Bed bugs have received a lot of publicity in recent months – an increasing cacophony of concern over their rising numbers throughout the United States. While bed bug population growth can certainly be described as alarming – particularly in North America, Europe, and Australia – the sweeping recommendations for broad pesticide usage from bed bug experts, most of whom are employed in pest control businesses and extermination consultancies, are equally disconcerting.
Bed bug numbers are being hailed as epidemics in all 50 states. But is the bed bug question one of media sensationalism, or is their population resurgence a matter of national concern?
There is no disputing the nasty nature of bed bugs. They are ugly brownish animals, roughly the length of a fingernail, and their bites leave significant and – many times – scarring welts. Their only food source is human blood, and they can survive for six to twelve months without a meal. Female bed bugs lay one to twelve eggs per day, so their numbers can increase quite quickly. They are well-adapted nest parasites – the nest, of course, being your comfy bed – and their elusive behavior and flat bodies make them difficult to remove.
If you have bed bugs, you have a big problem.
The National Pest Management Association is quick to point out that bed bugs should not be equated with filth or sanitation problems. Cindy Mannes, media spokesperson for the National Pest Management Association, reiterates this position. “Bed bugs need a blood meal,” she said. “They are not cockroaches. Their populations are increasing in all 50 states, but we find them most where there are large groups of people. This tends to be in the urban settings, but their numbers are growing in suburban and country locations as well.”
Are their growth figures the hype of the pesticide services industry? Pest control revenue clearly will increase with increased hysteria around this voracious insect. According to Ms. Mannes, pest control companies are experiencing a boom in bed bug eradication calls – and some are hiring staff specifically to deal with bed bug projects.
But must we return to the more virulent and poisonous applications that prior generations of American households utilized?
Stephenie Hendricks, spokeswoman for the Pesticide Action Network, believes we have another alternative. “Bed bugs can be controlled with diatomaceous earth applications,” she said. This is a non-toxic approach whereby the infected bedding and surrounding space is sprinkled with a dusting of tiny fossilized water plants. The algae-like plants, called diatoms, act as microscopic razors, slicing through the exoskeletons of any insect unfortunate enough to cross through it.
The use of this specialized sediment is quite effective. Diatomaceous earth – also known as DE – has been utilized for years by farmers to eliminate pests. “The bed bug question is becoming louder,” said Ms. Hendricks. “The pesticide proponents are also getting louder.” The Pesticide Action Network offers alternatives to the pesticides on their web site – panna.org.
The most recent EPA figures demonstrate U.S. insecticide expenditures – as a percent of the world market – have increased from 34% to 36%.
Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite. Given these questions, this common phrase from yesterday is as much metaphorical as practical.