TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: Who's That Sleeping In My Bed?

Bed bugs were the bread and butter of the pest control industry 75 years ago. With the advent of modern pesticides, such as DDT and lindane after WWII, however, they became much less of a problem and virtually disappeared. Well they’re back! Furthermore, they now are much more difficult to control.

In my opinion, there are two plausible reasons for this resurgence:
• During the past 10 years, especially within residences, changes in pest management practices have occurred. Many pest management companies no longer practice scheduled monthly baseboard spraying for cockroaches, broadcast applications for flea control are practically nonexistent, and most companies use baits for cockroaches. Thus, bed bugs are not subject to wholesale liquid pesticide applications as they were 25 years ago.
• The Berlin Wall is down, and individuals can readily travel to and from Eastern Europe.  They now are able to travel to parts of the world where pest management is not a major concern and individuals have a higher tolerance for this type of pest. Many people have immigrated to the United States to find work as nannies or housekeepers, or they may come as students or professionals or simply for pleasure. Occasionally, bed bugs are transported in their belongings and are introduced wherever they stay and live.

Infestations are insidious, slowly building over time, and typically do not manifest themselves until long after the introduction occurred. Hotels, youth hostels, and bed and breakfasts are the most common of the transient facilities that become infested; however, infestations can be found in upscale homes, apartments and condominiums. They are introduced into the latter domiciles by domestics from overseas, personal travel overseas, individuals who stayed in infested temporary residences and rental of infested furniture.

Once our company was able to trace an infestation from an apartment back to a youth hostel where there was a chronic infestation of bed bugs. The same facility also was the source of an infestation that spread to a group of Boy Scouts who spent one night there while en route to a national jamboree. Because bed bugs are so small, they can readily be transported unnoticed to other locations.

BIOLOGY. Adult bed bugs are 3/16-inch long, flat and oval insects closely resembling cockroach nymphs. They have stubby wing pads, a three-segmented proboscis and four-segmented antennae (the 3rd segment is larger than the 2nd or 4th). There are many species of bed bugs, most associated with bats or birds, so it is important to determine what species is causing the problem.

Bed bugs are blood feeders that prefer human hosts; however, they will feed on domestic animals, birds and rodents as well. They feed at night and although their bites are painless, the next day most people experience an allergic reaction to the anticoagulant injected at the time of feeding, with slight swelling at the bite site the most common symptom. While bed bugs have been infected with more than 25 disease organisms, they have never been proven to be a vector of any disease.

The biology and habits of these parasites make them difficult to control. They lay about 12 eggs at a time, and within a lifetime can lay more than 500 eggs. They molt five times and require a blood meal prior to each molt.

Developmental time (egg to adult) can be as short as 21 days and, if blood meals are not readily available, as long as 158 days. Nymphs are known to survive on the average up to 51 days without a blood meal, and adults can live as long as 316 days.

Evidence of infestation includes: a pungent sweet odor in heavy infestations; bite reactions; live bed bugs; and, blood spots on linens, mattresses, bed frames and other harborage sites.

Since bed bugs hide in cracks and crevices by day, the inspection must be extremely thorough. The obvious starting point is the mattress and bedding, especially around buttons and ticking. The inspection should include night stands, bed frames (particularly wood and metal tubular), dressers, picture frames, outlet covers, baseboards, floor cracks (particularly hardwood and parquet), paneling, peeling wallpaper, etc.

Some of the most unusual places in which I personally have found them are gaps in popcorn ceilings, holes in the sides of plywood used as mattress supports and thermostats. Lots of sticky monitors can be used to detect activity and monitor the success of treatment.

TREATMENT OPTIONS. We have learned through painful experience that bed bugs are not easily eradicated regardless of the size of the infestation. Pest management companies performing bed bug jobs should plan on at least three extended service visits. The initial step should be to eliminate as much harborage as possible. Rental furniture should be returned to the supplier (possibly another job for you?). Used mattresses that have been purchased should be returned to the store (another possible job?). Cracks and crevices should be sealed to the maximum extent possible. Mattresses should be sealed in zippered plastic bags.