increase in bed bugs in the Twin Cities area? (Minneapolis: sales, apartments)

[ws123]

I read this on a web site of an apt review in Minneapolis.

Is it true that Minneapolis apartments suffer from bug infestations?

"I'm a reporter with the Twin Cities Daily Planet (Twin Cities Daily Planet | Local News for Global Citizens). I'm working on an article on the increase in bed bugs in the Twin Cities area. I'd looking to interview local residents about their problems with bed bugs. You can reach me at: madeleine [dot] baran [at] gmail.com Thanks! Madeleine Bara"

Stay Away! Bug Infestations! ..., Not Recommended, Jul 09, 2008, apartment review of River Gate Apartments in Minneapolis, MN

Will,

[Kebinminn]

Bedbugs are a growing problem everywhere. DDT is the only thing that's had a huge effect on them and that's long gone.

[Civic]

lol@ DDT, that thing won't wash off in 50 years

[Libby01]

I know someone who works at EcoLab and he told me that many, many hotels have them (even the good ones). He always pulls up the mattress cover on hotel beds and looks at the seams at the corner of the mattress to see if you see dark spots. And he suggest to never, ever put your suitcase on the bed, or else you will take them home with you. I've been taking his advice ever since I heard it- but haven't run across any bed bugs yet.

[ws123]

Originally Posted by ws123

I read this on a web site of an apt review in Minneapolis.

Is it true that Minneapolis apartments suffer from bug infestations?

I found this on the net:

KSAX.com - Bed Bugs make Resurgence in Minnesota (http://ksax.com/article/stories/S1672992.shtml?cat=10230 - broken link)
"Bed Bugs make Resurgence in Minnesota"


Florida and New York Top List of States with the Worst Bug Problems | Earth Times News

"Here are the top 10 overall buggiest states, as ranked by homeowners and confirmed by product sales data:
1. Florida
2. Louisiana
3. Texas
4. California
5. Georgia
6. New York
7. Mississippi
8. Alabama
9. Missouri
10. South Carolina

While they can’t necessarily be called the “least buggiest” locales, the following ranked in the bottom 10 of the survey, in terms of respondents’ perceptions:

41. New Mexico
42. Utah
43. Illinois
44. North Dakota
45. Delaware
46. New Hampshire
47. Idaho
48. Connecticut
49. South Dakota
50. Washington, DC

"


http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2010/0 (http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2010/07 - broken link)/26/daily2.html

"Houston, as you slap your arms, face and neck while trying to enjoy a sunset, reassure yourself that things could be worse: You could be in Florida or Louisiana.

Those two states are officially and somewhat scientifically more bug-infested than Texas, according to an industry survey.

The least buggiest state of all? South Dakota. (Actually, Washington, D.C., but that's not a state.

BASF, a chemical company that makes all sorts of bug-killing paraphenalia, conducted a survey and studied sales patterns to come up with their findings.

"The survey findings mirror what we see in real life," said Dr. Bob Davis, Chief Entomologist at BASF. "Ants are pervasive throughout the United States, while termites tend to be most prevalent in the West, South and Southeast."

After Texas, the top ten consisted of California, Georgia, New York (lots of bedbugs), Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri and South Carolina.

Shockingly, BASF's study also showed that most homeowners would be better off hiring a professional exterminator, no doubt armed with industrial-strength BASF products, to handle the problem."

Survey: Missouri among states with worst bug problems | ksdk.com | St. Louis, MO
"St. Louis (KSDK) -- Missouri is among the states that have the worst bug infestation problems - including ants, termites and cockroaches.
According to a phone survey conducted by Infogroup | ORC, 90 percent of American homeowners said they have experienced an insect infestation.
The top 10 buggiest states were Florida, Louisiana, Texas, California, Georgia, New York, Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri and South Carolina. Illinois came in as one of the least buggy states at number 43.
When it comes to bed bugs, respondents in New York had the worst problem. California and Florida were first and second runners-up for bed bugs, respectively.
Ant infestation was rated the most common insect annoyance by homeowners interviewed. Nearly 60 percent of those questioned said ants were "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to infest their homes.
In contrast, about a quarter (27 percent) of respondents said they were "likely" to suffer from a termite infestation.
About the Survey
The survey was conducted among a national probability sample of 675 adults comprising 321 men and 354 women 18 years of age and older, living in private households in the continental United States. All respondents were homeowners. Interviews for this telephone survey were conducted by Infogroup | ORC during the period June 10-13, 2010.

