Valley not alone as infestation creeps in

WASILLA — For work or pleasure, if you travel, chances are growing that you’re not sleeping alone.

An explosion in the world’s bedbug population is reaching to all corners of the map, including Alaska, pest control officials report. In the Mat-Su, calls to exterminate the small, reddish-brown bloodsuckers are coming in at an accelerated rate, said Randy Beuter, owner of Anchorage-based Eagle Pest Control.

“It’s bad,” he said. “As a matter of fact, I’m working to develop some protocols with property management people to deal with bedbugs. They are just exploding.”

An insect that was nearly exterminated prior to World War II, bedbugs are extremely resilient, Beuter said. The government banned many chemicals used to kill the pest, including DDT, and the result is an outbreak that shows little sign of slowing.

“Bedbugs are so hard to fight because they hitchhike,” Beuter said. “Some people think you get bedbugs because you’re dirty. Sanitation is not the issue. You can be as clean as a saint. Their only source of food is human blood. They have virtually no natural predators and very quickly develop immunities to pesticides.”

Bedbugs make their homes in furniture and prefer the crevices and folds of upholstered furniture, like mattresses and couches, Beuter said. During the night, they awake, bite and feed on human blood.

The bedbug problem has become so bad nationwide that the Environmental Protection Agency this past spring convened its first National Bedbug Summit in Washington, D.C.

In addition to hitching rides from hotels and other public places, bedbugs migrate on used furniture, Beuter said.

“People get bedbugs in their couch, so they take that couch out and put it in the Dumpster,” he said. “Somebody walks by, sees the couch in the Dumpster and says, ‘upgrade.’ That’s a big way the things move around.”

Beuter advises people stay away from purchasing used furniture, or if they do, inspect the items closely before buying.

“For me, it’s just not worth the risk,” he said. “It’s becoming epidemic.”

At G&G Thrift Shop in Palmer, owner Walter Gearring has been buying and selling used furniture for three years. He said he hasn’t noticed a problem with bedbugs, but admits he hasn’t been looking closely for them either.

“I haven’t seen any, and I’ve been here three years,” he said. “I haven’t been aware of any bedbugs or ticks or nothing like that.”

At Grandview Inn and Suites, general manager Sandy Joynes said she was unaware of the global bedbug problem.

“To be honest with you, we’ve never had any issue with bedbugs,” she said. “There isn’t a big deal with them in this state. … They’re pretty rare up here.”

At Hatcher Pass Bed and Breakfast, owner Liz Hejl also reports she hasn’t seen any bedbugs in her establishment, but said she is aware of the problem. The local bed and breakfast association met with a state health official about bedbugs about 18 months ago, she said.

“I know somebody from the state of Alaska talked to our bed and breakfast association about it, and it was fairly enlightening,” she said. “Since we had that meeting, thankfully I haven’t had to use that information.”

One thing hotel managers can do is make sure their mattresses are purchased brand new from a supplier the buyer can trust, Hejl said.

“We buy all our mattresses brand new from a reputable dealer,” she said. “And I’m thankful for that, because (the alternative) could be a nightmare.”

Because it’s unlikely a hotel or motel will freely admit to having a bedbug problem, Beuter recommends travelers perform their own room checks before settling in. They should strip back linens and look in the crevices of mattresses. Look for reddish-brown streaks, which are trails of excrement left from feeding on blood.

“I know there have been infestations in the Valley,” Beuter said. “There are a lot of people out there that have bedbugs, hotels that have them. … Make sure you do that check. In fact, you don’t even want to take your luggage into the room until you’ve checked.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.

TRAVEL TIPS

• It helps to understand that begbugs are not a sanitation issue.

• They are just as likely to be found in a 5 star hotel as a 1 star hotel.

• It’s recommended visitors check the room before bringing luggage into the room. If that is not practical, leave your bags in the hallway (keep a eye on them) and then inspect the room.

•n Bedbugs hide in the day and come out at night to feed. They tend to live next to where they eat — the bed — but can be found in hollow bed posts, behind pictures, in the base of lamps and in the walls. They are very small and very flat, and they can hide in a variety of places.

• To inspect for bedbugs, pull the sheets on the bed back starting at the end of the bed where the headboard is and pull back. If you see brownish red spots or streaks, get out right away. Don’t forget to check other areas they might be hiding.

• Keeping your luggage on the luggage stand in a good idea. Check it for bedbugs before you place anything on it.

• Be careful packing up when leaving. Bedbugs are some of the best hitchhikers in the world.

• They can live for up to a year without eating.

• If you get bedbugs, call a professional for help as soon as you notice them as they spread through a building the longer they are left untreated.

Source: www.eaglepestcontrolak.com.