Have you checked for monsters under your bed lately?
If you’ve been waking up with small, itchy red bumps on your skin, it might be time to do so, according to Greenfield Health Director Nicole Zabko. The culprit could be bedbugs.
Bedbugs are blood-sucking parasites that infest people’s homes or apartments, commonly hiding in the pieces of furniture that give them their name, according to Zabko.
They’re not known to carry any diseases that pose a threat to humans, but their bites can trigger allergic reactions in some people.
“It’s a problem everywhere, not just Greenfield. I don’t think there’s a city that doesn’t have this issue,” Zabko said. She said the bugs are most commonly encountered in multi-unit dwellings, like apartment buildings.
That, she said, is because those facilities typically have a more transient population, which means more furniture and items that could harbor bedbugs travel in and out of them.
“When you have a lot of people in small areas, there’s obviously more opportunity for bedbugs to travel with the person they’re with,” Zabko said. That behavior has earned them the nickname “hitchhikers.”
“They get into clothing, bags — suitcases when you’re traveling,” she said.
When bedbugs first invade, Zabko said there won’t be many signs. The first indication that an infestation is occurring is when people begin to be bitten.
Other signs include rust-colored stains and smears on beddings, sheets, pillowcases or mattresses, or live, visible bedbugs. A sweet, musty odor may also signal their presence.
“They come out at night, and you won’t likely see them crawling on your walls during the day unless you have a really bad infestation,” Zabko said.
Regardless of how the bedbugs get in, it’s the owner or landlord’s responsibility to get them professionally exterminated, Zabko said. The Greenfield Health Department conducts inspections for bedbugs when it gets a call about them and then works with the owner or resident to develop a treatment plan.
Typical treatment plans consist of three month’s worth of treatment, either with pesticides or special heat treatment techniques. During that time, the occupant has to remain vigilant about tracking more bugs in.
A good way to prevent bedbugs from sneaking in on clothing is to wash it as you normally would, but use a second dry cycle to make sure they’re all killed off.
If the treatment doesn’t work and the infestation is too deep, it’s time to get rid of any furniture that they could be hiding in. “And that doesn’t mean leaving it on the curb for someone else to take,” Zabko said. “We have seen bedbugs transferred that way as well. Be wary whenever you see free furniture out there like that — check it out.”
Zabko said the best way to protect yourself and your home from bedbugs is to prevent them from showing up in the first place.
“Your preventative measures almost work like ticks — if you’re coming out of a place that is infested or could possibly be infected, check your clothes and shake them out, shoes and socks. Make sure you’re not taking anything back to your home with you.”
Zabko said routine inspections can catch infestations. Check your bed, beneath the mattress, the box spring, picture frames, piles of clothes in drawers, cracks and crevices — even inside clocks. Use a flashlight and magnifying glass.
And … when traveling, check hotel rooms before unpacking or sleeping.
You can reach Tom Relihan at: 413-772-0261 ext 264
trelihan@recorder.com
On Twitter,@RecorderTom