Bedbugs

Scientific name: Cimex lectularius Linnaeus (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cimicidae)

Other common names: Bed Bug, Chinches, Mahogany Flats, Red Coat, Wall Louse

Identification:

• Adults: Brown when unfed, roughly the size of an apple seed, 5-9mm long, ovoid in shape. After feeding they will swell greatly and become red in appearance.
• Nymphs: Translucent, cream, to light brown when unfed. After feeding they will swell to multiple times their unfed size and be bright red. Size varies with instar (nymphal stage) from 1-2mm up through adult size.
• Eggs: Translucent to cream colored, white after hatching, roughly 1mm in length.

Feeding Habits: Typically they are nocturnal feeders. They will feed on humans, domesticated animals, bats, and birds (especially poultry). Feeding is usually done a few hours before sunrise (when sleep cycles of their hosts are deepest), and takes 3 to 10 minutes. In between feedings they aggregate in hiding areas. They may feed as often as every few days when a ready supply of hosts are available and temperatures are high. They can go as long as 18 months without a meal if no host can be found.

Detection methods:

• Visual Inspection- Clues to their presence may include fecal staining -look for ground pepper sized black spots on sheets, furniture, any area they tend to aggregate-, blood stains from crushed insects, cast off (shed) skins, dead bugs, live bugs (very difficult to find in all but the heaviest of infestations). Visual inspection will often be unable to find evidence of an infestation until it is well established due to the very cryptic nature and habits of the bedbugs. A trained human inspector can take up to 1 hour to inspect a single room, with typical success rates of only 20-30% in cases of light infestation.
• Human sense of smell- In extremely heavy infestations a musky sweet smell may be detected. In infestations large enough for humans to smell, visual clues should be readily apparent.
• Canine Detection- Canines extremely acute sense of smell allows them to detect as little as 1 insect hiding in an infested piece of furniture or luggage. Canines can also differentiate between viable eggs that have not hatched, and those that are not. A properly trained canine will only alert to the presence of LIVE bedbugs, and can usually pinpoint their location within a foot. Typical inspection of a standard sized room can take a canine as little as 3 minutes, with an accuracy rate somewhere between 95-100%.

Control methods:

• Physical Crushing- Bedbugs can be readily crushed when found. While offering very little help to effecting elimination of a colony, this can be satisfying to those plagued with bedbugs. Use of this method alone will NOT cause a large reduction in numbers.
• Exclusion/Isolation- Since 1st instar (newly hatched and unfed) nymphs can readily crawl THROUGH a closed zipper, exclusion is extremely difficult. Typically exclusion is done to limited areas such as bed by a combination of encasements, "moating" the legs of the bed, and through use of double sided tape. Isolation of a bed from an infestation is possible, but difficult to maintain as any sheets touching the floor, bugs or eggs on clothing brought into the bed, or even insects falling off the ceiling onto the bed can render the isolation useless. Use of this method alone will NOT gain control of infestation.
• Vacuuming- Using a high strength HEPA rated vacuum may dislodge some adults and nymphs, physically removing them from the environment. Eggs are not usually removed this way, as the female cements them in place when they are laid. Care must be taken with the vacuum after use to ensure that the insects inside the vacuum do not escape later to re-infest. When done before application of chemical controls, the chemical controls are able to work better, as any dust that was present is removed to allow the chemical a less readily removed site to stay on. Vacuuming alone will NOT gain control of an infestation.
• Heat/Cold- Bedbugs are very resistant to low temperatures, with recorded cases of them surviving the winter in unheated structures in very northern latitudes. Eggs can withstand temperatures below freezing for over 30 days. Heat is far more effective a means of control than cold. Temperatures above 140 degrees Fahrenheit for just a few minutes are lethal to all life stages of the insect. The problem with heat is getting the heat to where the insects are. Industrial heaters, the use of clothes dryers, and direct application of steam are all methods, but application has to be done in a very thorough and controlled manner. Heating an entire structure to the necessary temperatures can be done, but for some buildings is cost-prohibitive. While this method can ensure 100% kill rates of existing infestations when performed properly, it offers no residual protection from re-infestation.
• Chemical- Chemical application of pesticides is the most common form of control attempted. Efficacy of pesticide application will vary greatly with the type of pesticide used, application rates, thoroughness of application, resistance of the insect to the chemical class used, and penetration of the pesticide into harbourages. Fumigation does offer the potential for elimination of an existing infestation, however cost (usually several thousands of dollars for a single family dwelling) is prohibitive, as well as the fact that fumigation offers no residual proctection against re-infestation. Residual spot and general surface treatments can work if done very thoroughly, however their potential is limited by the fact that very few pesticides can be applied to all areas that the insects infest (especially mattresses). There is also a growing issue with the insects developing resistance to the available classes of pesticides that are currently in use.

If you are getting the impression that there are no easy, sure-fire methods of controlling an infestation of bedbugs that don't cost a fortune, you may be beginning to understand why bedbug elimination is not something the typical homeowner can accomplish. There are even a very limited number of pest control companies that have the experience, tools and patience to handle a bedbug infestation.

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