COLORADO SPRINGS – It’s a situation that hopefully you never have to deal with, but more and more of our neighbors are waking up to find clues about bed bugs. News5 spoke to a local exterminator who is working to raise awareness and find the bugs before they find you.
Right now, bedbugs are a problem here in Colorado and all 50 states. Bedbugs were almost eliminated in the US in the 1980s, but exterminators say the chemical that killed them was harmful to humans too, which is why it was later banned by the government. Now the bedbugs have made a comeback and the experts have noticed some reasons why bedbugs are spreading.
“One call a month and I was pretty happy. Now we get one, two, three calls a day for bed bugs,” said Kyle Freeland, a bug killer for Just Bed Bugs Pest Control. “That tells me right there, in plain black and white, that it’s getting worse.”
Freeland admits that it is work that can make your skin creep.
“Roaches are a thing for some people, rodents are a thing for some people, bed bugs are a thing for everyone. Nobody likes that thought,” Freeland said.
These parasites, no larger than an apple seed clutch, find refuge in bed seams and in crevices in furniture and migrate from place to place. Then they wait until they can crawl out to bite people. And it can happen anywhere.
“We spent $ 2.5 million on houses. Nobody is safe,” Freeland said. “They don’t care what your wallet looks like or how your car you drive. They want to eat, that’s all they know.”
These little creatures create fear in our society, but Freeland shares his knowledge with News5 to keep these bugs from taking a bite out of your skin and wallet.
According to HomeGuide, the average cost of removing bed bugs from a home is between $ 1,000 and $ 2,200. National Pest Management Association exterminators say the three most common places they find bedbugs are in single-family homes, apartments, and hotels.
According to Freeland, people who buy used furniture see some of the worst infections.
“I mean, you can get a couch for $ 50, but you never know you’re going to be spending $ 1,200 now to get your whole house treated for that $ 50 couch,” Freeland said.
If the number of bedbugs increases locally, Health Department officials would not know.
In an email, El Paso County officials said, “Bedbugs / lice are a nuisance but do not transmit infectious diseases. Therefore, they do not investigate or track potential bedbug / lice problems.”
So what can you do to prevent you from taking these mistakes home with you on your next trip?
“Before I even get my bags in a hotel room. I’m going to leave them in the hallway and tear the room up for about 15 minutes and look everywhere,” Freeland said.
Destroyers recommend using the acronym SLEEP
Examine surfaces for signs of infestation, such as B. tiny rust-colored stains on bed sheets, mattress labels and seams, and bed skirts.
Lift up and locate any hiding spots for bed bugs, including under the mattress, bed frame, headboard, and furniture. They usually come out to feed at night, but during the day they are most likely within a 5 foot radius of the bed.
Lift your luggage on a luggage rack away from the bed and wall, as bed bugs can often hide behind headboards, artwork, picture frames, and electrical outlets.
Carefully examine your luggage as it is repacked and when you return home. Always keep your luggage off the bed and store it in a closet or other area away from your bedroom.
Immediately place all of your clothes in the dryer for at least 15 minutes in your luggage when you return home from your trip.
“If you take 10 or 15 minutes to peek inside a room, you can save yourself thousands of dollars,” Freeland said.
Bedbugs became such a problem in Colorado last summer. Heads of State have passed legislation to clarify the responsibilities of landlords and tenants in reporting and dealing with bed bugs.
Tenants must notify the landlord immediately if they suspect that bed bugs are present in the property. Landlords, on the other hand, must have the device inspected by someone within 96 hours. If bugs are found, neighboring units must also be inspected. You are also responsible for the costs associated with eradicating the unit of pests.
Read more about the Colorado State Law: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb19-1328
