Bed bugs or bedbugs, however you want to spell it are...on the rise! I held an open house today and was fortunate to be supported by several ancillaries that I have recommended as quality folks to deal with when asked by my clients for a referral of a title company, lender, pest inspector and general home inspector.
The time I spent with the pest inspector that so graciously volunteered her time to sit with me in the open house was a real eye opener to the bedbug issue that seems to be rapidly spreading. I heard recently in the news that they have been discovered even in movie theatres and hospitals! YUCK.
I do not know this pest inspector to be an "alarmist" type person but what she had to share today was alarming to say the least. She shared that infestations in apartment buildings has been most problematic, considering then constant turnover, just as in motels, taking the little "hitchhikers" with them.
Some of the facts that were shared are:
- Full grown adult bed bugs at about 1/8 inch long, flat oval bodies about the thickness of a credit card when not blood filled and are reddish brown in color.
- Bed bugs feed on blood...that's you and me folks!
- Their bite can go unnoticed until the welt or swollen itching area appears
- Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease to humans but who the heck wants to be bitten.
- Bed bugs do not fly, however they will crawl over floors, ceilings, walls and other surfaces to find a tasty meal. This inspector has found them behind pictures, in nightstands, behind headboards and of course furniture. She suggested checked the cording on your mattress and sofa for rust colored spots, looking like small dried blood spots.
- They can live several months without a meal.
I understand that bed bugs can be very difficult to get rid of especially once you have moved into a new place due to all the places they can hide, it makes it more difficult to treat.
A word of caution to the new home buyer. You may not want to forego that pest inspection because all seems to look ok to you. As with the general home inspection, an intrical part of purchasing a new home, the pest inspection is well worth the money before you move in and find you have unwanted "house guests".
Sweet dreams and don't let the bed bugs bite!
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