About Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are among the most dreaded infestations. They often hide in mattress seams, furniture crevices, carpets, and wall cracks. A 2017 study highlighted that cities like Denver, Colorado, and both Dallas and Houston, Texas, are among the top 25 cities reporting bed bug problems.
Although once considered a pest of the past, bed bugs have resurged, affecting even well-maintained homes, apartments, dorms, and hotels. They spread by hitching rides on clothing, luggage, furniture, and boxes, quickly establishing themselves in new locations. They have also been discovered in places like movie theaters, retail stores, and other public areas.
The reasons behind their resurgence are not entirely clear. However, researchers from institutions such as the University of Kentucky and the University of California have found that contemporary bed bug populations are highly resistant to many common pesticides. According to the Centers for Disease Control, factors such as increased human mobility and reduced pest control programs at local and state levels contribute to this growing issue.
Bed bugs primarily feed on human blood and can survive for extended periods without a meal. Once an infestation takes hold, eliminating bed bugs can be incredibly challenging. They are often mistaken for other pests like wood ticks, spider beetles, woodlice, or carpet beetles, complicating identification and treatment.
Bed bugs have been a persistent problem for 3,500 years due to their elusive nature and resistance to insecticides. This has made them a significant concern for homeowners and residential facilities. In 2010, major cities, including New York City, faced severe bed bug infestations, reflecting the widespread nature of this issue.
What do bed bugs look like?
A bed bug's body is made up of a head, thorax, abdomen, and six legs. Despite having wings, they don't fly. They also possess short hairs, a beak, and antennae. Adult bed bugs can grow up to 1/4 inch in length, about the size of an apple seed. Their bodies are brown, flat, and oval-shaped when unfed and turn reddish-brown, swollen, and elongated after feeding. An unfed adult bed bug's body is approximately the width of a credit card.
How fast do bed bugs reproduce?
Bed bugs go through six developmental stages from egg to adult. Females lay 3-5 tiny, pearl-white eggs per day. These eggs hatch in 6-10 days, producing nymphs that are translucent or yellowish-white. To reach adulthood, the nymphs must have a blood meal and will progress through 5 stages over about 6 weeks, molting between each stage. Adults typically feed every 5-10 days but can survive up to a year without feeding, depending on temperature and humidity.
What are the unique characteristics of bed bugs?
Bed bugs primarily feed on human blood, usually biting at night when they are most active. They can travel up to 20 feet to reach a host, with a single feeding lasting up to 12 minutes. Bed bugs emit an odor through their glands that smells both musty and sweet. They leave behind pale-yellow molted exoskeletons and reddish or rust-colored spots, which are remnants of previous meals and crushed bugs.
What are the habits of bed bugs?
Bed bugs are nocturnal but will come out during the day if they are desperate for food or if an infestation is severe. They usually nest in areas where people live but can hitchhike on items like backpacks and purses, using non-residential settings such as schools and offices as transfer points from one place to another.
Bed bugs cannot tolerate extreme heat or cold, dying when their body temperature exceeds 113°F or drops below 46°F. However, some tropical species can survive higher temperatures. They can be found anywhere they have access to a host, typically a human, to feed on.
Where are bed bugs commonly found?
Because they are as thin as a credit card, bed bugs can hide in very small spaces. They often reside in the seams or piping of mattresses and box springs to stay close to their hosts. Bed bugs can also be found in:
- Bed frames, headboards, and footboards
- Bedding
- Furniture
- Electrical outlets
- Carpet
- Clothes
- Luggage
- Corners of ceilings and walls
- Wall hangings
- Cracks and crevices
They can travel through walls between apartments, dorm rooms, and hotel rooms in search of a host, and spread by hitching a ride on bags or other mobile items.
What are the risks of having a bed bug infestation?
Bed bugs feed on blood by biting their hosts, using their beak to inject an anesthetic that prevents the victim from feeling the bite and an anticoagulant to keep the blood flowing. A single bed bug may bite multiple times. They usually bite during sleep, targeting exposed skin such as arms, legs, face, neck, hands, and shoulders.
While bed bugs do not transmit diseases, their bites can cause red welts, rashes, and hives. In some cases, they may trigger allergic reactions or even anaphylactic shock. The presence of bed bugs can also lead to significant mental distress and fear of sleeping in an infested home.
How can I treat bed bugs myself?
Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to eliminate, and DIY methods often fall short. Low-level infestations can be tough to detect, and these pests are resistant to many common insecticides. Misidentification is also a risk, as bed bugs resemble other insects, leading to ineffective treatments and ongoing infestations.
If you discover bed bugs in your home, consider these DIY tips:
- Heat Treatment for Clothing and Bedding: Run your clothes, bedding, and other small soft items through a dryer for at least 30 minutes on the highest setting. Seal these items in plastic bags until the entire house is treated.
- Heat Your Home: Raise your home's temperature to at least 120°F for 90 minutes to eliminate bed bugs and their eggs on items too large for the dryer.
- DIY Kits: Purchase kits that include mattress encasements and specialized bed bug treatment products.
- Caution with Foggers and Desiccants: Foggers are not very effective on their own as they don't penetrate the areas where bed bugs hide and might cause the bugs to migrate to other parts of your home. Desiccants can work but may take months to be effective. Both methods should be used cautiously due to potential health risks to humans and pets.
The most effective approach to a bed bug problem is to hire a pest control professional who can use integrated Pest Management techniques to tackle the issue comprehensively.
Will DIY treatments work?
DIY bed bug treatments can reduce the population but often fail to eradicate them completely. Bed bugs hide in places that are difficult to reach with a single spray treatment, and many pesticides don’t kill eggs. This leads to continuous hatching and laying of new eggs, creating a persistent cycle. Additionally, after chemical treatments, surviving bed bugs may migrate to other rooms, spreading the infestation. While some DIY methods might work over time, they often require significant time and resources and risk worsening the problem.
How do you prevent bed bugs?
Bed bugs can infest any place with human hosts, but these preventative measures can help protect your home:
- Declutter: Reduce hiding places by keeping your home tidy and free of clutter.
- Regular Vacuuming: Vacuum frequently, even daily, to remove eggs and live bugs.
- Protective Encasements: Use encasements designed for mattresses, box springs, and pillows to keep bed bugs out.
- Seal Entry Points: Use caulk, foam sealant, or physical barriers to seal cracks and crevices where bed bugs might enter.
- Inspect New Items: Check furniture, clothing, and bedding for signs of bed bugs before bringing them into your home.
- Avoid Contact with Others’ Belongings: Be cautious about interacting with others' items, which might carry bed bugs.
- Routine Checks: Regularly inspect your mattress and box spring for signs of bed bugs.
- Travel Precautions: When traveling, place your luggage in the bathroom and inspect the room for bed bugs before settling in.
- Monitoring Devices: Use bed bug monitors to detect their presence early.
Implementing these preventative strategies can help reduce the risk of a bed bug infestation in your home.