Predators: Bed Bugs, Scabies and more

Editor's Notes

1. Warning-bugs ahead
2. Bed bugs are nocturnal, reddish-brown insects that feed on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded animals. These wingless insects have dorsoventrally flattened bodies that allow them to hide in areas such as floor cracks, carpets, beds and upholstered furniture. Bed bugs were a common problem in the United States up through the World War II era.  Around this time, they were virtually eradicated from the US with the wide scale usage of pesticides,   During the mid 1990's there was a dramatic shift in pest management practices. Routinely scheduled treatments of baseboards in hotels, motels and apartments were replaced with targeted applications of baits for pests such as ants and cockroaches. There has been a general increase in bed bug activity on a world-wide basis over the past decade.  -travel -resistance to pesticides -lack of education/recognition
3. A bed bug’s life begins with an egg, grain like and milky white in color. Female bed bugs lay between one and five eggs each day and may lie up to 500 eggs within one lifetime. Eggs are laid singly or in clusters and are placed within tight cracks or crevices. The egg is approximately 1 mm in length and is comparable in size to two grains of salt. Within two weeks, eggs hatch and immature bed bugs begin immediately to feed. These young bed bugs, or nymphs, pass through five molts before reaching maturity. Although nymphs appear similar to adults, they are smaller in size and are not yet sexually mature. Young nymphs are also yellow-white in color, while older nymphs and adults are reddish-brown. In order to complete a molting stage, each nymph requires a blood meal. At room temperature, nymphs molt and become adults within five weeks. AdultsUpon reaching maturity, bed bug adults often make weekly feedings. The life span of a bed bug most commonly ranges from four to six months. However, some bed bugs may live up to a year under cool conditions and with no food.
4. Bed bugs leave fecal stains in the areas they inhabit. These stains are actually partially digested blood but remember that it will not be red unless you crush a bed bug that has just recently fed. As the blood is digested it turns black and therefore the bed bug droppings usually consist of several black spots in one area. The fecal spots will not flake off if rubbed and will smear if wiped with a wet rag. Leave shells behind as they molt They will live closest to where they can feed
5. SURPRISING PLACES WHERE BED BUGS HIDE Bed bugs have been found in all kinds of places, so this is not an exhaustive list by any stretch of the imagination... Behind/Inside electrical outlets and switch plates Behind pictures and in/around picture frames (same goes for mirrors) In wallpaper seams Door and window moldings Door hinges Electronic devices (Cell Phones,Computers, TVs, Stereos,etc.) Books Toy boxes Dog beds and dog/Cat cages Laundry rooms (from infested clothing lying around) Cars
6. Traveling When traveling, think of the acronym S.L.E.E.P. to remember the following action steps to help avoid bringing bed bugs home with you. Survey surfaces for signs of an infestation, such as tiny rust-colored spots on bed sheets, mattress tags and seams, and bed skirts. Lift and look for all bed bug hiding spots, including underneath the mattress, bed frame, headboard and furniture. Typically, they come out at night to feed, but during the day they are most likely found within a 1.5 meter radius of the bed. Elevate your luggage on a luggage rack away from the bed and wall, since bed bugs can often hide behind headboards, artwork, picture frames and electrical outlet panels. Examine your luggage carefully while repacking and when you return home. Always keep luggage off the bed and store it in a closet or other area, far away from your bedroom. Place all your clothing from your luggage immediately in the dryer for at least 15 minutes at the highest setting upon returning home from travel.
