Don't let the bed bugs bite

The bed bugs are biting in Kinston.

Local pest control companies have seen increased infestations in the Kinston area, according to Tom Davis, owner of B&T Pest Control.

“We are starting to see toward the east side of Kinston picking up,” Davis said. “Everyone I have talked to has said that it is sporadic in other areas around town, but the lower income areas have really spiked.”

B&T’s Topsail beach location reported an influx of bed bugs, with numbers rising 10 to 15 percent from where they were at this time last year, Davis said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the United States is one of many countries now experiencing resurgence in the population of bed bugs. Experts suspect that a number of factors — bed bugs’ greater resistance to pesticides, more prevalent travel both international and domestic and a general lack of familiarity with bed bugs — have contributed to the increase.

Bed bugs are most active at night and bite any exposed areas of skin while an individual is sleeping. The bite is painless and is not noticed, but the face, neck, hands, and arms are common sites for bed bug bites. Small, flat or raised bumps on the skin are the most common sign and redness, swelling, and itching commonly occur. Bed bugs also have a tendency to leave several bites in a row, according to the Mayo Clinic.

 “Typically it is the bite that gets people to notice,” Davis said. “When people notice, we usually put out traps and things like that, and if we find something then we will start to take care of it.”

Bed bugs feed by sucking blood from humans. Adult bed bugs are reddish brown in color, appearing more reddish after feeding on a blood, and newly hatched bedbugs are nearly colorless. A female bedbug can lay more than 200 eggs in her lifetime, which typically lasts for about 10 months

“Bed” bugs are in name only, as the bugs can be found in several areas around the home, according to Dwayne Kelly, manager of Dodson Pest Control.

“Generally, you can find bed bugs in cracks and crevasses, mattress buttons, bed springs, wall hangings, couches and chairs,” Kelly said. “You can even transport them to cars and boats.”

In most cases bed bugs can be treated, but Kelly recommended replacing any beds or cribs where an infant would sleep.

There are no preventative measures in place for bed bugs. A clean home does not deter them, or a dirty home invite them, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

There are steps that will help prevent bed bugs, especially after traveling, Davis said.

“If you are going to travel, make sure you go through everything when you get home,” Davis said. “Go through all your luggage and wash everything when you get home. People are saying that is working for them.”

Hotels are often mentioned as troublesome spots for bed bugs, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Local hotels take make sure to take steps to keep the rooms as clean as possible, according to Mamie Sheppard, assistant general manager for Holiday Inn Express in Kinston

“We have a company that exterminates for us, and even though we do not have that problem they would take care of it if we did,” Sheppard said. “They come as often as needed. We could call them today and they would be here this evening,”

Sheppard said in addition to being on call, the extermination service Holiday Inn Express uses does an inspection of the hotel at least once a week.

Joel Gerber can be reached at 252-559-1076 or jgerber@freedomenc.com.

Breakout Box 1: Tell-tale signs of bed bugs

Dark specks Typically found along mattress seams, these specks are bedbug excrement.

Empty exoskeletons Bedbugs molt five times before becoming adults. These empty skins are light brown.

Bloody smears You may find small smears of blood on the sheets where you accidentally crushed an engorged bedbug.

Source: The Mayo Clinic

Breakout Box 2: Preventative measures

Secondhand items. Inspect used mattresses or upholstered furniture carefully before bringing them into your home.

Hotel precautions. Check mattress seams for bedbug excrement and place your luggage on tables or dressers instead of on the floor.

Birds and bats. Eliminate any neighboring bird and bat habitats that may serve as a refuge for bedbugs, especially following an extermination attempt.

Source: The Mayo Clinic