This article is about BEDBUG control. It will
detail their biology, explain why they are a pest and what
needs to be done for controlling infestations.
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This article is about bedbugs and will explain
just what they are, why they are a pest and what
can be done to control local infestations. The author
feels it is important to detail just what this pest
looks like since there are many misperceptions and
misunderstandings regarding it's existence. First,
bedbugs are very much visible to the eye. They are
large enough to see without any magnification; they
can grow up to 1/4 inch long. Young hatch looking
much like adults just much smaller. Most species
will appear to be a transparent tan or beige color
but will quickly turn dark brown, almost black,
once they have fed. Bedbugs have almost a round
body though it appears to be more oval upon closer
observation. Bedbugs have six legs and are very
good walkers. It is important to understand that
bedbugs are not invisible. The author has dealt
with many people who believe they have an active
infestation of bedbugs when no trace of anything
can be found. Their infestation is the conclusion
based on all the wrong premises; only when specimens
which have been properly identified can one be
sure bedbugs are the active insect. Here are some
of the more misleading situations which cause people
to erroneously conclude they have bedbugs.
1) Marks have been found on their skin which appear
randomly and without any warning. These marks
sometimes itch, sometimes form scabs and may
linger for several days before healing. Though
such marks could indeed be caused by bed bugs one
cannot conclude the presence of such marks means
bedbugs are to blame. There are far too many
other variables all of which can cause a similar
skin reaction and not being related to any type of
insect at all.
2) A biting sensation which occurs while someone is
sleeping or when they are in different parts of the
house generally at night. Once the bite is felt no
one can ever find the culprit. It mysteriously
disappears and is never found. Though bedbugs
are nocturnal and they can cause a stinging or
pinching sensation when they feed, bedbugs
are not fast enough to simply disappear. One would
easily find them upon looking at the spot where
the discomfort occurred. As soon as the bite is felt,
simply look on your skin or immediately adjacent to
where the bite occurred and the bed bug will still
be present. If your bites are happening after you
go to sleep, simply go to bed very early but while
it is dark with the intention of "catching one in
the act". As soon as the biting sensation is felt,
look to see what caused it. bedbugs are easy to
catch in the act this way and proof positive is
needed when addressing such a problem which insures
proper treatment. Randomly treating for insects
which are not properly identified is a big mistake.
3) bedbugs live under ones skin so you can't see
them. This is simply not true. Scabies, a true skin
condition where the problem is located under ones
skin, has nothing to do with bedbugs. Bedbugs
will move onto their targets quietly and under
the protection of darkness. Once they feed they
will leave spending less than 10 minutes on their
host at any one time. If you are experiencing a
biting sensation throughout the day and are not
able to find or see any likely pests which could
contribute to such a problem you need to see a
dermatologist. In all likelihood, allergens will
be to blame for your reactions.
4) Bedbugs are highly mobile and can infest any
house or building rapidly. Again, not true or
even close to reality. Though bedbugs can travel
and will move 5-10 feet easily to get a good meal,
they prefer to live immediately adjacent to any
good food supply like a bed which has people
sleeping. In fact, data suggests that a room which
has bedbugs is most likely to be the only room infested
in the home. Only when their main source of food
disappears will they pack up to move.
5) Bedbugs like to live in mattresses. Though this
used to be true many years ago when mattresses were
built entirely different, such living patterns do
not follow todays infestation characteristics. Since
mattresses and box springs are constructed so much
better and hold up that much longer, there tends to
be very little shelter available in or on a mattress
unless linens and sheets are not being used or are
not being folder over the mattresses.
These misperceptions along with some others which
have been handed down over time has caused the bed
bug to be the "likely culprit" when in fact the
real problem is some other insect or not an insect
at all. Lets review some of the bedbugs basic
biology so a better understanding of how it
develops, where it comes from and how to control
local infestations can be achieved.
