The bedbug (or bed bug) is an insect of the family Cimicidae that lives by feeding on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded hosts. The name comes from its preferred habitat:  mattresses, sofas, and other furniture. Although not strictly nocturnal, bedbugs are mainly active at night.

Bed bug infestations often go undetected until they are widespread. They are elusive, coming out mainly at night to feed on their sleeping victims and then go back to their hiding places undetected. They can however get onto clothing, luggage, backpacks etc and be transmitted from place to place.

Bed bugs are an issue that schools across the country are facing. There is an infestation in a home. Bed bugs gets onto a backpack or piece of clothing by an unknowing carrier and is brought to school, it then transfers to another backpack and goes home to a different house. And the infestation grows.

The article below is about an Elementary school in Denver that is investigating a possible bed bug outbreak.

The video below shows how one school in Indiana has begun to educate their teachers and community on these pests to know what to look for and ways to get rid of the bed bugs, because numerous other schools in the town have had issues with bed bugs.

How do I get rid of bedbugs? Call Invader Pest Management for professional help with bed bugs in the Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa, Tempe Areas at 623-435-0228. We have highly qualified and trained staff that specializes in bed bug treatment and control efforts. We are confident that with your cooperation, we can help you sleep better tonight! Make an appointment on line at www.invader.net.

Bed bugs suspected in Denver Elementary School

Fox 59 Bed Bugs in School Video

The bed bug resurgence has become quite a hot topic issue lately. In fact, a bill designating various responsibilities for landlords, tenants and pest management professionals in the prevention and management of bed bug infestations in multifamily housing was introduced at State Capitol legislature in downtown Phoenix, Arizona last week. 

Under House Bill 2210, only properly licensed applicators would be permitted to treat for bed bugs in multifamily housing.  Tenants would be required to notify their landlord once they detected a bed bug infestation and permit the landlord or licensed pest control operator access to the unit to conduct an inspection and perform mitigation activities.

According to the current draft of the bill, there will be some directives installed into law if the bill passes, and landlords will have to be more responsive to their tenants needs, at least when it comes to Bed Bugs. 

This is a small section of the proposed bill

THE LANDLORD HAS THE FOLLOWING OBLIGATIONS WITH RESPECT TO A HOUSEHOLD PEST INFESTATION:

• THE LANDLORD SHALL MAINTAIN THE DWELLING UNIT FREE OF AN INFESTATION OF HOUSEHOLD PESTS AND SHALL MAINTAIN THE DWELLING UNIT AS PRESCRIBED IN SECTION 33-1324.
• THE LANDLORD SHALL NOT ENTER INTO ANY LEASE AGREEMENT WITH A TENANT FOR A DWELLING UNIT THAT THE LANDLORD KNOWS TO BE INFESTED.
• ON WRITTEN NOTICE FROM THE TENANT, WITHIN FIVE DAYS THE LANDLORD OR THE LANDLORD’S LICENSED PEST CONTROL PROVIDER SHALL VISUALLY INSPECT THE DWELLING UNIT FOR HOUSEHOLD PESTS. ON EVIDENCE THAT AN INFESTATION EXISTS IN THE DWELLING UNIT, WITHIN FIVE DAYS THE LANDLORD SHALL START THE PROCESS OF MITIGATION OF THE HOUSEHOLD PESTS IN THE DWELLING UNIT.

Now I have to tell you, I’m not a proponent of big government telling us what to do, however in some cases it is necessary, and I believe this to be one of those cases.

Bedbugs are prolific and spread like wildfire if left unmanaged.  I have seen it time and time again in multi-housing units, the tenant that is complaining about the problem is often not the source of the problem, they request service, they do everything possible to have the problem go away, but it never does.  This happens because the neighbors never report their problem, the landlord never finds out there is a problem, the landlord doesn’t want to spend more money, the tenant blames the landlord, the landlord say’s it’s the tenants fault.  It is terrible circle of blame, while all the surrounding neighbors become infested.

