skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Bed Bugs Make Comeback in SD: What You Can Do

play audio
Play

Tuesday, September 14, 2010   

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - All across the state of South Dakota, bed bugs are making a comeback. The resurgence is attributed to increased travel, an overall lack of awareness and the stigma surrounding these hard-to-eliminate insects, according to Dr. Dini Miller, who is associate professor in Urban Pest Management at Virginia Tech. She says the blood-suckers can be found in all kinds of places, from hotel rooms and college dorms to apartment buildings. And now that they're back, she says, the best form of prevention is awareness.

"We don't think twice about putting our bag in the seat next to us if we go to the movies; about storing our son's or daughter's college furniture in our basement. These are all ways that bed bugs can get into the home."

Miller says it's important not to go after bed bugs with chemical insecticides on your own, without calling a professional. The EPA has expressed concerns over exposing children to such chemicals.

Miller says there are some non-chemical alternatives, such as food-grade diatomaceous earth, which can be placed around baseboards and on mattresses and bedding, and which is fatal to bed bugs; it robs moisture from their bodies. She says using mattress covers to keep them on the outside of the bed is a good idea. Washing sheets, clothing, stuffed animals and bags won't always get rid of them, but ten minutes in a hot dryer kills both the bed bugs and their eggs.

Clark Hepper, administrator for the South Dakota Department of Health, says that when you are on the road there are some precautions travelers can take.

"Store your luggage and your personal items not on the floor, maybe by hanging them. Store them in a manner that they aren't going to come in contact with the floor."

Mature bed bugs are roughly the size and shape of an apple seed, although immature ones can be much smaller.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021