Bedbugs are in the family of cimicidae which
are insects that have short forewings, oval to
round body shapes and a flat profile. They are
parasites of mammals and birds and though
generally animal specific, bedbugs will feed
on any animal that can provide a blood meal
when faced with limited selections. There are
over 100 species around the world with over
15 existing in the continent of North America.
It is easy to identify a bed bug but very hard
to determine just which species it may be.
Of all the pests mankind has had to endure over
time, bed bugs might very well be the most hated
and disgusting. Unlike the flea or mosquito which
feed for a very short amount of time, the bed bug
tends to suck blood for 3-5 minutes and in some
cases over 15 minutes during it's meals. This
in of itself makes people queasy when thinking
about bed bugs possibly feeding on them but when
combined with the fact that bed bugs are nocturnal
and only take advantage of us when we are most
vulnerable - asleep - bed bugs evoke a feeling of
gross hatred. Bed bugs have been pests to man
for as long as there is a recorded history but seem
to have disappeared after World War II. For some
reason they have been found in ever increasing
numbers starting in the early 90's and some theories
suggest the increase in world travel has lead to
this trend. Regardless of why, bed bugs are still
very much an active parasite to man and they show
intention of going away any time soon. This video
shows a bed bug feeding and why it's so easy to
dislike this pest. The action is sped up for the
purpose of showing what they look like after they
feed but it's easy to see why they're hard to find
until they feed.
The most common infestation today occurs in
some type of hotel or motel. These establishments
house world travelers which bring the bedbugs with
them. Once unpacked, clothing and sleep linens shed
eggs, young or adults which are always looking for
a good place to live. It only takes one female which
has fed to start a local infestation. Once the visitor
is gone the pregnant female gets busy laying eggs which
in turn hatch and allow an infestation to get
established.
The second most common type of infestation occurs
in homes where bats or birds have been roosting. Bats
have a species which are specific to them and will
coexist where bats roost. Since bats have been moving
into the attics of homes as well as eaves, gable vents
and behind shutters so too have these bat bugs. The
bat bugs will live off the bats as long as they are
present. Since bats migrate depending on temperature
and food supplies, so to must the bat bugs forage
for food when local colonies of bats are gone.
Most species can exist several months without eating
but extended periods without food will cause an
exodus which may or may not be random. One thing is
for sure: bat bugs will readily find their way into
homes and onto people. Once in the home and having
found a host on which to live, bat bugs will become
established the same way as bedbugs.
Bird bugs become people pests in much the same
way. Barnyard swallows seem to be the most likely
bird to cause this problem. Innocent nests are formed
under eaves, around soffits and down chimneys which
in turn hatch young birds which bird bugs feed upon.
Once the birds mature and leave the nest the bird
bugs are forced to migrate in search of food. This,
much like the migrating bat bugs, leads them inside
bedrooms and ultimately to the people who sleep
there. Once the new host is found populations are
able to grow and thrive.
Understanding where bedbugs may have originated
from will help shine some light on your problem
but their biology is even more important when
treating local infestations. As stated above, females
are able to start the egg laying process once they
have fed. They will generally lay 3-6 eggs a day.
Eggs are carefully placed in cracks, crevices and
other well protected sites surrounding the main
location of food. This is critical when dealing
with local populations and will be explained why
later in this article. The female lays her eggs
with a gluelike secretion which enables her to
fasten them securely in concealed areas where
they will remain protected and steadfast until
they hatch. Females will be able to lay eggs
following blood meals and with good luck will
be able to lay several hundred eggs over her
life. Most adults will die in less than a year;
they can live longer than a year without a meal
if conditions are right so infestations generally
take time to develop and to control. Eggs will hatch
1-2 weeks after being laid. They hatch looking
like miniature versions of adults. They will want
to feed immediately and every meal will enable
them to shed their skin, completing an "instar" and
reach reproducing adulthood after 5 such instars.
Under good conditions this development, from egg
to adult, will be complete in less than three
months. This means 3-4 generations can develop
every year so population levels can get quite
high in a year. Large infestations will acquire
a "buggy" smell which has been described as something
obnoxiously sweet. Some people have likened it to
raspberries but at this time it has not been determined
if the odor is from the conditions of the home,
the blood excrement from the bedbugs having fed or
from scent glands on the bedbugs themselves.
Having been in many homes with active infestations,
the author is able to determine when he enters
a structure which has bed bug activity. However, just
what causes the odor is still not clear.
Bedbugs find their way into homes by hitching a
ride in luggage and clothing during vacations. A single
female brought home is able to cause quite a problem
in few months. Since bat bugs and bird bugs are just
as likely to move inside following the migration
of their original host, infestations by these species
can be quite abrupt and generally appear out of
nowhere. Hosts, the people being bitten during the
night, may or not have adverse reactions to the bite.
The bite itself is not really a bite; it is more of
a puncture. The bed bug is armed with a needle like
tube which bends in a couple of places. This tube is
pushed into the hosts skin and blood is extracted.
During this process some saliva from the bed bug will
pass into the host. The bed bug will grab the hosts
skin using it front legs for leverage. All of these
factors could lead to some sensation on the hosts skin.
Clearly the most common way people find out they have
a problem is because the bite is leaving a mark
or some other skin discomfort leading to further
investigation. However, it is estimated that as many
as 50% of people who are bit have no reaction so
it would reason to say that many infestations of
bedbugs are able to exist for many months if not
years before someone learns of their presence.
People who have reactions are generally reacting
to the insects saliva. Such reactions include an
itching sensation, a burning feeling, swelling,
red marks much like a flea bite and described
most commonly as a welt. If you are having skin
conditions which are similar, you cannot conclude
that you have an active bed bug infestation. One
thing you can do though is treat your skin withBITE OINTMENT. This soothing material takes the
itch away, relieves burning and swelling and seems
to help the skin to heal. However, not only do
many people not have any reaction to the bite
at all but people who have some type of reaction
are able to build an immunity quite quickly.
This trait regarding bedbugs makes diagnosing
the problem difficult. Clearly a lack of reaction
or no reaction at all could mean host and bed bug
could coexist for long periods of time without
any indication of the infestation. This means
that that people who don't have any reaction
to bites are more likely to have active infestations
which go longer without being identified. Conversely,
people who have strong reactions or over reactions
are most likely to be blaming bedbugs for their
skin conditions when in fact their reaction is
simply a symptom of some other allergen - not
bedbugs at all! This point must not be swept under
the carpet and disregarded quickly. Active levels
of bedbugs are easy to discover once they are
suspected. If you inspect the key areas surrounding
the bed in which bedbugs are feeding you will
quickly find where they live. If you have some type
of skin reaction or rash and suspect bedbugs, it
is important that no conclusion is made until such
time that specimens are found. In other words, you
cannot conclude you have bedbugs based on some
type of "feeling" or "bite". This scenario has played
itself out too many times and the problem is simple:
when treatments are done for bedbugs and they don't
exist, the skin conditions will never go away. This is
because the skin conditions are not related to bed
bugs so treatments for bedbugs turns out to be a waste
of time. Pest control companies that haphazardously apply
any chemical because their customer "has something" are
making a big mistake. Under such pretense nothing
will be resolved. Only when specimens are found and
hiding locations identified can treatments be done.
At this time the author believes he has done a
good job explaining what you need to know about bed
bugs to help determine whether or not you have an
active infestation. Some of you reading this already
know you have them and are anxious to learn how to
control infestations. Others are not quite sure
at this point so more work and inspections may be
needed. Some of you are simply fascinated by this
pest and are reading simply for information. How
to treat infestations will be explained shortly;
for those of you not sure whether or not you have
bedbugs here is what you must do. First, get one
of our HEAT TRAPS. This device was created for
flea control. We have sold thousands of them over
the years and during that time have learned they
work very well for not only fleas but other pests.
Any heat seeking insect like a mosquito, gnat,
flea, etc has been attracted and trapped by these
devices. We have used them as an aid for bedbugs
on several occasions when we have been at a loss
as to what pest was present. The best way to use one
is to set it up, plug it in and place it at the foot of
your bed on top of your covers. If you have some type
of pest biting you during the night some will
undoubtedly find their way to the trap and get stuck
in the glue. Once caught, you will be able to
get a positive identification allowing for proper
treatment of the problem. Since there are many other
insects which could be the real culprit, the use of
the trap will help to identify any of them allowing
for proper treatment regardless of what you have.
If it turns out you actually have fleas, ants, flies,
mosquitoes or any other pest, simply go back to our
huge on line article archive section which will have
an in depth article detailing what you need to do.
Another trap to consider installing if you are
quite sure something is foraging onto you at night
is the INTERCEPTOR BEDBUG TRAP. These traps work
by catching crawling pests as they forage up bed
frame legs and posts. They're quite ingenious and
should help to catch any bedbugs moving up and down
the furniture legs of any couch, chair or bed.
Now that you have concluded without a doubt that
you have bedbugs, you will have to treat the problem
depending on treatment sites. There are several products
which should be used and their use as well as where
you use them will depend primarily on surfaces being
treated. The first area which should be addressed is
the bed itself. Bedbugs usually do not nest on beds
anymore unless they are made of wood and have a lot
of cracks and crevices for concealment. These cracks
and crevices are most common where head and foot boards
attach to side railings. There could also be seams
where supports for the box spring are mounted to the
side railings. Head boards could have inlaid wood or
moldings which are loose. Bedbugs will readily
crawl into such seams. To properly inspect these
areas, first remove all blankets, comforters, sheets
and linens. Next, take the top mattress off inspecting
it for any rips where they might be hiding. Bedbugs
like to hide under the buttons which many mattresses
have. Don't expect to find much on the top mattress;
if the bedbugs have nested on either mattress it is
usually the box spring which they prefer to call home.
Turn the box spring over and look carefully for any
rips in the fabric which would allow them to enter and
hide amongst the frame of the box spring. This is a
common hiding place and presents the most
likely place you will find them on either of the
mattresses. While you have all of the bed taken apart,
it is important that you give it a good vacuum before
you treat and put it back together. Remember, the eggs
are usually well hidden and even a strong vacuum is
not likely to dislodge them from their grip. If you find
any evidence of bedbugs in the mattress or the bed
frame, you should resign yourself to treating it at
least three times over the next month. There are two
reasons for this. First, there is no product which
can kill the egg. This means any eggs which are
hiding will probably hatch in 1-2 weeks. Followup
treatments insures these new young are not able
to establish themselves. Secondly, even if you do
a great job both treating and vacuuming, it is very
likely more eggs will be laid in the week following
your initial treatment by females that are missed
during the rest of the treatment in the home. There
are two products that can be used on beds, mattresses
and furniture quite effectively. Though similar, there
are some differences which may make the use of one
better suited for your application. PT565XLO is a
pyrethrin based product which is very safe for use
around people and pets. It can be sprayed over the
surfaces of the bed and mattresses as well as into
cracks and crevices where the young and adults are
hiding. This product is derived from the chrysanthemum
plant and is very safe but provides no real residual.
This means it is active when you spray and will kill on
contact but within a few hours is gone. A similar
product to PT565 would be STERIFAB. This has long been
a staple for hospitals and institutions where a product
is needed for both fast and safe results. Like PT565,
Sterifab won't provide any residual. However, it's
quick drying and treated surfaces are safe to the touch
as soon as the treatment dries. This makes Sterifab an
excellent choice for sensitive areas. And it's ready to
spray; no mixing involved. For travel, bring along
the STERIFAB PINT. As a liquid there is no need to
worry about carrying an aerosol which might loose
pressure during transit. The Sterifab mixture is
stable and can keep for several years so it's an
excellent choice to bring along during vacation.
It's broad label means you'll have something to
spray for just about any pest. Since hotels and
motels are known to bedbug issues, you may opt to
treat your room just to be sure. Obviously treat
the mattress but don't forget the bed frame. And
Sterifab is a disinfectant it's perfect for such
situations. The only limitation to the Sterifab might
be it's size or that it's alcohol based. There is
one other product that is water based and packed
in a really small size that works well too. The
BEDBUG KILLER RTS comes in a 6 oz spray bottle.
It's odorless and uses Deltamethrin as the active.
That means it has a residual action which might
last 2 or more weeks. And since it's water based
and in such a small size, some people prefer this
for travel. The third option is another aerosol
which is just a little stronger. LICE/BEDBUG KILLER
is another aerosol that can be applied to these areas
but it has the advantage of leaving a residual where
applied. It too uses pyrethrin as the active but it
also has Permethrin. Though the pyrethrin will dissipate
quickly, the Permethrin will last for awhile providing
1-2 weeks of residual. The advantage of the Lice/Bedbug
Killer is that it's water based. This will reduce
any possibility of fabric getting stained as well
as lasting odor. Though the PT565 is very low odor,
the Lice/Bedbug Killer has even less. Which ever you
choose to use, expect to make a few applications to break
the cycle and remember that it will take time for all
developing stages to fully mature and get exposed
to your applications. The good thing about these
materials is that they are safe for these areas
and easy to apply. And while the bed is apart, be sure
to wash all the sheets and linens with hot water andKLEEN FREE. This enzyme based detergent does a great
job of removing insects and their sheddings. Since these
shedding can cause a lot of allergic reactions to occur,
keeping your linens and sheets clean is helpful.
Since bedbugs are most likely to be living in areas
immediately adjacent to the bed, you will need to do
more than treat just mattresses and bed frames. The
next place to inspect and treat will be the floor
moldings around the room. bedbugs love to crawl under
the moldings living between the carpet and the wood.
They will also get into electric outlets, under switch
plate covers and behind both paneling and wall paper.
Treat all of these areas with DRIONE DUST using a
HAND DUSTER. Drione is odorless, kills quickly and
will last a year or more. This is very important when
treating bed bugs and one thorough treatment of these
areas will usually knock most of the population out.
Be sure to take all dressers and night tables apart as
well. Remove each drawer, empty the drawers contents
and then inspect all sides paying particular attention
to seams and cracks. If bed bugs are found, use the
Drione to treat. If no activity is found, use the
PT565XLO and spray lightly. Now inspect any other
furniture in the room. This includes desks, chairs,
armoire, etc. Once inspected, treat with Drione if
you find activity; use the PT565XLO if none is noticed.
Don't forget to look high while inspecting. If the
room has crown molding, be sure to inspect and treat
accordingly. Bed bugs do not like to be high or low;
they will nest at any level. Don't forget pictures,
tapestries or anything else which is mounted on the
wall. Anything with seams, cracks or crevices present
prime nesting areas. Picture frames are classic locations
as is heating and air ducts. Light fixtures can be a
problem along with standing lights. The bottom line is
that you need to treat any location with Drione if
you find activity; PT565XLO or Lice/Bedbug Killer if
you as much as suspect activity.
The above treatment should be done in any room
throughout the home where activity is thought to
exist. In most cases, the bed bugs will only be in one
or two bedrooms. Rarely do they make it to every
room which has people; in most cases they stay
where they find a good food supply and populations
will grow over time but never leave unless their
host leaves. In addition to all the cracks and
crevice treatments which need to be done as listed
above, it is important to inspect the floor of any
room with activity. Tile and linoleum floors will
not pose any problem but hardwoods can. The seam,
cracks and gaps in the floor present a wonderful
nest location for bed bugs and they will readily
take up residence if such an opportunity presents
itself. Be sure to vacuum any seams in hardwood
floors thoroughly and treat with Drione if you
suspect bed bugs were active there. If your floor
is carpeted, eggs will readily be laid in the nap
of the carpet down where fibers attach to the backing.
This placement makes it impossible to vacuum them out
so your best bet is to treat the carpet much like
you would if you were treating for fleas. Use this
newer compound, CYFLUTHRIN, which is both odorless
and effective on bed bugs. Apply it with a PUMP SPRAYER
and spray one gallon of material to every 500-1000 sq/ft
of carpet depending largely on the thickness of the
carpet. Cyfluthrin provides residual and will last
1-2 months. This residual provides good protection
and insures you have something working for some time
on hatching eggs. For extra protection, you should add
the newly labeled GENTROL juvenile growth regulator.
This material has been available for roach control for
over 20 years and just recently had Bed Bugs listed on
it's labeling. When added to the tank with Cyfluthrin,
you will be treating both live adult Bed Bugs as well
as their eggs. The Gentrol will remain active much
longer then just the Cyfluthrin alone. This extra long
protection insures you will have something applied
and ready to control and prevent any eggs from developing
into reproducing adults. Since Gentrol only needs to
be added to the tank mix with the Cyfluthrin and is
sprayed at the same time, using both together makes
a lot of sense. If you are opting for the Aerosol materials
listed earlier in this article, the GENTROL AEROSOL may
be better suited for your needs.
Now that the living area of the home has been thoroughly
treated you may need to turn your attention to other parts
of the home. If the infestation has been determined to have
come from someone traveling and bringing the bugs home
with them your ordeal should be over. However, be sure
the infestation was not the result of bird or bat bugs
which migrated from the attic, siding or soffit area
of your home. If you had a bat infestation or bird nests
on your structure in the past year, your home could
require further treatments. Even though the inside
populations may have formed based on migrating
bed bugs from the outside, it is not likely all
moved inside. There are always some which will
lay dormant waiting for the bats to return or new
birds to move into vacated nests. Any areas you know
about must be treated. If these areas are outside the
home under soffits, you can use the Cyfluthrin and
Pump Sprayer to saturate siding, cracks and crevices.
This treatment should be done only if the area is
too high to reach with a ladder. If you are able to
climb up to the exact location where the bats or
birds were roosting, you will be able to do a much
better treatment using the Hand Duster listed above
and treating with DELTA DUST. Like the Drione, Delta
Dust will last a long time insuring hatching eggs
will die. Delta Dust is needed outside or in other
moist areas because it will hold up to moisture.
Drione will not. Once the outside has been properly
dusted and/or sprayed, consider treating the attic.
In most cases, bat or bird bugs which forage inside
pass through attics. Though many of them find their
way into living areas, many will become dormant in
attics. This is particularly true in attics where
bats have been roosting or when the infested rooms
are located upstairs just below the attic. Treating
the attic is both easy to do and long lasting so don't
ignore it hoping nothing is there. Use the Delta Dust
and apply it over the insulation with a DUSTIN MIZER.
This dust blower will allow you to treat the entire
attic quickly and completely without much effort.
Most attics can be dusted in 5-10 minutes. Delta
Dust is the best material for the job since it
will hold up to moisture and works well on bed
bugs.
Now that you have properly treated the rooms
where you have identified the main activity, the
next thing to do is to observe and inspect the
results of your treatment. There should be
a marked decrease in night time foraging by
the bedbugs. Within a week or two there should
be no activity. Don't be surprised if you
have to treat a few times with either aerosol;
this product has a short residual and needs
to be applied several times to get the best
results. The dust and liquid treatments will
last the longest and as long as you are
thorough with your coverage you should
expect to keep treated areas bedbug free for
a month or more at a time. Don't stop inspecting
for the first few months since this is the
most likely time for them to return. After that
you can rest assured you have probably solved
the problem.
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