This new bill, once it becomes Arizona law, will force an action, both landlords and tenants will have to work together to solve bedbug infestations.  And best of all, professional pest management companies and bedbug experts like Invader Pest Management will be allowed to utilize a bedbug treatment protocol that will not only take care of bedbugs in the tenants unit, but also force inspections to all adjacent units with the law on their side allowing access to these units for inspection.  Of course the bill as it has been introduced has some safeguard for tenant protection, such as a 48 hour notification to tenants, so nobody will be knocking doors down and surprising unsuspecting people. 

Oh and to be fair, this is not a one-sided and an attack on landlords, the following paragraph is taken directly from the proposed bill, and is part of the tenant’s responsibility:

• A TENANT WHO FAILS TO NOTIFY THE LANDLORD OF THE PRESENCE OF A HOUSEHOLD PEST AS PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION MAY BE HELD LIABLE FOR ALL PEST CONTROL EXPENSES FOR THE DWELLING UNIT AND THE SURROUNDING UNITS THAT ARE OR MAY BECOME INFESTED. PEST CONTROL EXPENSES MAY INCLUDE THE COST OF THE PEST CONTROL TREATMENT OR TREATMENTS, REPAINTING OF SURFACES, REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF CARPET OR FLOORING, REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF CABINETS OR OTHER SURFACES, FURNITURE CLEANING AND REPLACEMENT, PROFESSIONAL CLEANING OF 1 CLOTHING, BEDDING AND MATTRESS COVERS AND TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR RESIDENTS IN SURROUNDING UNITS THAT MAY BE DISPLACED FROM THEIR INFESTED DWELLING UNIT.

You might not understand the importance of this bill becoming a law at this time, but if you ever have a bedbug infestation and you saw your neighbor drag in an old couch, chair or mattress recently, they could have introduced the bedbugs to the whole building, and believe me – you will want as much help as possible to get rid of the bedbugs and possibly you will want the law on your side to make sure it happens.  

I will keep you informed as this bill works it’s way through the Arizona Legislature.

For any bedbug problems or to schedule a FREE estimate, you can reach me at 623-435-0228 or contact me from my website http://www.invader.net/

Fred Willey, Owner/President of Invader Pest Management

Bed bugs have tormented people throughout history. But from the early 1950’s through the late 1090’s bed bug problems became a rarity, at least in the developed world. After nearly a 50-year hiatus, the bed bugs began appearing on the radar screen of pest control professionals in the late 1990’s and recently over the last 5 years pest control professionals are reporting a 1,000-fold increases in bed bug jobs.

As the number of bed bug infestations continues to grow, so does consumer dissatisfaction with control efforts. Part of the problem is that many people know little about bed bugs beyond “Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.” Even professionals – pest managers, property managers, hotel staff, and physicians-are often unfamiliar with the complex biology of bed bugs or their habits. People, as a rule, underestimate the effort and attention to detail required in order to control bed bugs successfully: effort that is required not only by pest managers, but also by residents, property managers, and facility staff. 

Infestations of bed bugs often go undetected until they have become widespread. Bed bugs evolved to live closely with humans. They are cryptic and elusive. For most of the day, they hide deep in cracks and crevices, in furniture, and inside walls where they remain unseen. At night they come out and feed on their sleeping victims, and then scurry back to their hiding places undetected. They walk from room to room, and hitchhike long distances in luggage, furniture, and other items.

Today’s technologies combined with lack of understanding of bed bugs and poor cooperation from those infested often result in bed bug control that is unsatisfactory, expensive, and short-term. While pest control companies strive to eliminate a pest if possible, in most cases the realistic goal is to reduce a pest problem to an acceptable level. Few people are willing to accept this level of control.  So, when it comes to “control” of bed bugs, in most situations, we really mean elimination of all the bed bugs. Elimination is no easy task for any pest, let alone a pest as cryptic, elusive, and well-adapted to the human environment as the bed bug.

