State sees bed bug invasion

St. Petersburg, Florida – It’s not just a childhood myth. Bed bugs actually exist, and exterminators in the Bay area continue to see them in greater numbers.

“The pesticides that were banned here years ago are now being banned in other countries and so now you have no control,” says Michael Carli of Top Notch Pest Control. He’s been in the industry for nearly 20 years and says he’s never seen bed bugs this bad in Tampa Bay.

“It’s gone up probably 75 to 80 percent in the last 5 years, no doubt about it,” he says. “Years ago when I started in this business, to get a bed bug was like snow in Florida. It was just almost unheard of, and now, it’s a common call that we get from month to month.”

Carli uses a magnifying glass and flashlight to inspect mattresses for bed bugs. He checks the top of the mattress, in between the seams, and in the creases of the bedding. He says bed bugs run off quickly when they see light, so a quick check is essential.

To take care of bed bugs, Carli first recommends putting diatomaceous earth in between bedding and mattress seaming, and even in the creases of the moldings on the floor nearby.

Diatomaceous earth is a white powder that can be found at any do-it-yourself pest control store. Make sure you don't use pool-grade diatomaceous earth in your home, as it can be dangerous.

If that doesn’t work, the next step is having a pest control company use an aerosol on the affected area.

After that, there are heating treatments, but they take a few sessions and can run into the thousands of dollars.

Other Facts about Bed Bugs:

• If left untreated, a few bed bugs can create a colony of thousands within weeks
• Between 2000 and 2005, pest control companies reported a 71% increase in bed bug calls
• In 2001, pest control company Orkin reported a 300% jump in bed bug complaints
• Bed bug bites do not spread disease and their bites are considered painless
• Bed bugs originally evolved with bats living in caves in the Middle Ages
• Bed bugs have been found inside mummies and in the fossilized remains of civilizations 3,000 years ago
• Bed bugs only feed at night
• Bed bugs can leave an unusual ‘sweet’ odor in a room

For more information on how to get rid of bed bugs, click here.