‘I just can’t take it no more for my children’s sake’: Bed bugs plague Topeka family’s home

TOPEKA (KSNT) – One of mother nature’s nastiest, and hardiest, insects has taken up residence in a local Topeka family’s home.

Ebony Porter, her husband and two children live in their central Topeka home where, for the past several months, she said they’ve had to endure the presence of bed bugs. These pests have plagued Porter’s family since April and are showing no signs of going anywhere anytime soon, barring intervention from an exterminator.

Porter told KSNT 27 News the bugs likely came to her home after she purchased used furniture from a thrift store. Looking for relief, Porter reached out to the exterminator company, Orkin, for advice and services.

“They [Orkin] came and located them,” Porter said. “They gave instructions on what to do before they could come back and treat them. We have to bag up clothes, set them in the center of the floor where the least bugs are or take them outside, then take them to the laundromat because that is where the hottest dryers are.”

The entire procedure to evict the bed bugs from her home is costly. But to Porter, it is worth the alternative of letting the insects continue to bother her family.

“We can’t sleep at night,” Porter said. “Since I had this problem, I’ve had to wash and dry every day. My children wake up in the middle of the night saying they’re being ate up. I just can’t take it no more for my children’s sake.”

Porter’s current situation is shared by thousands of other Americans across the country who are afflicted by bed bugs. One in five people in the U.S. has either dealt with bed bugs or knows someone who has, according to Forbes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says bed bugs are small, flat insects that survive by feeding on the blood of animals and people while they sleep. This parasitic behavior leads to itching and loss of sleep for people who live in an infested location. However, the bugs pose little real health risks unless you are allergic to their bites as the insects do not spread diseases.

The CDC says there are several signs that could indicate a local bed bug infestation:

Bite marks on the face, neck, arms, hands or any other body parts while sleeping (Some bite marks may take up to 14 days to develop).

Bed bug exoskeletons after they molt.

Bed bugs in the fold of mattresses and sheets.

Rusty-colored blood spots due to their blood-filled fecal matter they give off on furniture.

A sweet, musty odor.

When bed bugs bite people, they inject an anesthetic and anticoagulant that prevents victims from realizing they are being bitten, according to the CDC. Some individuals won’t realize they’ve been bitten until days after the initial bite. The bite marks are similar to that of a mosquito or a flea. Bed bug bites affect people differently as some may not develop any signs of being bitten while those with an allergic reaction may display enlarged bite marks, painful swellings and other symptoms.

Bed bugs are adept at hiding as their slim bodies allow them to squeeze into small spaces and stay hidden for a long period of time without feeding, according to the CDC. Bed bugs are usually transported from one place to another in the seams and folds of luggage, overnight bags, folded clothes, bedding, furniture and other items that present them with hiding places. Many people do not realize they are transporting bed bugs.

To find out more about bed bugs, go to the CDC’s website by clicking here. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) also has the following fact sheet regarding bed bugs on its website: