| Don't let the bed bugs bite
A blood-sucking parasite creeps out of its hiding spot and prepares itself for a feast. After piercing the skin of a sleeping host and injecting an anesthetic so as not to wake the victim, the offender has its fill and returns to its lair - just another day in the life of a bed bug.
Until recently, the problem of bed bugs seemed to be under control. Reports of outbreaks have sparked the scientific community to question why these critters are experiencing a resurgence after laying low since the 1940s.
"Only the bed bugs know why their numbers crashed, and they aren't telling us," said Richard Pollack, Harvard entomologist.
One hypothesis is the increase in insecticide production used in World War II worked well keeping bed bugs at bay. The insecticides contained DDT, which has since been outlawed.
Bedbug bitings are on the rise
SOME Winnipeggers are definitely not sleeping tight -- with bed bugs crawling between their mattresses and sofa cushions and leaving dime-size bite marks on their necks. Poulin's Pest Control general manager Lincoln Poulin said bed bug calls are up 300 per cent, with five-star city hotels, apartments and even homes on Wellington Crescent in dire need of a bed bug exterminator. To make matters worse, some bed bugs are resistant to pesticide, making the problem extra difficult for pest control companies."It's a bigger issue than people think," Poulin said. To make matters worse, some bed bugs are resistant to pesticide, making the problem extra difficult for pest control companies."It's a bigger issue than people think," Poulin said. "Is it going to get worse? Yes.
New Strain Of Super Bed-bugs Out Of Control And Pumped Up On Crisps
"The first place these started to turn up was the poorer inner-city council estates where standards of hygiene and cleanliness are pretty poor. These super-bugs thrive on crisps and of course the lower orders are always eating food in bed, and as they always buy shite for their kids and that, then it's no surprise that this plague is getting totally out of hand"Doreen Slag of an inner-city estate told us:"I was in bed with my hubby eating some crisps and dropped one. Then I let a crisp fall from my hand too. I reached down to pick it up and next thing I had one of these super bed-bugs attached to my finger. It was 'orrible I can tell you"David Bellamy comments:"Well what do you expect? These people need education and shown the proper way to live. It's bloody squalor what's caused this. The dirty feckers" .
Here comes da bugs
We have had an extremely wet winter and, when spring finally arrives, it will bring with it lots of new plant growth, lots of insects that eat plants and lots of other insects that eat the insects that eat the plants. Because of the increased plant growth, rodents also will be more numerous. What will all this mean in terms of pests you'll have to deal with in your homes or businesses?u Ants will be very common household pests this year. u Cockroaches will probably be the same as in years past as they live in sewer systems and other areas that aren't necessarily affected by the weather. u Crickets will be more numerous, as will arthropod predators such as centipedes, scorpions and hunting spiders. u Termites will have large swarms, probably beginning the last week of February in the Santa Fe area.u Dermestid beetles will also be very common.Beware the beetles .
Denver puts icy-street saga to bed
Denver capped the most expensive series of snows in its history last week, officially ending an unprecedented months-long effort to dredge ice off neighborhood streets. It may be weeks before the final total for snow removal is in, but public- works officials estimate the cost at about $13 million - three times their $4.3 million annual budget for snow removal. That figure does not include pothole and road repairs - tasks the city will be dealing with for years. Beyond cost, this winter's legacy will be in the way Denver clears streets during future storms: The city now plans to send as many as 120 light plows into neighborhoods when 6 inches or more of snow is expected. And, for the first time, the city contracted out some snow-removal services. "The standard changed in the middle of this eight weeks," Public Works Director and Deputy Mayor Bill Vidal said.
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