Bedbugs

For several decades, bedbugs were so rarely encountered in the United States that they were thought to have been eliminated. But they've been making a stunning comeback in recent years.

The dramatic rise in bedbug infestations in the United States is widely considered to be the result of two factors. The first is the increase in international air travel, which has resulted in bedbugs "hitch-hiking" in travelers' clothing or luggage.

The second reason is that older methods of interior pest control used broad-spectrum insecticides that were effective against many more insects than the ones that an exterminator may have been concerned with during a particular application. The exterminator may not have been "aiming" for bedbugs, but the bedbugs died, nonetheless. Newer methods of pest control are more targeted toward individual pests, and many entomologists attribute at least part of the increase in bedbug problems to these newer, more narrowly targeted pest control methods.

Bedbug Biology

Bedbugs are small insects who feed on blood. They are flattened in shape, wingless, and about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch in length when full-grown. They also give off a foul odor that can really become sickening when the bedbugs are present in large numbers.

Bedbugs tend to live in cracks, crevices, and upholstery close to where their hosts sleep. Then once you are just getting comfortable in your bed, they make their move. They crawl out from mattresses, behind baseboards, from structural crevices in furniture, and may even dive-bomb you from the ceilings if they are living behind the crown moldings.

Bedbugs and Human Health

Bedbug bites can cause severe rashes and welts, allergic reactions, intense itching, and pain. Bedbugs also are believed to be theoretically capable of vectoring several serious diseases including relapsing fever, Chagas disease, and maybe hepatitis. But as of this writing, there are no documented case sin the United States of bedbugs transmitting any diseases.

Bedbug Control

Bedbugs are extremely difficult to control. Even professional exterminators look at bedbug control as a challenge, and it's not uncommon for a bedbug job to require several hours of very detailed, meticulous work.

But at Buckingham Pest Control, we don't shy away from the tough jobs. If you're experiencing a problem with bedbugs or any other pest, please contact us for a prompt, individual consultation. Buckingham Pest Control serves the Greater St. Louis, Missouri area.