Bed Bug infestations increasing in Iowa

Under the covers at night, more people in Newton are letting the bed bugs bite.

The Jasper County Board of Health sent out an advisory Tuesday detailing a growing bed bug problem across the state of Iowa. Removal of the thirsty little bloodsuckers, which are known to cause bumps or red welts from their bites, requires an expensive heat and chemical treatment process, one that can cost anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars for a single-unit apartment or small home.

The challenge in assessing the issue of bed bugs is no data-keeping process currently exists at the county or state level, and there are no laws in place for treatment of infestations because bed bugs are not believed to pass disease.

“That’s one of the most difficult things — keeping a good pulse on that because there isn’t a good track mechanism,” said Sue Irving, Director of Jasper County’s Environmental Health Division.

Irving said bed bugs have become more common in recent years due to global travel, which allows bed bugs to literally pass from country to country by suitcase, as well as recently revised laws that allow mattresses to be resold.

Judy Johnson, general manager at Holiday Inn Express in Newton, said her hotel hasn’t had a problem with bed bugs — “knock on wood,” Johnson added — but one local business that has been dealing with the problem is Easy Keep Management, which has a property in Newton currently being inspected for treatment after a resident complained.

“Yes, we are working on it. We contacted our bug expert,” said Easy Keep property manager Danny Warndorf. “We take it seriously.”

Warndorf added that bed bugs have never been a problem at any of the company’s properties, including the one currently infested, until recently.

Mark Hatcher, who has worked at Springer Pest Solutions for nine years, said his company, which handles exterminations throughout central Iowa, gets a call every day about bed bugs.

“Nationwide, it’s getting to be a pretty big problem,” he said. “Five years ago you never say anything. Now you see it a lot more.”

An adult bed bug “is about the size of an appleseed,” Hatcher added. “Young ones are hard to see with the naked eye. Old ones are bigger and dark brown.”