By Carole Kuhrt Brewer,
September 22, 2010 at 8:40 am
Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite.
The First BedBug University North American Summit featuring 14 of the nation's leading bedbug experts is meeting outside of Chicago in Rosemont, IL. The growing scourge of bedbugs has scientists and entomologists scratching their heads about what to do. The sold out two-day summit, September 21 and 22, 2010 offers seminars on detection devices, techniques and fumigation.
Chicago is home to the fifth largest infestation of bedbugs (Cimex lectularius Linnaeus). The only cities with more are New York (#1); Philadelphia (#2); Detroit (#3) and Cincinnati (#4). Although the bugs are more of a nuisance than a health hazard, they continue to rise in number and have been blamed for the spread of up to 40 different human diseases.
Learn to recognize these annoying critters and what you can do about them in the slideshow below.
Sleep tight--and don't let the bedbugs bite.Bedbugs are most often found in hotels and other places where lots of people come and go. Two things you can do to prevent the visitors from coming home with you after a trip is to place your suitcase in a large plastic bag and seal it tightly. Also make sure to shake out the suitcase and clothes before leaving the hotel.Bedbugs can be very difficult to eradicate. Some ways to bite back include washing clothes and bedding in very hot water and then drying on high heat. Clean furniture and vacuum cracks in wood floors where bugs may be hiding.In order to confirm that your bites are from bedbugs make sure you can identify the bug. Here is a headshot of a bedbug--you may want to use a magnifying glass to get a better look.Bedbugs like to hide in small crevices--carefully check the seams of your matress.
Advertisement:
A bedbug takes on a reddish hue after dining on its victim's blood.Unlike other insect bites, bedbugs often leave their mark in relatively straight lines.Study this picture carefully as bedbug bites look similar to bites from other insects including mosquitoes.Bedbugs are miniscule. This is a close-up look at the small, flat, wingless, six-legged bug. The bug in the lower right-hand corner is the actual size. These bugs are making a comeback and we need to be on the watch from home, to hotels, to hospitals and college dorms.
If you have bed bugs in your apartment and there is more than 1 unit in the building, your landlord is responsible for extermination, no matter who is to blame. Learn more here http://www.tenants-rights.org/chicago-building-code-re-pests-5/
Former Playboy Playmate Candace Jordan takes you to Chicago's swankest society galas and private parties -- sharing behind-the-scenes intrigue and celebrity dish. Required reading for the city's see-and-be-seen set.
If you have bed bugs in your apartment and there is more than 1 unit in the building, your landlord is responsible for extermination, no matter who is to blame. Learn more here http://www.tenants-rights.org/chicago-building-code-re-pests-5/