7. Bag and launder (122°F/50ºC minimum) affected items. Smaller items that cannot be laundered can sometimes be de-infested by heating. Individual items, for example, can be wrapped in plastic and placed in a hot, sunny location for at least a few days (the 122°F/50ºC minimum target temperature should be monitored in the center-most location with a thermometer). Bedbugs also succumb to cold temperatures below freezing, but the chilling period must be maintained for at least two weeks. Attempts to rid an entire home or apartment of bed bugs by raising or lowering the thermostat will be entirely unsuccessful.Wash all linen on hot, dry on hot setting. Gather all linen, cloth and leather bags, mattress covers, clothing, teddy bears... etc. Machine wash on hot - wash the laundry bag also. Tumble dry on hot. Steam kills bed bugs. Some metropolitan areas offer bed bug laundry and dry cleaning services which have the added benefits of proven methods for killing bed bugs and bagging or storing cleaned items so they do not become re-infested while the home is still being exterminated. If something cannot be washed or discarded (such as a valuable leather purse) spray with non-toxic bed bug spray (such as diatomaceous earth), seal in a plastic bag and leave for a few months. Dry clean to remove odor if need be. Point steam on them. You may get a simple device capable of generating steam at your local hardware store. You may also convert a simple electric kettle to a steam machine by attaching a flexible tube. Steam should kill all bedbugs and the eggs. Thoroughly spray steam at all corners and seams. Vacuum your house. This will remove bugs and eggs from mattresses, carpet, walls and other surfaces. Pay particular attention to seams, tufts and edges of mattresses and box springs, and the perimeter edge of wall-to-wall carpets. Afterward, dispose of the vacuum contents in a sealed trash bag. Steam cleaning of carpets is also helpful for killing bugs and eggs that vacuuming may have missed.A vacuum with a HEPA filter is especially effective. Consider using insecticides. Residual insecticides (usually pyrethroids) are applied as spot treatments to cracks and crevices where bed bugs are hiding. Increased penetration of the insecticide into cracks and crevices can be achieved if accumulated dirt and debris are first removed using a vacuum cleaner. Many readily available aerosol pesticide sprays will cause bed bugs to scatter making eradication more difficult. Dust formulations may be used to treat wall voids and attics.Repeat insecticide applications if bed bugs are present two weeks after the initial treatment. It is difficult to find all hiding places and hidden eggs may have hatched. Enlist the services of a professional pest control firm. Experienced companies know where to look for bed bugs, and have an assortment of management tools at their disposal. Owners and occupants will need to assist the professional in important ways. Allowing access for inspection and treatment is essential and excess clutter should be removed. Discard affected items. In some cases, infested mattresses and box springs will need to be discarded. Since bed bugs can disperse throughout a building, it also may be necessary to inspect adjoining rooms and apartments. Pay it forward: chop up and/or damage the items you discard so nobody will be tempted to take them home and spread the problem further.
8. https://youtu.be/n6eki-926TA
9. These microscopic mites can live on your skin for up to two months. They reproduce on the surface of your skin and then burrow into your skin and lay eggs. This causes a very itchy, pimple-like rash to form on the skin. There are approximately 300 million cases of scabies in the world every year. It’s a highly contagious condition that can easily be passed from one person to another through direct skin contact. It may also be transmitted through infested clothing or bedding.  Scabies may be spread in the following ways: prolonged skin-to-skin contact, such as holding hands intimate personal contact, such as having sexual intercourse sharing clothing, bedding, or towels that have been used by someone with a scabies infection The infestation may also spread quickly in: schools nursing homes
10. Without scabies treatment, yellow crusting, scaling and skin lesions will take over large patches of your body as the infestation under your skin grows. Scabies lay between two and three eggs inside your body every day. These mites hatch, burrow out of your skin, mate and then burrow back into your skin to lay even more eggs. Scabies prefer to dig into warm, moist folds of skin. They typically burrow between the fingers and toes, in armpits, under nail beds and around the waist and other sensitive areas. First-time scabies victims develop a rash and itching two to six weeks after exposure. If you’ve had scabies before, it only takes between one and four days. Scabies typically produce a more intense itching, especially at night. This often leads to open sores and infections,
11. In a typical infestation, there are more nits than bugs since an adult louse will lay an average of five to 10 eggs a day and a newborn female needs only 10 days to become a mom.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj5hd_tZfyM&feature=youtu.be Picture: http://www.sharinghealthtips.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2015/08/Header-Natural-Lice-Treatment-e1439053268939.jpg
12. Prevalence nursing homes You’re more likely to get lice if you’re dirty “Head lice has nothing to do with hygiene,” says Andrew Bonwit, a pediatric infectious-disease expert at Loyola University Health System outside Chicago. “It has to do with whether the person was exposed to someone with head lice.”  Your pet can carry lice Lice feed only on humans. Fleas and ticks are another story. Lice can jump or fly No. They just crawl. That’s why kids are so much more likely than adults to have lice: They often touch heads when interacting, whether playing or talking or sleeping together at slumber parties (which are top-notch settings for lice transmission). A few lice can quickly scuttle over hair to a new head while, say, kids press close to take photos, snuggle up to watch a movie or share a pillow. (selfies) While adults can get lice from their children, they rarely are the family members to bring the bugs home. (As Bonwit points out, “In the typical office, there’s probably not a whole lot of hugging going on.”) Lice spread disease FALSE: Head lice don't transmit infections, lead to scabies, or make children sick. In fact, they rarely, if ever, cause any harm -- just a lot of annoyance.
13. Experts suggest that the greatest harm associated with head lice comes in the wellmeaning but misguided use (and overuse) of toxic treatments to eradicate them. Shampoos such as Nix and Rid kill live lice — but not always and not all of them. Many lice have developed resistance to the most common active ingredients, permethrin and pyrethrins. Researchers are finding that head lice that are becoming resistant to OTC treatments. Red states: 100 percent of the tested lice were resistant. Orange states: 50 to 90 percent of lice were resistant. Yellow states: 1 percent to 49 percent were resistant. Blue states: Data hasn't been analyzed yet. White states haven't been tested. And they don’t kill all of the nits. In fact, use of these products has led to super lice, bugs that are developing a resistance to some insecticides. Already this year, at least one U.S. school district has reported an uptick in cases of super lice. “Evolutionary resistance has gotten much worse in the past 10 or 20 years,” But Eckert says that, pesticide resistance or no, the key is “meticulous combing” with a fine-toothed metal comb that removes the eggs from the hair shaft.
14. he flea eggs, larvae and pupae are another situation. Since these stages are much more secretive and much less active, they are found in out-of-the-way places like behind, under or in the furniture; in the pet’s bedding; inside cracks and grooves in the floors; and in the carpets. Can fleas fly?Fleas do not fly and are wingless as adults. Their preferred method of movement is for the adults to jump onto a host when that animal passes close by. Flea larvae are mobile and will move slowly from one location to another by crawling.
15. fleas can transmit diseases when taking a blood meal from a host or via contaminated fecal pellets. Some flea-borne diseases include: Plague – transmitted by the Oriental rat flea Flea-borne typhus, also known as murine typhus – transmitted by the bacteria-infested feces of infected cat fleas when they enter the body at the time of the flea’s bite or from scratching the area of the bite. Bartonellosis –Oriental rat flea and cat flea bites may transmit cat scratch disease. Flea tapeworm – can be transmitted if children accidently eat an infected flea or contact infected feces. Tungiasis – a tropical area ailment that is caused by the chigoe flea (Tunga penetrans) when it burrows into the skin and takes a blood meal. As the adult female feeds, she grows larger due to the development of her eggs. The bite of the chigoe flea often results in secondary infections and itching.
