites are a reaction to the anaesthetic that the bugs inject as they suck blood. Once an infestation has taken hold, it is difficult to eradicate and many households need repeat treatments to exterminate the bugs.
Santosh Balachandran, operations manager at Pest Management Consultants Middle East, based in Dubai, said a bedbug invasion could start with just one or two eggs. “The problem is they are very difficult to get rid of, and they are everywhere at the moment,” he said “They are probably in all public spaces like cinemas and taxis. It doesn’t mean you are unhygienic. But once they are in, it is very hard to get rid of them.”
Mr Balachandran said he inspected his own house thoroughly once a month and was always careful when returning from public places. “As for health issues, there is only a problem if people are allergic and they get some kind of reaction. Humidity is also a factor.” In crowded accommodation, such as labour camps, bedbugs were almost inevitable because of the living conditions, he added.
Dr Kadhum said: “They are not linked to being clean or dirty; they are just very easily brought into the home.” It was a common misconception that the bugs could spread disease, he said. “This is not actually true. This used to happen with other types of bugs, but it is not really a possibility any more.”
Khaled Obaid, an engineer for Alphamed, a company contracted by the Abu Dhabi Municipality, said bedbug infestations were spreading. “It really is a problem, and, while we are not suffering in all places, the worst problems are in the labour camps,” he said. “Because of their living habits, they live in crowded accommodation, there is a lack of hygiene and it can become quite humid. The windows and doors are closed and, with some air-conditioning units not working, it is so humid.”
The bugs were attracted by carbon dioxide and heat, said Mr Obaid. “They move around easily and can spread in cars and handbags. There have even been cases in hotels because many people use the rooms.” The bugs were hard to control, said Mr Obaid, but there were many ways to prevent them entering your home and to get rid of them. People who found bedbugs in their homes should leave their mattresses and blankets in direct sunlight. Mr Obaid also advised them to plug any holes in the walls of their apartments so bugs could not crawl in and to keep areas clean.
“Just by doing that would solve more than 80 per cent of this problem,” he said. “When it comes to what I can do if there is a problem, I can use chemical treatments.” The number of infestations across the world has risen dramatically in the past decade. Experts put this down to increased foreign travel and, possibly, to the bugs becoming resistant to certain pesticides. The UK recently reported an increase in bedbug cases, particularly in London, where infestations have spread into more middle-class areas such as Hampstead.
munderwood@thenational.ae asafdar@thenational.ae
This article shows that bed bugs are becoming a world wide problem. Bed bugs can get shuttled overseas and from country to country and continent to continent by travelers. The article makes some valid points about bed bugs-- it doesn't matter how clean you and your home are, you can still be affected, and once bed bugs are in, it's very difficult to get them out.
As always, you can purchase the best in bed bug protection at Shop BedBugBytes Now