Bed Bugs Crawl to Billings

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By Sarah Gravlee

Story Published: Jan 26, 2012 at 6:53 PM MST

Story Updated: Jan 26, 2012 at 7:06 PM MST

BILLINGS - Darby Schiesser sees his fair share of pests. As a technician with Armstrong Pest Control, he goes to homes with all kinds of infestations, but one type is becoming much more common: bed bugs.

"We used to get 2 to 3 calls a year, and now we're getting 2 to 3 calls a week," Schiesser said.

He added bed bugs have been a problem is other parts of the country for years, and he thinks travelers are bringing the pests to the Magic City. "I've seen some cases they're so bad they're crawling in the hallways, piled up in the corners."

Schiesser said buildings with multiple bedrooms cause the most problems, buildings like college dormitories.

"They are creepy, and they're not fun to look at," said Jeff Rosenberry with MSU-Billings. "We certainly don't want to let the bed bugs bite."

While both MSU-Billings and Rocky Mountain College have had brushes with bed bugs, Rosenberry said MSUB is pro-active in preventing the bugs from spreading.

"Twice a year we do preventative spraying in every room, all 390 rooms," Rosenberry said. They also train dorm staff members what to look out for and are in the process of buying seamless, bed bug resistant mattresses.

Schiesser recommends everyone look at the edges of their bedding for small black spots. He says if you think you might have an infestation, you should call an exterminator as soon as possible.

Local health officials and exterminators said it appears area hotels have not been affected by the spread of bed bugs, as the majority of the cases are in private homes.

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