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Bedbugs on their minds

Print | Comments () Posted by Martin Finucane February 17, 2011 02:53 PM

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A bedbug. You probably won't see them, but you might feel them, if you're unlucky.

By Jenna Duncan, Globe Correspondent

Scores of property managers, pest exterminators, and others are gathering today at a Dedham hotel to learn new inspection techniques and treatments for bedbug infestations.

Throughout the day, about 200 attendees will learn new methods for finding and treating bedbugs, the biology behind the pests, and results of new studies on the bugs.

“Unfortunately, the problems are growing in New England and throughout the country,” said Missy Henriksen, the National Pest Management Association's vice president for public affairs.

Bedbug problems have made headlines in the past few years. New York caught the spotlight in the fall, with reports of infestations in the Empire State Building, Bloomingdale's, and Lincoln Center.

A federal government working group held a summit earlier this month to brainstorm on how to eliminate the common creatures that can hide in mattresses, wallpaper, and even picture frames. The insects can survive for months without eating and are known for biting people while they sleep, spreading easily through nearly anything, including clothing.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health doesn’t collect statistics on bedbugs because they do not spread infectious diseases, so there are few comprehensive statistics available, a spokesman said.

But Globe North reported in November that pest control experts north of Boston were seeing an increase in calls for help with bedbug problems. And Boston ranked 11th last year on a list of the 15 most bedbug-infested cities that was released by the pest control company Terminix.