February 09, 2012

BEDBUGS MAKE A COMEBACK; HIGH-TEMPERATURE STEAM THE MOST EFFECTIVE WEAPON

Once the scourge of tenements, and nearly eradicated in the 20th Century, bedbugs now infest even the swankiest places, says the Bedbug Buster of Colorado, A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning. Steam cleaning of mattresses, sofas, drapes and carpets kills both the bugs and their larvae.

LITTLETON, CO (PRWEB) May 26, 2010 -- Bedbugs, once the scourge of tenements, steerage and boarding houses and nearly eradicated in the United States in the latter part of the 20th Century, are making a strong comeback throughout the country, and this time finding their way into five-star hotels, luxury cruise lines and even the finest homes.

One of the most effective methods of dealing with an infestation of the blood-sucking pests is steam cleaning mattresses, drapes, upholstery and carpeting, the specialty of Colorado’s Bedbug Buster Phil Dreessen, owner of A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning of Littleton (www.apersonaltouchcarpetcleaning.com).

“Extreme heat, over 120 degrees Fahrenheit, kills bedbugs and their larvae more effectively than any other technique,” says Dreessen. “Our commercial-grade steamers exceed that temperature and do a thorough job. Plus, of course, they also clean these fabric surfaces, leaving them both bug free and dirt free.”

Bedbugs in this country were nearly eradicated after World War II using DDT, the so-called miracle pesticide that came into fashion during the war years. But in 1972, the Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of DDT nationwide as a health hazard. In the past decade bedbugs have increased exponentially—in part, experts say, because of the DDT prohibition, and also due to the increase in international travel. And bedbugs, despite the name, aren’t limited to beds: They hide in mattresses and box springs, headboards, carpets, sofas, chairs, luggage, hardwood furniture, computers, electrical outlets, and even under the baseboards in rooms.

A bad infestation that encompasses wood and other hard surfaces in a home can be treated with the use of modern approved pesticides, called IGRs (insect growth regulators), applied along every crevice where wall meets wall or wall meets floor in the infected room or home. The Colorado Department of Health recommends a professional commercial pesticide applicator be used as commercial grade products also have properties that continue to kill bed bugs long after the application.

However, pesticides are not recommended for use on fabric surfaces that come in contact with people, and that’s where high-temperature steam cleaning is the most effective bedbug remedy.

The common bedbug, Cimex lectularius, feeds on human blood, biting its victims while they lay sleeping and having a full “meal” in a matter of 5 – 10 minutes. The bites cause the skin to swell and itch, but more serious health problems are rare.

Bedbugs don’t distinguish between socio-economic classes. They’re found in five-star hotels all over Denver and the world as well as humble Section 8 Housing. Bed bugs “move” to new locations via luggage or personal items after one has stayed in infested lodgings. They migrate through a building via electrical wiring, plumbing and adjoining walls, according to the Colorado Department of Health. Even people who haven’t spent the night in a motel or hotel can find their home infested with bedbugs carried home on backpacks on a bus or on clothing after being seated in a movie theater.

The eggs are white in color and approximately 1 mm in length, glued to the surface they are laid on. They hatch in 10 days and are white or pale yellow until they have their first blood meal. They become sexually mature in 35 to 48 days and require a blood meal at each of their five nymphal stages as well as immediately before the female can lay eggs. A female bed bug lays 1 – 5 eggs after each blood meal and can lay a total of 200 in a lifetime of 9 – 18 months.

Bed bugs are nocturnal, feeding on their host while the host sleeps. What’s really creepy is that the bed bugs will adjust their sleep habits to that of the host, i.e. if the host works the night shift, the bed bugs will sleep at night and feed by day. Studies of bed bugs show that they’ll follow their host into another room in the house to sleep.

A pattern of 3 bites in a row are characteristic of bed bugs. Blood spotted sheets are a clue to their presence. Sometimes the mattress or room of a home with bed bugs can smell sweet or buggy.

Dreessen to the rescue. He and his professional crews steam clean every square inch of upholstered furniture, drapes, carpets and mattresses in the house or room with high-heat steam. Items that can be laundered are washed in HOT only and then dried in a dryer for at least 30-40 minutes, he says, adding not to jam the washer or dryer full, but rather spread the laundry from the infected room into several loads to be sure the bed bugs don’t survive.

Dreessen warns homeowners to throw out the vacuum bag and clean out the vacuum after using it to clean up bedbugs. If not, they’ll thrive in the vacuum bag and spread to other parts of the house.
It’s also important to continue to monitor bed bug activity.

“It’s like any other home maintenance and no different than yard maintenance,” says Dreessen. “If you fertilize your yard in spring, summer and fall, you’ll have fewer mites, greener grass, and your lawn will have a denser root structure requiring less water to keep healthy. If you catch a bed bug problem at the front end vs. after they’ve multiplied, your chances of eradicating them are improved.”

Contact A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning at 720-344-2870 to have your commercial or home carpets and upholstery cleaned today. Visit the website at www.apersonaltouchcarpetcleaning.com.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/05/prweb4046034.htm.

Original Article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/05/prweb4046034.htm