Bed bug recognition, habits, habitat, environment and removal

Frequently Asked Questions about Bed Bugs

What is a bedbug?

The dictonary definition of bedbug is: "a flat, wingless, bloodsucking hemipterous insect, Cimex lectularius, that infests houses and especially beds."
Although commonly called bed bug, bedbug is the dictionary spelling. Use the term interchangeably.

Appearance, Habit and Biology

Bedbugs grow up to approximately 3/16" in size and are slightly oval in proportion.
A bedbug changes color from brown to reddish-orange after feasting on blood, its favorite food.
There are several varieties but the brown one is the most common in North America,
Bedbugs may lay 500 eggs in a lifetime or up to 5 in a day..
Bedbugs can live to about18 months and can survive for about a year without eating.
Bed can tolerate a wide range of temperatures from close to freezing to over 100 degress Fahrenheit. They will die at about 115 degrees which is why Thermal Radiation, also known as heat treatment, is effective.
The blood which you find as a sign of bed bugs is your blood!
Baby bedbugs, also known as hatchlings are tiny, almost impossible to see unless you have a trained eye. That's one of the reasons it's important to inspect items thoroughly when traveling.
Bedbugs can ingest many times their own weight in blood.
Bedbugs are nocturnal by nature; if you think you have an infestation your best bet in surprising them is by using a flashlight as opposed to a room light.
They like to hide in small, dark places during the day; you may find them in furniture crevices, inside mattresses, in electrical outlets, behind wallpaper if they can get there, and in similar hiding places. They are attracted to heat, thus humans are a target.
Unlike lice and ticks bed bugs do not live on hosts, they live near hosts.

Spread and Transmission

Bed bugs can be spread by travelers, perhaps hitchhiker, traveling from an area of infestation to non-infested area. The traveler may unwittingly carry them in a suitcase or perhaps in an electronic device such as a laptop which heats up during use.
As bed bugs do not fly, it is possible to keep them from accessing a bed by applying certain types of lubricants to surfaces that contact ground.
Unfortunately bedbugs have the nasty habit of finding their way from unit to unit in multiple unit dwellings such as dorms. Common walls and shared electrical systems and heating ducts contribute to the cause.

Resurgence of bedbugs

Pesticides such as DDT reduced the bedbug problem in the 20th century, but with concerns to health and the ban of DDT in 1972, they seem to have made a comeback. In addition to laws and regulations governing the use of pesticides and sprays, begbugs may have also developed a tolerance such that DDT, were it still legal, would not be as effective as in the past.
Certainly the increase in international travel has contributed to their mobility.
Bedbug calls to pest control companies have increase substantially over the past decade.
Rural areas seem to be least threatened by bed bug infestations with cities receiving the greatest number of calls.
There has been a 500% increase in bed bug infestations reported since 1999 according to the National Pest Management Association

Environment/Habitat

Cleanliness of a room is immaterial to bed bugs; you find them in 5 star hotels as well as unmaintained tenement housing.
They are most common in places where many people sleep; this would include apartments, hotels, motels, tenement housing, dormitories, used furniture stores and similar facilities. NPMA has reported that according to calls received by professional pest control companies, bed bugs are found in apartments (23%), single family dwellings (21.6%), hotels/motels (37.2%), college dormitories (2%), and other locations (16.2%).
Bed bugs are now found in all 50 states and all continents except Antarctica.
Rural areas seem to be least threatened with cities receiving the greatest number of calls.
In addition to being found in beds, bed bugs can also be found in carpets, under wallpaper, behind baseboards, and in small cracks and crevices throughout a room.

Preventative care / On guard

To prevent bed bugs from entering your home, experts advise vacuuming suitcases and washing clothes in hot water after returning from a vacation where you've seen signs of the pests.
Do not bring infested items in to your room.
Thoroughly inspect any freebie or second hand furniture or accessories before you bring them in.
Check luggage, clothing and bedding after trips; especially after trips abroad.
Clean up and reduce clutter to eliminate some of their favorite hiding spots.
Keep rooms clean and tidy. Vacuum crevices and upholstery regularly.
Vacuum mattresses frequently or permanently encase mattress in a mattress bag.
Pull bed away from wall or other furniture. Tuck in sheets and blankets to avoid contact with the floor or walls.

Signs of Infestation Detection:

Due to a dog’s keen sense of smell, trained dogs can can be used to detect bed bugs even inside walls - with 90% accuracy, making the inspection a more thorough and accurate one. While humans are limited to primarily visual signs, dogs can smell through walls, floors, and bedding.
If bedbugs are present tiny dark excrement stains will be on sheets, pillowcases, and mattresses.
Molted skins and egg shells may also be present, but look for the crawling or dead adults as well.
In cases of severe infestation a musty sweet smell may be detected.
Examine areas around the bed and sleeping quarters for signs of bedbug activity.
Bedbugs prefer areas around fabric, wood and paper.
Check the folds or seams in bedding and linens.
Check seams, corners, and buttons on mattresses and box springs.
Check bedroom furniture especially around the headboard and footboard paying special attention to corners and crevices.
Check baseboards, moldings and carpet seams near and around the bed.
Bedbugs often travel up so check areas above the level where you sleep.
Check artwork and wall hangings, curtains, and walls. Look for any excrement spots, skin casings, or live bugs.

Identification of Bites

Bedbugs bites are identified by small welts similar to mosquito bites. Often these welts occur in rows of three or more and cause itching and discomfort. These bites show up in the morning or middle of the night.
Bed bugs will commonly bite several times, leaving a cluster of bites separated by an inch or so, but because their bites are relatively painless most people will either not notice them or perhaps dismiss them as a spider bite until the infestation has grown in proportion.

Health Risk / Hygiene

Many people believe bed bugs are a threat to their families' health, but most think of them as a nuisance.
Although bed bug bites can cause severe itching and are unsightly they are relatively harmless and are not known to transmit serious diseases. The bites may lead to allergic reactions over time. As with similar rashes, itching and scratching the sores can cause additional infections.
Infestations of bedbugs do not necessarily indicate poor hygiene.

Bedbug Removal Techniques

There are several techniques and variations used to remove and/or eliminate bedbugs, with degrees of effectiveness.

Chemicals - Most bed bug chemical treatments are tedious and require multiple visits
Sprays and Pesticides - Limited effectiveness, commonly leading to wasted dollars in callbacks. With both chemicals and sprays you increase the risk of toxicity into the habitat.
Fogging - Causes them to suffocate but may not reach into deep areas.
Propane heat - Very expensive heat treatment method.
Thermal Radiation (heat treatment) - Removal of bed bugs using heat treatment, although the process is expensive, can save you many thousands of dollars in that you don't have to discard infected items. The advantages:
- Safe - Non-chemical and non-corrosive
- Effective - Heat kills the entire life cycle of all insects, from eggs to adults
- Environmentally Friendly - No toxic fumes, no chemical residue, no prolonged downtime
- Economical - Heat treat an entire structure, or spot treat high-infestation zones while other sections of the structure remain operational