The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) is a small, nocturnal insect – feeding on blood and causing itchy bites on humans. The pests are reddish or brown in color, with a flat, oval shape body and an adult may grow to be the size of 4-7mm (about the size of Abraham Lincoln’s head on a penny). Young bed bugs are smaller and lighter in color. Bed bugs are primarily active at night and will feed on humans when they are sleeping. Adult bed bug after feeding. Bed bugs can come from a variety of locations. Most commonly, they are transported to people’s homes via clothing and/or luggage from hotels, motels and resorts, as well as many other high traffic sources including movie theaters, apartments, dormitories, parks and cabins. Bed bugs are very successful hitchhikers, moving from an infested site to bedding, baggage, boxes, and clothing with ease. Although they typically feed on blood every five to ten days, bed bugs are very resilient and are capable of surviving over a year without feeding.
Bites from bed bugs can be painless, but may become itchy later and can look like small reddish welts. They do not have nests, but tend to live in hiding places that provide them easier access to people that they can feed from. Common hiding places in the home can be in mattresses, box springs, headboards, nightstands, baseboards and even in cracks in walls. Baby bed bug feeding on a human. While bed bugs are visible to the naked eye, they generally only appear in dark conditions. You may have been bitten by bed bugs if you wake up with itchy areas on your skin that you didn't have before falling asleep. You can spot a possible bed bug infestation by looking for the following indicators: Bed bugs on a mattress. Although they are a nuisance, bed bugs have not been found to transmit any human diseases. Consider encasing both the mattress and box spring in a protective cover like those used for allergy relief to eliminate access to your mattress by bed bugs.
Mattress encasements will seal the mattress and box spring, keeping bugs in the mattress trapped (where they will eventually die) while also keeping new bugs out. While an encasement will not keep bed bugs from crawling onto a bed and biting a sleeping person, it will be easier to spot and destroy any bugs residing on the outer surface during examination. Without an encasement, once a mattress becomes infested, you should consider replacing it since treating your bed and pillows with pesticides can be harmful. Encasements for both mattresses and pillows specifically designed to help protect against bed bugs are available for purchase at any Sleep Train location. New mattresses are placed in a tightly sealed mattress bag immediately after being manufactured, creating an inhospitable environment for any living organism. New mattresses are not removed from this bag until they have reached the customer's home. Here are a few simple precautions that can help prevent bed bug infestation in your home:
Consult a professional pest control company. For more information on bed bugs please consult the following Websites. Bedbugs are on the rise in the US, and can present problems for furniture and bedding stores. Bedbugs are on the rise in the US, and can present problems for furniture and bedding stores. Retailers who pick up and dispose of used mattresses, or take back products due to warranty or "customer satisfaction" guarantees risk the possibility of bedbug infestations being transferred to new bedding and other furniture items. Just having a bedbug infestation in your store can be a public relations nightmare. On numerous occasions, local and national TV and newspaper reporters have given top billing to bed bug infestations. News that your store will be closed for several days or that you have infested even one single home is publicity you don’t need or want. Even worse, are real or imagined customer claims against your store stating that new delivered goods caused a home infestation resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in remediation costs.
Damages in favor of consumers have occasionally been awarded by the courts, including $49,000 to a couple who purchased case pieces at a J.C. Penny in Cherry Hill, NJ. News of these kinds of claims spread like wildfire via Twitter, blog posts and internet review sites. Here are a few random posts resulting from a simple internet search. Although some of the complaints may have merit, many others are “payback” for poor customer service, or wrong perceptions regarding the actual cause of an infestation. “I bought a store sample mattress from (major bedding retailer) in July 2008. I had almost the same experience as Joseph from Wharton NJ ... so I would like to get into touch with all the ones who have suffered bedbug problems from (major bedding retailer) store sample mattresses. I would like to disgust readers of our horrible experience with bedbugs but the customer service experience is even worse. I am now in an arbitration proceeding against (major bedding retailer) and we will see how it goes.
I am shocked to find out I am not the only one who have suffered this and (major bedding retailer) had known about the bedbug infestation problem and refused to address the problem from the source such as fumigating their warehouse/show room. Instead, they have insisted that we got bedbugs from the subway, starbucks or just implying we are dirty animals so we got bedbugs. Justice needs to be served.” Proper written procedures for handling, inspection and preventative extermination, plus careful and complete documentation can be helpful in defending against claims made by customers who say that their new delivered furniture caused a home bedbug infestation. The focus of the rest of this article is to prevent bed bug problems in warehouse and delivery based on on-site operations reviews. If your facility becomes infested, you will need professional assistance. Bed bugs are very small parasites. Eggs are about 1/32”. and adults are 1/4” to 3/8”. Adults are easily visible.
A bed bug can hide in a crack or fabric fold as small as the thickness of a credit card. While they are not known to carry diseases, their bites cause red spots on the skin and may cause allergic reactions. Entomologists claim that bedbugs can live as long as 18-months without ingesting any blood. The most common way for warehouses to become infested is by poor handling of returned bedding or upholstered furniture. If a return is authorized, each item should be carefully examined before being picked up, regardless whether the home is modest or mansion. If there are any signs of bed bugs, no pickup should be made. All bedding should be bagged and taped. Once in the truck, the return should be segregated from new merchandise. Bedding pickups generally fall into these categories: recently purchased bedding returned on a comfort warranty or old bedding for donation or disposal. Warranty returns are a particular challenge as the vendor rep typically must do an inspection prior to issuing a return authorization.
These items should be stored in a designated area away from new goods of any type. Donation/disposal bedding must also be separately stored to avoid cross contamination with good merchandise going out for delivery. You can also reduce risk by insisting on having effective housekeeping throughout the warehouse and your delivery trucks. If you suspect an infestation, a professional may do physical examinations or bring in a dog trained to recognize the distinct odor given off by bed bugs. The parasites can be killed with various EPA approved chemicals or by heating the area to a temperature that guarantees that the warehouse space and all its contents are hot enough for a long enough period to kill live bugs and eggs. Where feasible, heat treatment is the most effective method. The Internet links provide additional useful information applicable to home or business. The bottom line is that while you might prefer not to pick up used bedding, it is a competitive fact of life in most communities.