Margin of error for this survey is plus or minus 4 percent. For purposes of the survey, when ranking "overall buggiest" states, respondents were asked to consider ALL of the following bugs: spiders, ants, bees/wasps, termites, cockroaches, bed bugs.
KSDK "

[ws123]

It looks like this is a problem all over the US and not only in MN.

What is our government doing about it??

A real nightmare: Bed bugs biting all over U.S. - Health - More health news - msnbc.com

"The tiny, sneaky insects are spreading so rapidly across the United States that almost no region or area is unbitten, a new survey suggests. Calls to exterminators nationwide about bed bugs are up 57 percent nationwide in the last five years, according to a new survey by the National Pest Management Association and the University of Kentucky. More than 95 percent of 519 U.S. exterminators participating in the survey reported finding at least one bed bug infestation in the past year.



“Most cities have bed bug problems today,” says Michael F. Potter, University of Kentucky professor of entomology and one of the co-authors of the study. "Any place you have a lot of people, or a lot of movement of people, you have bed bugs."
The study, the first comprehensive industry report specifically on bed bugs, supports findings cited in Congress’ “Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009” that bed bug populations in the U.S. have increased by 500 percent in the past few years.
The number of exterminators reporting doing over 100 bed bug jobs a year increased more than three-fold, from 6 percent in 2008 to 20 percent just two years later, the new survey found. Seven percent reported doing more than 500 bed bug jobs in the past year.
Bloodsuckers: What you need to know about bed bugs

Turning up in surprising places
Increased travel, immigration and resistance to available insecticides are often blamed for the onslaught, although some experts also point to bans on more potent insecticides due to environmental concerns."

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

See Thermal Remediation from TEMP-AIR: Kill Bugs with Heat A Burnsville MN company called Temp-Air manufactures a heater that kills bedbugs. Basically you heat the room from 120 degrees to 140 degrees. Contractors buy or rent these heating units from Temp Air.

I know people who are involved in the development of the project. They said it's a real problem and many of the nicer hotel chains are now using their technology.

[bostonguy1960]

One can google a recent NY Magazine story on the hush hush on the UPPER east Side in NYC about bedbugs in tony buildings...and expensive treatment w/o guarantees.

Dorms are a common site for bedbugs.

Hotels have paid off guests to keep quiet about find them.

NBC Nightly News last month said of 700 hotels surveyed, one in four had an infestation. Seems very unlikely, as we'd be hearing even more about it.

But it's an epidemic now, according to some.

Exterminators start at $900 for a small apt. Up to thousands for a house, from what I read. Even if treatment were free and quick, it would be almost impossible to attack this.

Poor people can't afford it. If one complains to a landlord, they may accuse you of bringing them in and evict you. Try getting an apt. with bedbugs on your profile. Even workplaces may fire you for coming to work with a bedbug problem?

It's such a stigma. At least roaches are easier and cheaper to eliminate. And can be spotted.

The cleanest of places can harbor them...they don't eat food, only blood of pets and humans. And they're so hard to detect unless already an infestation.

[Giesela]

Apparently they are great hitch hikers. I saw this thread when scrolling and popped in. Ohio has a huge problem, I was surprised it wasn' on the top 10 list.
I live in fear of getting them, I live in an apt, I travel for work - they are practically impossible to get rid of.

Not only that but I'm afraid to buy furniture. I've heard that furniture companies that take away old furniture when delivering new can get hitchhikers in their trucks, when then hitch in on new furniture. Forget craigslist or consignment shops.

[Bignellyxx]

I probably stay in hotels nearly a hundred nights a year. Far more worried about flees then bed bugs. I make sure to always put my suitcase on something like a table or those stands. Haven't seen a bed bug yet...don't alway look though