Sleeping tight?

By VINCE LUECKE, Editor

Bedbugs are small and most active at night as they feed on human blood. Bedbug infestations have becoming more common over the past several months. (Click to enlarge.)

PERRY COUNTY – Good night. Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.

The ages-old bedtime rhyme has lost any sense of merriment for a growing number of Perry County residents battling pesky bedbugs, which are invading homes and apartment buildings in increasing numbers. It may not be an invasion quite yet, but County Sanitarian Jermie Farmer said the problem is certainly growing.

“We are getting more calls about them. It’s definitely a growing problem,” said Farmer, who has made visits to homes to identify the bugs and stands ready to offer advice. Fixing the problem requires the help of a professional exterminator.

According to the state’s department of health, bedbugs affect Hoosiers across the state. The resurgence began several years ago, but has increased in the past two years. That’s been case in Perry County and Farmer blames a more mobile society and the resilience of the insects to move from place to place.

“The bugs often hitch rides in luggage, used furniture and other items people bring into their homes. Children who spend time with relatives and travelers staying in hotels can unwittingly bring bedbugs home with them.

“They’re migrators and hitchhikers. We’re a mobile society and that makes the problem worse,” Farmer said. “Our grandparents dealt with this years and years ago. Now we’re faced with it again.”

What are They?

Bedbugs have plagued humans for thousands of years and are parasitic insects that feed on human blood. They get their name because they often prefer to stay in homes and especially areas where people sleep. The insects are most active at night and can surprisingly feed on people without being noticed. Many people only know there is a problem when they notice bedbug bites, often appearing as reddish welps or lesions on the body. The bugs are very small and can be difficult to find.

The insects are hardy, able to survive up to a year without feeding.

“They can squeeze into just about any corner or crevice, edges of carpet, behind picture frames or other dark places,” Farmer said. The insects don’t carry communicable diseases but the bites are painfully itchy. There’s also the mental impact of having a bedbug infestation in one’s home.

The insects aren’t picky when it comes to accommodations and having a case of bedbugs doesn’t mean a homeowner is messy or a home is unclean or unsanitary. “It’s not about social class or economics,” Farmer said, pointing out that bedbugs are regularly found in five-star hotels and expensive homes.

Farmer said his office stands ready to help residents identify the insects and share information. Getting rid of them can be difficult and expensive and requires a professional. Most treatments involve using steam or heat, which kills the insects.

Karen Allen of Tell City said she and her children have battled bedbugs since last fall, when Karen found that she had red spots on her body.

“They itch like the dickens for about five days. They’re little vampires,” she said.

She went to the doctor thinking she had developed a skin infection such as scabies. One of her children later found one of the small insects.

Faced with an estimate of more than $1,000 to treat her home with heat, Allen said she is waiting on her tax refund before calling in a professional. She knows of several other people who have also fought the insects.

Tell City Housing Authority Director Bobbie Polster said five city-owned apartments have been treated for bedbugs, two at Spring Hill and three on 16th Street. All five were successfully treated using heat.

A check of Twilight Towers, using a dog trained to detect the smell the insects emit, turned up nothing, she said.

For information on identifying or eliminating bedbugs, contact the Perry County Health Department at 547-2746.