Bed Bug Basics: Identification, Prevention, Control

Dr. Susan C. JonesProfessor of Entomology

The Bed Bug(Cimex lectularius)

• Insects (true bugs)• Typically feed at night• Feed only on blood

• Prefer to feed on humans• Alternate hosts:

rodents, bats, birds, pets (cats, dogs, etc.)

Not caused by bad housekeeping!!BED BUGS CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE!

• Cause significant economic, physical, & mental distress

1940’s-1950’s“Live Better Through Chemistry”

DDT and other synthetic insecticides with long-lasting residual were very

effective in controlling bed bugs.

Worldwide Resurgence of Bed Bugs Since Late 1990s

SPAINCANADA

ENGLAND

The Most Bed Bug-Infested Cities in the U.S.

http://www.orkin.com/press-room/https://www.terminix.com/about/media-center/press-releases/

©Graphicmaps.com

The Human Factor

• Denial of a bed bug problem/stigma• Incorrect identification• Ignorance of bed bugs and

management strategies • Do-it-yourself mentality• Money • Clutter• Mental health problems • Physical incapacity• Etc.

Some of the challenges due to landlords/management and/or residents:

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Treatment Options (more than one used concurrently)

• Sanitation measures

• Heat treatment (whole structure, container)

• Steam

• Insecticides • Residual products (dust, liquid, aerosols)• Fumigation (sulfuryl fluoride)

Active Ingredient(insecticide class) Product Name(s)

Imidacloprid + ß-cyfluthrin(neonicotinoid + pyrethroid) Temprid® SC

Chlorfenapyr(halogenated pyrrole)

Phantom® SCPhantom® PI

Acetamiprid + bifenthrin(neonicotinoid + pyrethroid)

Transport® MikronTransport® GHP

Thiamethoxam + λ-cyhalothrin(neonicotinoid + pyrethroid) Tandem®

Dinotefuran + diatomaceous earth(neonicotinoid + silica dioxide)

Prescription TreatmentAlpine® DustAlpine® PI

Amorphous silica gel CimeXa™

Neem seed oil(azadirachtin)

Cirkil™ CXCirkil™ RTU

Some pyrethroid alternatives for use against bed bugs:

Some Basics of Bed Bug Management Using

Insecticides

• There is no single “magic bullet”.• Bed bug control typically takes

several treatments.• It is important to use several different

formulations, and often, several different insecticides.

• A residual insecticide is necessary.• Don’t keep using the same

insecticide (rotate insecticide use).

Whole Room Heat Treatment

bedbugfoundation.org

Unfed adults: ~1/4 to 3/8 inch

long

0.2 inch

The Bed Bug Factor

Total developmental time (egg to adult):

21 days @ 86F 120 days @ 65F

• Slender profile; hide in many sites from floor to ceiling

• Strong tendency to disperse– Hitchhiking– Walking

• Can feed on a variety of warm-blooded animals• Bites cause variable reactions in humans• Can survive starvation for long periods• Insecticide resistance • Etc.

Some of the challenges due to bed bugs:

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM) PROCEDURES :

Correctly identify the pest+

Conduct a thorough inspection+

Use sanitation measures+

Use non-chemical measures +

Apply insecticides to targeted sites

Shape and Size• Oval shaped body• Body flattened (unfed) to

swollen (recently fed)• Adults: ~1/4 to 3/8 inch long• Youngest nymphs (immature

bugs) are tiny (<<1/10 inch long)

How to recognize if it’s a bed bug

•Youngest nymphs:• almost colorless (unfed)• crimson (recently fed)

• Older nymphs and adults: • various shades of brown (unfed)• reddish brown (fed)

Color

How to recognize if it’s a bed bug

Female Male Adult Bed Bugs

IDENTIFICATION SERVICES

Ohio State University Pest Diagnostic Clinic• Fee for identification services ($20 per insect

sample)• ID wide variety of insects, arthropods, plant

diseases, etc.• Online submission form: http://ppdc.osu.edu

BED BUG HABITS• Cannot fly• Can walk very fast• Typically hide during the day in dark,

protected sites (esp. cracks & crevices)• Prefer fabric, wood, and paper surfaces • Can cling tightly to surfaces

How do bed bugs travel?

• Walking• from an infested room to new

territory• from one apartment to another

via pipes, electrical wires, cables, …

• down a hallway after dropping off an item

• Hitchhiking

In multi-family housing, bed bugs readily spread to units that are adjacent, below,

and above the infested unit.

Bed bugs are very good hitchhikers!

• luggage• furniture• bedding• backpacks, purses, briefcases• clothing• …

Bed bugs can be moved from one place to another by hiding in:

--Bed Bug Hitchhikers—in walker & wheelchair

Photos courtesy of General Pest Control Co.

Bed Bug Hitchhikers in Luggage

--Bed Bug Hitchhikers—in shoe tread

--Bed Bug Hitchhikers—on shoes

http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/2/2/232

Test conditions:79-80 °F (~26.5 °C)

69% RH

96 95

105

14

3 41 2 1 3 1 0 1 0 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 0

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Tota

l num

ber o

f bug

s in

det

ecto

rs

1st Cirkil treatment(3.5 gal Cirkil CX +

0.17 gal RTU)

10-2

4-12

2nd Cirkil treatment(1.63 gal Cirkil CX +

0.13 gal RTU)

11-0

7-12

4th Cirkil treatment(5 gal Cirkil CX +

0.58 gal RTU)

01-1

8-13

Total volume Cirkil applied:15.13 gal CX + 1.26 gal RTU

0 0

Live adults for ~145 days

3rd stage nymph

1st stage nymph adult

maleLive immature bed bugs for ~110 days

Home vacated: late August 2012Home temperature: 65 -70°F (18-21°C)

starved bed bugs can survive for a long time:

3rd Cirkil treatment(5 gal Cirkil CX +

0.38 gal RTU)

11-2

1-12

In Electrical Outlets

Behind A Hanging Picture

Some bed bug hiding places

In Carpeting

In Furniture

BED BUG HIDING PLACES Mattress, box springs Bed frame Furniture Carpeting Cracks and crevices Carpet tack strips Baseboards Window frames, door frames Electric outlets, switch plates Wall hangings, pictures Drapery pleats, window blinds Smoke detectors Ceiling moldings etc.

Can you imagine sleeping in these conditions?

Can you imagine sleeping in these conditions?

• Often closely associated with hosts’ sleeping or resting sites (hide in many places)

• Locate their host using cues such as carbon dioxide, heat, odor

• Typically feed at night

Bed Bug Feeding Habits

Health Effects from Bed Bugs• Skin reactions (7 of 10 people on avg.)

• Redness• Welts• Itching

• Secondary bacterial infections • Anemia• Asthma• Anaphylactic shock• Psychological effects• Sleeplessness• Agitation• Anxiety• Insecticide exposure • …

August 2010

Bed bugs are a pest of significant

public health importance!

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/Publications/Bed_Bugs_CDC-EPA_Statement.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/pesticides/bedbugs/

CDC & EPA Joint

Statement

urticariaatypical bullous lesions

common distribution of skin lesions

Clinical Manifestations of Bed Bug Bites (Cimicosis)

• Typically on exposed skin • Often in groups or rows

Permanent scars from bed bug bites

2009. JAMA 301(13): 1358-1366.

“There are few data to support bed bugs as vectors for transmission of

human disease agents. … transmission of a human disease is

yet to be firmly established.”

Did you check for signs of bed bugs in your hotel/motel room when you last traveled?

BED BUG PREVENTION FOR TRAVELERS

Make it STANDARD PRACTICE to check for bed bugs in hotel/motel rooms!

• Pull back the bedding and look for black fecal spots on mattress & box springs (especially seams)

• Carefully examine the underside of the bed skirt• Look for bb signs along bed frame (especially

head board)• Open nightstand drawers and look for bb signs

along inner and outer edges• Look for bb signs along baseboards

DON’T STAY IN A ROOM THAT HAS BB SIGNS

BED BUG PREVENTION FOR TRAVELERS

• Keep clothes in your zipped suitcase• Don’t keep clothes in hotel chest-of-drawers • OK to hang clothes in closet

• Don’t store your suitcase on the bed, floor, or upholstered furniture

• Keep your suitcase on the luggage rack (after first inspecting it for bb signs)

Reduce the chances of getting bed bugs from hotel/motel rooms!

• The bathroom (tub) is the best place to store your items!

BED BUG PREVENTION AT HOME

Don’t bring infested items home!

• Inspect clothing and luggage of travelers

• Inspect secondhand beds, bedding, furniture, & clothing

Tips for Employees That Make Home Visits

• Minimize items to be carried inside• Don’t sit on beds, upholstered furniture,

or the floor • Do a self-inspection immediately after

departing (thoroughly inspect shoes)• Change into fresh clothing ASAP

(consider keeping a change of clothes at work)

• Bag used items (seal the bag) • Dissolvable laundry bags are an option• Disinfect clothing by laundering & drying

Tyvek boot covers

Tyvek coveralls

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM) :

Correctly identify the pest+

Conduct a thorough inspection+

Use sanitation measures+

Use non-chemical measures +

Apply insecticides to targeted sites

Launder bedding, clothing, etc.!• Wash in hot water (>120ºF)

• Drier on hot setting (>30 mins.)

What can I do to help solve a bed bug infestation?

Vacuuming to contain bed bugs

Jones and Boggs. 2001. OSU Fact Sheet HYG-2158.

--Passive Monitoring Devices--

Bed Bug Interceptors• Positioned under furniture legs• Furniture must be kept in use—bugs are

attracted to host’s CO2• Pitfall trap—bed bugs climb in and cannot

escape*– *Inner walls of ClimbUps must be kept

lubricated with talcum powder or bugs can escape

• Eliminate alternative ways for bugs to access furniture (don’t let bugs bypass interceptors)

• Keep furniture several inches away from walls• Don’t let bed linens, dust ruffle, & bedding

contact the floor or walls

ClimbUp® Interceptor

LightsOut® Interceptor

bed leg

Encase mattresses & box springs!

• Be sure to encase both the mattress & box springs• Specialized encasements trap bed bugs and eggs

• May take 1 year to “starve bugs out”• Restricts any new bug activity to the exterior of the

encasement, where bugs can be more easily treated• Be careful not to tear or damage encasements and

make sure the zipper stays closed • Some exs: Clean Rest, Mattress Safe, National Allergy

Supply, Protect-A-Bed, …

Measures to help reduce the number of bed bugs

The liners consist of finely woven polyester fabric impregnated with 1.64%

permethrin. The liners are kept in place on mattresses and

box springs beneath bedding.

• ODA web site lists licensed pest mgt. companies and applicators

Contact a professional pest control company to treat for bed bugs

Select a professional pest management company for

bed bug work

• Make sure properly licensed• Check for satisfied customer

references that relate to bed bug control

• Determine if they will be doing many of the things that you learn at today’s conference

Thank You!

Sleep tight, and don’t let the … … well, you know the rest