Bed Bugs Make Comeback in WV: What You Can Do
Charleston, WV - They've been found in college dorms, hotels and apartments. Bedbugs are making a comeback, in West Virginia and around the country. Experts say it's due to a variety of reasons including more travel, lack of awareness and stigma. Dr. Dini (DEE-knee) Miller, a national expert on the pests, has prevention and treatment tips. She's associate professor in Urban Pest Management at Virginia Tech. (Additional pronouncer: DY-ah-toh-MAY-shus)
Sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite...a saying with new meaning these days as bedbugs make a comeback in West Virginia and elsewhere. The resurgence is attributed to increased travel, an overall lack of awareness and the stigma surrounding these hard-to-eliminate pests, according to pest expert Dr. Dini Miller. She says the blood-suckers can be found in all kinds of places, from hotel rooms and college dorms to apartment buildings. And now that they're back, she says the best form of prevention is awareness.
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Miller says it's important not to go after bedbugs with chemical insecticides on your own, without calling a professional. The E-P-A has expressed concerns over exposing children to such chemicals. But Miller says there are some non-chemical alternatives, like food-grade diatomaceous (DY-ah-toh-MAY-shus) earth.
She says it's important to use only the food-grade material – not the kind used for pool filters, which can be dangerous.
She says mature bedbugs are easy to spot. They're roughly the size and shape of an apple seed, although immature ones can be much smaller. She adds that using mattress covers to keep them on the outside of the bed is a good idea. Washing sheets, clothing, stuffed animals and bags won't always get rid of them. But she says ten minutes in a hot dryer kills both the bedbugs and their eggs.
