Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite…Bed Bugs and the Real Estate Market

You may have heard the phrase, “sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” a few times before.  And perhaps at no time in recent history has that warning been more fitting, since the incidence of bed bugs within the U.S. is at an all time high.

Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite!

Bed bugs don’t discriminate, and they don’t just live in beds.  They can make themselves at home in your carpeting, drapes, upholstered furniture and other areas.  No home, business, hotel, or other property is immune from bedbug infestation.  In fact, you don’t even need a bed on the property to get these little boogers!

One thing will kill these nasty little critters that have officially been classified as vermin by many states.  DDT.  This pesticide is super effective at eradicating bed bugs, but is not so healthy for people.  Thus, a major snag in wiping out the entire North American bed bug population!

Outbreaks of these creepy crawlers have been reported from coast to coast, in homes, hotels, offices, schools, stores, libraries, and even hospitals.  Bed bugs don’t care if you’re rich or poor, an average Joe or someone as famous as Bill Clinton, the former U.S. president.  Clinton’s Manhattan offices had to undergo bed bug eradication.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the resurgence in the bed bug population is likely due to the “increased resistance of bed bugs to available pesticides, greater international travel, lack of knowledge regarding control of bed bugs due to their prolonged absence, and the continuing decline or elimination of effective vector/pest control programs at state and local health agencies”.

These little guys can be found in big cities and small towns everywhere and it is thought that they like to hop aboard your luggage, which is how they make their way from town to town so easily, reproducing wherever they end up along the way.

According to Orkin, one of the nation’s leading pest control companies, the top five cities in the U.S. for sheer number of bed bug infestations are, in order of worst infestation to least: Cincinnati, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; and New York, New York.

Bed Bugs and the Real Estate Market

The challenge with bed bugs lies in getting rid of them, which can be a costly procedure that requires several visits from an exterminator.  Many states have created legislation in regards to bed bugs, which will hopefully curtail the problem.  Still, homeowners must be diligent when traveling.

Take a flashlight along, and look high and low for bed bugs, including along the mattress, the headboards, under the tags on the mattress.  Check the drapes, the carpet, and any furniture in the room.

Leaving your luggage in the bathroom may help, since the bugs do not usually migrate to the bathroom, especially if there is no carpet.  Take a good look at your luggage before you bring it inside, or better yet, store your luggage in the garage.

Launder all clothing that you had in the luggage when you get home.  Dry the clothing on high heat for at least thirty minutes. This will kill bed bugs of all ages that might have hitchhiked home in your suitcase.

This guest post was provided by Vickie Nagy who specializes in helping home buyer’s with real estate Pheasonton, CA.  If you’re interested in learning more about Vickie or to search homes for sale in Blackhawk, CA, you can visit her Livermore CA homes for sale website for more information.

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