KYW's Michelle Durham
spoke to John Russell, general manager of Action Termite
and Pest Control about how you get bedbugs and what it
takes to get rid of them.
About Bed Bugs -
Bed Bugs belong to
the order Heteroptera, along with lace bugs, plant bugs,
squash bugs, etc. The word bug was first applied to the
familiar bed bug in the 17th Century England. It may
have been derived from the old English "bogy" or
"hobgoblin," signifying a "terror in the dark." It may
also be from the Arabic derivation, "buk," that may have
been picked up by travelers and brought back to England.
Bed bugs have
been associated with man since the beginning of
civilization. Bed bugs and their relatives form
a rather small group (70+) of bloodsucking
ectoparasites. Hosts, in addition to humans and
domesticated animals, include bats and birds.
Bed Bugs are strongly flattened bugs, often
reddish brown, with forewings reduced to mere
pads. The hind wings are absent.
It
is believed the bed bug originally was associated with
bats living in tree holes and in caves of the Middle
East. It was in caves that these parasites became
associated with man. As man moved from cave to village
the bed bug followed and became permanent associates.
This democratic creature draws no line between the
impoverished or the wealthy, but its presence is more
evident in poorer quarters owing to conditions more
favorable for its survival. Nevertheless, these bugs
can invade event the most immaculate homes.
The bed bug is distributed readily in laundry and on
clothes and baggage of individuals who have visited
infested premises. This pest is disseminated primarily
from one hose or apartment or another by stowing away in
furniture and bedding that has been moved, or by
attaching itself to articles placed in an infested
moving van. Second-hand furniture, old books and lumber
salvage from demolished houses offer other means of
ingress.