16. Deer or blacklegged tick Where found: Widely distributed in the northeastern and upper midwestern United States.Transmits: Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan disease.Comments: The greatest risk of being bitten exists in the spring, summer, and fall. However, adults may be out searching for a host any time winter temperatures are above freezing. Stages most likely to bite humans are nymphs and adult females. Dog tick Where found: Widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains. Also occurs in limited areas on the Pacific Coast.Transmits: Tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.Comments: The highest risk of being bitten occurs during spring and summer. Dog ticks are sometimes called wood ticks. Adult females are most likely to bite humans. Where found: Worldwide.  Lone star tick Where found: Widely distributed in the southeastern and eastern United States. Transmits: Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii (which cause human ehrlichiosis), tularemia, and STARI. Comments: A very aggressive tick that bites humans. The adult female is distinguished by a white dot or “lone star” on her back. Lone star tick saliva can be irritating; redness and discomfort at a bite site does not necessarily indicate an infection. The nymph and adult females most frequently bite humans and transmit disease.Brown dog tick Transmits: Rocky Mountain spotted fever (in the southwestern U.S. and along the U.S.-Mexico border). Comments: Dogs are the primary host for the brown dog tick in each of its life stages, but the tick may also bite humans or other mammals.
17. the disease only became apparent in 1975 when mothers of a group of children who lived near each other in Lyme, Conn., made researchers aware that their children had all been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. This unusual grouping of illness that appeared "rheumatoid" eventually led researchers to the identification of the bacterial cause of the children's condition, what was then named "Lyme disease" in 1982. Early Signs and Symptoms (3 to 30 days after tick bite) Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes Erythema migrans (EM) rash:unique to lymes but not eveyone has it Occurs in approximately 70 to 80 percent of infected persons Begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of 3 to 30 days (average is about 7 days) Expands gradually over a period of days reaching up to 12 inches or more (30 cm) across May feel warm to the touch but is rarely itchy or painful Sometimes clears as it enlarges, resulting in a target or “bull's-eye” appearance May appear on any area of the body Later Signs and Symptoms (days to months after tick bite) Severe headaches and neck stiffness Additional EM rashes on other areas of the body Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly the knees and other large joints. Facial or Bell's palsy (loss of muscle tone or droop on one or both sides of the face) Intermittent pain in tendons, muscles, joints, and bones Heart palpitations or an irregular heart beat (Lyme carditis) Episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord Nerve pain Shooting pains, numbness, or tingling in the hands or feet Problems with short-term memory Tx:recommended 2 to 4 week course of antibiotics   Individuals who have previously had Lyme disease can be infected again if bitten by an infected tick.
18. Avoid Direct Contact with Ticks Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter. Walk in the center of trails. Repel Ticks with DEET or Permethrin Use repellents that contain 20 to 30% DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) on exposed skin and clothing for protection that lasts up to several hours. Always follow product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth. Use products that contain permethrin on clothing. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5% permethrin. It remains protective through several washings. Pre-treated clothing is available and may be protective longer. Other repellents registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Find and Remove Ticks from Your Body Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you. Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas. Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair. Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and day packs. Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks. (Some research suggests that shorter drying times may also be effective, particularly if the clothing is not wet.)
19. Mosquito Bites Appear in Isolation Mosquito bites -- stings, really -- result in these lovely welts you see here. You're probably all too familiar with this image. You may get several mosquito bites on the same night, but they won't show up in clusters the same way bed bug bites do.
20. Zika virus disease (Zika) is a disease caused by the Zika virus, which is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected. However, Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly, as well as other severe fetal brain defects. Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections.Can be sexually transmitted with 2 cases of male to male infection Microcephaly- Seizures Developmental delay, such as problems with speech or other developmental milestones (like sitting, standing, and walking) Intellectual disability (decreased ability to learn and function in daily life) Problems with movement and balance Feeding problems, such as difficulty swallowing Hearing loss Vision problems Update: CDC has confirmed cases ofOn April 10, Brazilian scientists said they had discovered a new neurologic disorder associated with Zika infections in adults,[2] an autoimmune syndrome called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. Resembling multiple sclerosis and found mostly in children, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis attacks nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. The scientists also reported more evidence that the virus can trigger Guillain-Barré syndrome, a previously known risk. Recent surveillance data from Colombia suggest that infection with Zika virus during the third trimester of pregnancy is not linked to obvious birth defects, according to a study published online June 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine.