“Good night, sleep tight… don’t let the bed bugs bite.”
We’ve heard this old saying but may have not given much thought to the last little part about bed bugs. From time to time, I get calls about the potential problem of bed bugs.
Bed bugs are small, flattened, parasitic insects that feed solely on the blood of people and (rarely) other animals. Bed bugs are reddish ‐ brown in color, wingless, range from about pinhead size to the size of an apple seed.
They DO NOT live on people like lice, but hide in crevices during the day and emerge at night to feed. They can live several months without a blood meal. They cannot fly or jump; however they can run, and given enough time can spread through a home or apartment complex.
The bites of bed bugs are painless. Many people do not realize they have been bitten until bite marks appear anywhere from one or more days after the initial bite. Most people have no reaction to bed bug bites at all. Other people may have a reaction ranging from a bite similar to a mosquito bite to large, red welts that may itch and be irritating. The bite marks may be random or appear in a straight line. It is difficult for even a doctor to tell if a red, itchy spot on the skin is due to a bed bug bite.
The creepy factor is certainly there, yet bed bugs are not known to spread any diseases to humans. This news is still the same after many careful investigations.
So how can one find them to determine if that is the source of bites? Bed bugs are experts at hiding. Their slim flat bodies allow them to fit into the smallest of spaces and stay there for long periods of time, even without a blood meal. Bed bugs are usually transported from place to place as people travel. The bed bugs travel in the seams and folds of luggage, overnight bags, folded clothes, bedding, furniture, and anywhere else they can hide.
Occasionally bed bugs may be transported to another home or school in backpacks or clothing of a person who lives in an infested home. In most such instances, the people involved do not realize that they may be transporting stow‐away bed bugs.
Bed bug infestations usually occur around or near the areas where people sleep. These areas include bedroom or living areas of apartments, shelters, rooming houses, hotels, and dorm rooms. They hide during the day in places such as seams of mattresses, box springs, bed frames, headboards, dresser tables, inside cracks or crevices, behind wallpaper, or any other clutter or objects around a bed.
If you do find bed bugs in your home, you may be one to try the do-it-yourself pest control. Below are the steps one can take.
· Determine which rooms are infested. Bedrooms are the principal locations for bed bugs; however, any room where people sleep in the home may provide harborage for bed bugs. Living rooms with sofas and sofa beds are the next most common sites for bed bugs.
· Don’t throw your bed away. It’s generally unnecessary to throw away beds or bedding. It is expensive to replace bedding, and chances are that any new mattresses, box springs or beds you bring into the home will quickly become re-infested. The money to replace a bed or mattress might better be spent on hiring a professional.
· Create a safe place to sleep. This is critical because staying in your own bed will reduce the risk of bed bugs spreading throughout your home. Stripping and vacuuming the mattresses and box springs, and encase them. Double bag your bedding and wash in hot water and dry for at least 30 minutes (discard the inner bag after putting bedding into the washer, as it could have bed bugs). After vacuuming suspected bed bugs from the bed, take your vacuum cleaner outdoors and remove and discard the bag. Purchase a good quality set of bed-bug-proof encasements for your mattresses and box springs.
· Killing all bed bugs on your bed frame and headboard. Normally this would be done by a pest control professional. Approximately 70% of all bed bugs in the typical infestation are located on the mattress, box spring and bed frame.
· Isolating your bed from the rest of the house. If you don’t use a bed, purchase a frame that gets your mattress off the floor and install bed bug interceptors under all feet of the bed frame to keep bed bugs off your bed while you are sleeping. Interceptors are special platforms or cups that are purchased to prevent bed bugs from climbing on to your bed. An interceptor can be as simple as a sticky card placed under a bed post (sticky and messy).
· Treat other areas in your home. This is perhaps the most challenging part of do-it-yourself bed bug control.
· Select an insecticide. Don’t use foggers as they have not proven effective. Desiccant dusts that come into contact with bed bugs have proven effective. Diatomaceous earth is a common one. Two plant oil-based products were recently evaluated and found surprisingly effective against bed bugs and their eggs. EcoRaider
and Bed Bug Patrol
. Pyrethroid sprays are among the stronger and longer-lasting pesticides, but most bed bugs are resistant to these sprays to some degree. Special care should be taken when using pyrethroid sprays, especially when children are present. Only use pyrethroids in places indicated on the label.
Finally, I recommend contacting a licensed pest control professional with experience in bed bug control. Do‐it-yourself control can work, especially if bed bugs are caught early; however, using a professional if possible is generally better. Not all insects found in a home, even on a bed, are bed bugs. A professional can confirm whether any insects you find are indeed bed bugs.
