WAMU 88.5 : News

Filed Under:

Experts Say Bed Bug Problem Has Reached 'Tipping Point'

Play associated audio

Like bad traffic and high taxes, experts say bed bugs have become an unfortunate fact in life in the D.C. region.

"Its just enough levels of infestations out there in properties, in people's houses, that now they are sort of ubiquitous, they're everywhere -– so it's just something we have live with," says Maryland entomologist Larry Pinto.

He wrote the book on bed bugs –- it's actually called the "Bed Bug Handbook" -– and he was brought in by D.C.'s health department to headline its second Bed Bug Summit.

Pinto says while the pests are everywhere, certain jobs -- such as nurses, social workers and inspectors -- are at added risk of coming into contract with bed bugs and bringing them home.

Early detection and treatment, he says, is critical to minimizing the impact of an infestation.

NPR

Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process

After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.
NPR

In Raw Milk Case, Activists See Food Freedom On Trial

Activists say the case against Wisconsin dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger is about raw milk — and much more. His supporters have turned the case into a rallying cry for personal food freedom and the rights of farmers and consumers to enter into private contracts without government intervention.
NPR

Lois Lerner's Brief And Awful Day On Capitol Hill

The IRS bureaucrat showed up long enough at a House hearing into the scandal engulfing her agency to declare her innocence and her constitutional right to say no more.
NPR

How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started

You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.