Tiny critters may be lurking in the cracks and crevices of your bedroom since Lincoln crawled into Orkin’s 2022 Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List, coming in at #50. Although some of the country’s largest cities, such as Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, are unrivaled for the top spots, Omaha (No. 27) and Lincoln made the list.
Orkin, a pest control company, used data from metro areas where they performed the most bed bug treatments from December 1, 2020 to November 30, 2021.
Kait Chapman, an educator at the Nebraska Extension, said that the growing diverse population in Lincoln, particularly at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, along with people who travel constantly, has led to a higher prevalence of bed bugs. They can be found in mattresses and furniture, but they can also spread to different places in a home.
There are two common ectoparasites in homes in North America: bed bugs and bat bugs. Although bat bugs typically feed on bats, Chapman said they can be seen in residential areas.
Chapman said these pests typically feed on human blood, but they can also take their blood meal from other animals in the home. Bites can vary in size and cause uncomfortable itching and inflammation. However, according to Medical News Today, these insects are not known to spread disease.
Chapman shared some tips for avoiding bed bugs while traveling. She recommends quickly inspecting any new place a person is in in five to 10 minutes.
“If you’re in a hotel, pull back the sheets and look at the mattress,” Chapman said. “They are excellent hitchhikers. So instead of throwing your suitcase on the bed right away, put your suitcase on a hard surface like the bathtub before checking the bed.”
Kyle Koch, a UNL insect diagnostician, Nebraska Extension educator, recommends inspecting the room’s hot spots with a flashlight. Even if it means detaching the headboard to assess it, it’s better to be on the safe side.
For students returning from trips, Koch recommends putting clothes and bags in the dryer immediately. Heat, at about 122 degrees Fahrenheit, is effective in killing all life stages of the beetle and dryers will heat above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
“What I usually recommend focuses on prevention because once they are there our options are limited. They hide in the smallest cracks,” said Koch. “They need about the width of a credit card; a very small piece of space. So you have to be careful.”
Koch said that if students encounter or find a bed bug’s fecal stains, there are a few ways to mitigate a bed bug infestation. He said it was important to collect it in a plastic bag for identification and documentation. Additionally, students should report it to the dorm office, or if a student lives off campus, they must report it to their landlords to receive treatment for the issue.
Both Koch and Chapman emphasized that bed bugs are not tied to hygiene. Koch said problems with bed bugs often go unreported because people feel embarrassed and concerned about society’s view of these parasitic insects.
“Don’t panic. They can happen to anyone,” Chapman said. “There’s this negative stigma that you’re not clean. The fact is, bed bugs don’t care what neighborhood you’re in or what income bracket you’re in. “
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