Bed bugs are biting in Laconia

LACONIA — It may be an uncomfortable subject but it's one that shouldn't be ignored, according to Shawn Riley, deputy fire chief and the city's acting health officer. He's talking about bed bugs, and whether he likes it or not, they've found a home in Laconia.

Riley said he took over the health officer's duties in early June of this year, and about the same time he received his first call from a resident who suspected a bed bug infestation. He's since been on about 10 inspections in the city and said at least three cases have been confirmed by licensed professionals. Neither the city nor the state keeps a registry of bed bug infestations, so there are likely more cases where the property owners dealt directly with a pest management company.

The good news, said Riley, is that "bed bugs do not represent a public health risk." The tiny insects, while certainly a nuisance to the families who host them, are not known to spread diseases.

However, Riley added, "they are extremely difficult to eradicate if you have them."

By the 1960s, the pests were eradicated from the country through use of pesticides containing the chemical known as DDT, which was banned in 1972 for its environmental side effects. Since then, and especially in recent years, the bed bug population has been booming, seen first in hotels, where they were suspected to be brought in by international travelers, and subsequently in major cities. Manchester, for example, was recently named in an AOL News article as being one of the 10 most bed bug infested cities in North America.

To prevent Laconia from reaching that level, Riley called a press conference yesterday afternoon in hopes of getting the word out. "We want to do everything we can to advise people that we do have bed bugs in Laconia," he said. Residents' best hope of dealing with the bugs is to prevent them from entering their homes, if possible, and to identify infestations before they become too large.

The bugs feed off of blood and are active at night. Because they depend on humans for a meal, they are usually found in the proximity of where people sleep. When not looking for a meal, they are experts at hiding. Mattresses and bed frames are obvious places to look, but the bugs can also be found hiding in carpet, electrical outlets and in picture frames.

Upholstered furniture is another possible hot spot for bed bugs. Riley said that in at least one local case, a resident whose home was hosting an infestation had placed a chair outside the residence so that it could be collected and properly disposed of by a contractor. Before that truck could arrive, though, someone passing by decided to take the chair home, likely spreading the bugs to a new residence in the city.

For this reason, Riley said residents should think twice before bringing home used furniture or mattresses. If staying at a hotel, he suggests using the luggage rack and avoiding putting clothes or suitcases on the floor, especially if it's carpeted.

If the hotel guests suspect they might have come in contact with bed bugs, he recommends storing their clothes in plastic bags until they can be washed with hot water and dried using heat.

To check a mattress for bed bugs, Riley said to look along the seams, looking for small blood spots or stains from the bugs' feces.

Typically, though, the first indication that there's a problem is the bites that hosts wake up with. Unlike mosquito bites, which occur on exposed areas of the skin, bed bug bites — small, red, itchy, hive-like sores — can be anywhere on the body and will show up in clusters. Bed bugs inject an anesthesia, so it isn't likely that the victim will feel the bite.

If an infestation is discovered, Riley recommends calling a pest control management company as soon as possible to begin treatment. Unfortunately, a thorough treatment can be expensive, both in the cost of hiring the professional and when it comes to replacing things such as mattresses and furniture, which must be discarded. When picking a company, he recommended checking with the state's pesticide control board (271-3350) to verify that the company is in good standing

Even when the treatment is carried out, there's no promise that the bugs will be completely exterminated from a property. In larger buildings, or group homes which serve a transient population, a bed bug infestation is typically seen as something to be managed rather than eradicated.

Although he's seen them in single-family homes, Riley said the bugs are especially problematic in apartment buildings, where they can spread from unit to unit by crawling through electrical outlets. If one apartment is found to be infested, neighboring units should also be inspected. Riley noted that successful management of an infestation relies upon cooperation from both the landlord and tenants. Post-treatment measures typically entail the use of bed bug-resistant bedding materials and frequent vacuuming.

"If you suspect you have them, act early," urged Riley. "It's a miserable, unwanted guest."

CAPTION for BED BUGS in AA:

Shawn Riley, deputy fire chief and acting health officer, holds up a magnified image of a bed bug. He's seen several cases of apparent bed bug infestations in Laconia this summer, infestations that are costly to treat. (Laconia Daily Sun photo/Adam Drapcho)