We have little tolerance today for bed bugs, lice, and other human parasites that are living and feeding on us. Bed bugs are particularly repulsive because they suck our blood while we lie cocooned in our bed, our most personal space, which we assume is safe and secure. People are horrified to discover that those specks of blood on their sheets are theirs. They feel violated.

For professional help with bed bugs in the Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa, Tempe Areas, call Invader Pest Management at 623-435-0228. We have highly qualified and trained staff who specialize in bed bug treatment and control efforts. We are confident that with your cooperation, we can help you sleep better tonight! Make an appointment on line at www.invader.net.

Continuing Report on “Mr. Willey goes to Washington DC”

OK, so in my last Blog I told you there were three issues that NPMA was concerned about,  well let me spend a few minutes and update you on the second issue we were promoting, BED BUGS. Wikipedia defines bed bugs as:

The bedbug (or bed bug) is an insect of the family Cimicidae that lives by hematophagy – feeding on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded hosts. Its name comes from its preferred habitat: mattresses, sofas, and other furniture.^[1] Although not strictly nocturnal, bedbugs are mainly active at night.

A bill called “Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite” is looking for a sponsor.  Unfortunately, there is a major resurgence of bed bugs in the United States, and with multi – tenant buildings such as dorms, apartment complexes, hotel industry, and easy travel methods, etc.   bed bugs can be rapidly spread.  NPMA believes there needs to be professional management of bed bugs for effective control, and our industry has the training to solve the bed bug issues while protecting the public from unwarranted treatments with excessive use of pesticides by unlicensed personnel.  While this bill has funded the inspection portion of Bed Bug Management, we want to ensure that all cases are handled by professionals trained to care and remediate Bed Bugs!

While I see little support for the bill on the internet, and many people don’t believe the government should be paying for Bedbugs,  let me tell you why it is important and needs your attention.  It’s shocking if you check out Trip Advisor online and type “Bed bugs” and see how many establishments have been reported by travelers that they have bed bugs!

This legislation is not asking for money to treat bed bugs, but for money to pay State inspectors to look for bed bug infestations.  Since bed bugs were a non-issue 5 years ago, there is no current protocol for dealing with them.  Hotels would rather deal with the bugs themselves than get the State involved.  This is like having a health inspector inspect kitchens.  Lodging and real estate are some of the slimier businesses in the world.  They need governmental oversight because they could care less about their customers given the peculiar nature of their business models.  (OK, don’t threaten me here, I’ve been in a couple of hotels that really do a good job, but guess what, they hired professional pest management companies!!!Ya!)  Bedbugs affect all the states, as they spread from state to state, so it should be federal.

If Congress doesn’t afford grants for inspection, they should make it law that hotels, motels, and B&B’s must inspect for bed bugs four times a year.  It takes five weeks for an infestation to take root.  Inspecting every three months ought to do it.  Congress needs to consider federal legislation to help deal with infestations in residential housing, as well. Learn more about the bed bugs resurgence or call 623-435-0228.

More on bed bugs from MSNBC:

Are bed bug attacks a sign of dirty living conditions or living in older homes/building, or is anybody at risk?
Infestations of common bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L., are not directly related to sanitation levels.  The cleanest living area can have a very large infestation , and improving sanitation alone will not eliminate an established bed bug population.  Cluttered conditions can offer the bugs a lot of excellent harborages very near their human blood-meal hosts.  Almost anyone is at risk of having an infestation if bed bugs are brought into their home.

Can you get anything serious from a bed bug bite? Are there physical/physiological effects if you are living with bed bugs?
According to scientists, naturally occurring populations (infestations) of common bed bugs have been documented to have at least 28 different kinds of human pathogens in their bodies.  However, very careful and detailed studies by both entomologists and medical doctors have never shown that those bed bugs could transmit (infect) even one of those pathogens to humans or lab animals.  They simply have not been shown to transmit any human disease known so far.