Bedbugs

Though often thought of as a sanitation problem, an infestation does not necessarily pose a significant health risk. However, youngsters receiving numerous bites may suffer from a type of anemia. The opportunistic travellers gain entry into a location by hitching a ride on inanimate objects, on clothing, in vacuum cleaners or through plumbing. They make their way to sleeping areas and are attracted to the body heat and CO2 (exhale) from human hosts. Bedbugs remain hidden during the day in any number of places that include stowing away behind baseboards, beneath carpets, in bed frames, behind headboards or within mattress seams. The bugs only come out at night to feed and quickly return to seclusion, which is typically three to six feet from bed linens. They emit a musty sweet odour and leave behind eggs, molted skins, dark fecal spots and the blood stains of their victims. Elimination requires careful assessment of suspected locations, identification and complete removal to prevent spreading colonies.