Secondhand Stores Shoppers Should Be Wary of Bedbugs

(CANVAS STAFF REPORTS) - A course on vintage clothing turned into a discussion on insects as a Fashion Institute of Technology student asked a question.

"Have you ever experienced any issues with bedbugs?"

Instructor Bridgett Artise, author of "25 Ways to Deconstruct, Reinvent and Recycle Your Wardrobe," recalled one student in the class had such an issue. She told The New York Times the student remembered buying a jacket that was infested.

"She said they were in the lining, so it was hard to know they were even there," Artise said.

The Times reported such encounters are not unusual and bedbugs are on the minds secondhand shoppers after bedbug infestations were reported in New York and other cities across the U.S.

"The first thing I always tell people who buy vintage clothing is if they see any type of anything that looks like it might have remnants of bedbugs, put it in a plastic bag and freeze it," Artise said. "You keep it in there, I would say, for at least three days. It can't survive freezing. And after it thaws out, I would take it to a dry cleaner."

The AOL blog DIYlife said reports of bedbug infestations have climbed drastically in 2010. They feed at night, sucking blood, and are often undetected by the people who end up being their hosts. They can also live up to six to eight months without feeding.

Ron Harrison, Orkin's director of technical services, and Jeffery White, a research entomologist with Bed Bug Central, offered advice on avoiding and dealing with such a problem.

Harrison told DIYlife that bedbugs are "expert hitchhikers" that cling to clothing and other personal belongings while going unnoticed. There have been reports of secondhand furniture introducing bedbugs into home, especially considering bedbugs like wood furniture, upholstry and mattresses.

He suggested treating secondhand items with extreme heat before bringing them inside. Clothing should be washed and dried in a hot cycle to kill all stages of the insect.

Bedbugs do not transmit disease but can cause discomfort, sleeplessness and embarrassment. Symptoms of bites can range from mild allergic reactions, such as itchy red welts, to anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction.

The Huffington Post reported students are among those being cautioned. They should place their luggage on luggage racks and not beds while traveling on vacation and thoroughly investigate any used furniture that they buy for their apartments.

As far as what to look for, DIYlife said the only sign for many people that they have a problem are bedbugs' bites. They appear clustered in a horizontal line and appear as small, red, itchy bites.

Bedbug eggs are pearly white and about 1 millimeter long while immature bugs are somewhat translucent in color. They become larger and darker as they develop, growing to be about the size of an apple seed. They are a brownish-red after they bite, while they are light tan or brown until they bite.

Another trace is brownish-red spots and shed skins left behind by the bugs.

As far as getting rid of them, DIYlife said that's often best left up to professional pest management experts.