SAN ANTONIO - Cimex lectularius, better known as bed bugs are the tiny parasitic <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasitic> insects that have reemerged in the United States in the last decade, spreading from one coast to the other. Living in furniture, walls, bedding and carpets bed bugs have an endless supply of habitats and people provide the food.
In South Texas, bed bugs have been reported in public housing, apartments, motels and homes. Eliminating the parasites has proven to be a major challenge for those that find themselves infested. There are very few over the counter treatments for bed bugs and hiring an exterminator can be very costly depending on the severity of the infestation.
The San Antonio Housing Authority has been battling the bed bug problem for months with several units experiencing outbreaks of the bugs at various times. In housing where residents share a common wall the infestation in one apartment can easily move to the next. This creates a major problem when it comes to removing the bugs since the entire building often has to be cleaned to completely remove the bugs.
The reddish-brown bugs are easily identifiable due to their unique shape. Adult bed bugs are flat, oval and wingless; they are also primarily nocturnal, although they can move around during the day.
The most common method of treating bed bugs is through extreme temperatures either heat or cold coupled with a treatment with a pesticide. Exterminators say while pesticides for more common insects like cockroaches and fleas have been refined over the years and are extremely effective; the explosion of bed bugs has left the industry scrambling to keep up, with new pesticides being developed every year to fight the infestation.
