A Lesson in Bed Bug Prevention & the Deadly Parasite They Can Transmit

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Aug 18, 2015, 09:26 ET

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A Lesson in Bed Bug Prevention & the Deadly Parasite They Can Transmit

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150818/259179

Penn Study Shows Bed Bugs Can Transmit Parasite that Causes Chagas Disease

No one wants to talk about bed bugs but did you know it's getting worse because people won't talk about it? 1 in 5 people have bed bugs and prevalence has increased 500% in the last few years. Some cities are passing bills to quite the situation. And now we know bed bugs can transmit a deadly parasite that causes a deadly blood disease. The parasite t-cruzi as documented in the attached study has been shown to transfer from infected mammal to bed bug and back to a previously uninfected mammal. What's worse is that Chagas disease is transferable from Mom to baby in 5% (5 out of 100) of cases, organ transplant and infected blood. Somehow this very important study continues to be overlooked by public policy as government bodies excuse themselves from funding treatment of their government owned buildings stating "bed bugs are simply a nuisance, not a public health threat."

Before I continue let me state that wild bed bug transmission of Chagas disease and Chagas disease population clusters need to be looked at more closely. We don't know yet how many people actually contract Chagas disease from bed bugs because it's not been studied but what we do know is that both bed bugs and Chagas disease are now on an upward tick in the United States and it's time for people to stop excusing themselves and start asking, how do we get involved and remedy this? Is Chagas disease the new AIDS?

Everyday I'm personally frustrated when I receive more than 30 google alerts showing the spread of bed bugs in movie theaters, libraries, elderly care facilities, schools, buses, boats, trains, planes, hotels, barracks, shelters, family to family and the list goes on and on. What people don't know is that licensed pest control companies are discouraged from treating bed bugs as liability insurances rarely want to take this on. Pesticide resistance is a real struggle but this application is the go to. The good news is, there are a few harsh chemicals that work, and then there are a few organic mechanical applications recommended by the EPA that also work. Who you hire and what they use makes all the difference.

After studying bed bugs for over 3000 hours and writing a patent pending method to cure them it's clear to me that what the US is currently doing isn't working for the masses, which is why infestations are spreading. Experts agree just finding the bugs and their eggs is paramount and there is no singular application such as chemicals OR heat to do the trick. Instead proper cleaning currently defined by each pest professional accounts for 66% of re-infestation. Yes that is correct, your success or lack thereof is dependent on cleaning - like lice. It's interesting because pest professionals are not housekeepers and molly maids are not licensed to do pest extermination. This is a gap... along with proper disposal of infested furniture and several others identified by my company. Leave that free couch alone and don't let your friends with bed bugs come over the day after treatment. In fact, tell them they can't come over until they treat their home too.

Early detection saves time and money but is hard to do without education and the proper tools to include K9 scent detection which is over 90% accurate as opposed to 50% by human inspection (unless infestation is present in which case it's no longer early detection).

Prevention has also been missing from the market.

Working together with tenant, landlord, and public administration has been difficult. Lawsuits are increasing as people play the blame game, like wondering where ants come from or why the sky is blue - does it matter where they came from when they are already in your home? In financial terms it does however I say, why don't they all pitch in and remedy the situation as soon as possible to save everyone some cash and frustration? I know my pest control company Yuck Bed Bugs would be willing to work out a payment plan or service with them instead of allowing people to perpetuate the infestation.

Difficulty aside, the trajectory of bed bugs and possible link to the spread of Chagas disease in the Unites States is a concern for myself and researchers like Dr. Michael Levy at Penn State and Dr. Peter Hotez in Texas.

Let's not keep bed bugs a secret, let's get rid of them. Like ants, they do not jump or fly and they are equally as easy to kill if you can find them. Bring in a dog, lay some pheromone traps, slap some award winning bed encasements on the bedding, dry fabrics in a special cloth bed bug laundry bag, powder the carpets, baseboards and wall voids with organic EPA approved DE, stick the furniture, books and electronics in a rentable heat unit that doesn't set off the sprinklers or heat stuff to melting, seal trashed furniture with plastic and duct tape and slap a smiling picture of a bed bug on the stuff so your neighbor doesn't take it into his backyard and allow bed bugs to crawl back into both of your homes. And while you're at it, take a shower and pick up some more pheromone traps and powder for your future travels. You can get bed bug and lice laundry detergent too. Heck, just get a simple non-toxic bed bug prevention detection treatment kit found here Bed Bug Prevention Detection Treatment Kit.

My pest control company makes all of this available to you and your pest professional. We have made it our mission to raise awareness and implement NEW prevention, detection and treatment methods; that work, are affordable and eco-friendly. It's common sense as far as we can tell and sometimes common sense is so common people don't pay much attention. We hope that you are paying attention now otherwise you may soon be a part of the rising statistics and calling your local pest professional in a panic. We hope you call us instead.

Kirsten VanderJagt, Founder, CEO and K9 Scent Detection Handler

Yuck Bed Bugs Buy DIY products via our online store or call us to schedule pest control services, including cleaning, public speaking and training.

Media Contact: [email protected] (858) 735-6588

SOURCE Yuck Bed Bugs