From: Batzner Pest Management
16948 W. Victor
New Berlin, WI 53151
Contact: Ted Snyder, 262-797-4160 or
Jordan Fox. 414-352-2645
(Milwaukee, April 29, 2009) — Count Dracula has had some competition of late. Hopefully, you haven’t noticed this first hand, but bed bugs, those nasty little bloodsuckers, are back in the news, nationally and locally, and they’re making a comeback in Wisconsin and other parts of the U.S.A.
According to Jerry Batzner, president of Batzner Pest Management, New Berlin, bed bugs were a commonly found many years ago. Then for about 25 years, they didn’t pose a problem. But, now these nighttime visitors have again emerged to feast on blood from sleeping humans.
This bed bug primarily bites humans, but can feed on any warm-blooded animal, including birds, mice and pets. It’s usually just under a quarter-inch long, brown or reddish brown, and relatively flat. It’s able to crawl into very small crevices in and around human living spaces. These include between mattresses, seams in bed linens, upholstery, behind wood trim, inside electrical boxes, in floors, behind wallpaper and in other spaces close to a potential meal.
“An infestation doesn’t mean there are unclean or unsanitary living conditions,” Batzner notes. “Even highly regarded hotels in the USA have had bed bug infestations lately, probably because of domestic and international travel.”
According to Batzner, the first sign of bed bug infestation is the appearance of small brownish or reddish spots on bed linens. These are droppings from the bugs. Bitten individuals may also notice swelling and sometimes localized itching.
“Washing bed linens or other infested areas might not eliminate the source. The first thing to do is to have a pest control professional thoroughly inspect the area. We do this to determine the places where the bed bugs are living. To get rid of them, we’ll then do an appropriate treatment of these areas as well as adjacent areas.”
For more information contact Jerry Batzner or Ted Snyder, entomologist for Batzner Pest Management. Phone them at 262-797-4160, or visit http://www.batzner.com. The company has service centers in Madison, Racine, Fond du Lac, and Oshkosh.
