Is the bed bug epidemic a myth?

@poingly (605)
United States
December 14, 2009 4:03pm CST
I'm not saying bed bugs don't exist, and I'm not saying they can't be a problem. However, in recent years, people have really been stepping up the efforts to tell people not to take items off the side of the road for fear of bed bugs. Reusing items in this way is the only truly environmental way to recycle, but because no one makes any money off of it, I could see why it is frowned upon by government and private industry alike! The thing is that bed bug incidence doesn't seem to be increasing or decreasing any--well, at least among my friends (I know, not exactly a random sampling). But the incidence seems about the same before people got all freaked out about it as it is after. Just sayin'....
1 person likes this
3 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
15 Dec 09
First, I would say that there are many environmentally-friendly ways of recycling and that taking items off the side of the road in order to reuse them is probably one of the more risky ones. Bedbugs were introduced to the New World probably in the 18th Century (having established themselves in Europe prehistorically). They were practically eradicated in the 1940s, it seems, but have reappeared since certain insecticides and pesticide methods have been discontinued. Many bedbugs are now resistant to DDT and also to other, weaker, insecticides. Bedbugs do not habitually travel far from their food source (which may be humans or animals) and so are most frequently found close to where their hosts sleep. I would certainly not consider using a mattress or an old bedstead found at the side of a road! It appears that the most likely place to find an infestation would be in hotels or anywhere where there are frequent overnight visits by travellers, such as rented holiday accommodation. Once one pregnant female has been carried away, however, it is quite possible for a colony to grow exponentially where ever she ends up! From what I have read, bedbugs are not associated with the transmission of disease in the same way that, for example, fleas are, so they would appear to be an annoying rather than a dangerous bed-fellow. Certainly I would not like them in my house (assuming that they are not here already)! In this country, fly-tipping is an offence and I would sooner contact the appropriate authority if I found something at the roadside than actually use it myself!
@poingly (605)
• United States
15 Dec 09
I'm not talking about fly-tipping here! NYC has no other place for trash but on the streets! There's someplace in NYC every day of the week where there is trash on the side of the road. Much of it is perfect fine stuff!
@poingly (605)
• United States
15 Dec 09
It's illegal to steal from the trash here too, and (yes) people generally put it out only on their appointed day (or more likely the night before), but because there are so many people here every day is a trash day somewhere in the city.
6 Dec 11
The particular technique most used by pest control management is really a mixture of steam treatment as well as pesticide, usually a resolution with d-Phenothrin included. That can be a insecticide which is successful simply by contact plus as a abdominal toxin. Used for spray, thermal haze, aerosol as well as ULV apps. Typically the main utilization connected with d-phenothrin is certainly inside the control of insects including bedbugs along with lice. There may be merged thoughts relating to the bedbugs capability to find pesticide; for this reason, certain providers are now working with Chlorfenapyr which is non-repellent plus efficient for a amount of time Below, we use steam solution and just what you should find out, plus discuss a couple of different approaches associated with pest control. Useful resource: http://www.bedbugbitesinfo.com/
21 Mar 10
Its not a myth. There are website that deal with it, e.g.: http://758caee2.seriousurls.com