Sleep tight?

"Sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite" is a phrase that has had little real meaning for several decades. Now bed bugs are on the rise again and becoming more and more of a problem. Some experts say, in the next 5 years they will be the pest Pest Professionals will deal with the most.

What's a Bed Bug?

Bed bugs ( Figures 1 and 2 ) feed mainly on the blood of humans, but also suck blood from other animals, such as birds, bats, and rodents. Bed bugs usually feed at night when people are asleep. As they feed, they inject a salivary secretion into the wound to prevent coagulation. This fluid often causes the skin to itch and become swollen. Scratching causes sores which may become infected. Bed bugs are not known to transmit any human pathogens (disease).

Figure 1 Joe Smith, University of Florida

The adult bed bug is about 1/4 inch long, flat, ovoid (egg) in shape, and has no wings. It is generally brown in color except after a blood meal. The body then becomes swollen and the color changes to dark red.

Figure 2 Joe Smith, University of Florida

During the day, bed bugs hide in cracks and outlets in the walls, behind baseboards, wallpaper and pictures, between bed joints and slats, around the tufts of mattresses and in bed linens. They have a sweetish, foul odor (some say it smells like rotting coconut) which is caused by an oily liquid they emit. This odor can be easily smelled in large infestation, however is not usually detectable in smaller populations. Bed bugs are carried into homes by infested clothes, suitcases, second-hand beds, furniture, and bedding, or by people.

Life Cycle

The eggs hatch in 4-12 days. The newly hatched nymph is straw colored before feeding, and then turns red or purple in color after getting a blood meal. There are 5 nymphal stages for bed bugs to reach maturity, which usually take 35-48 days. Adult bed bugs can survive for 6-7 months without a blood meal and have been known to live in abandoned houses for 1 year.

Control

Inspection First

To control bed bugs you must first locate where they are living. Inspect all of the locations described above including the less conspicuous places such as dressers, carpeting, and drapery. Remember, just because they are bed bugs, doesn't mean they can't feed and live in other places, such as a couches or recliners. Since they can hide in very tight areas a K-9 inspection is especially useful to be sure you know every where they are so that during treatment none are missed. If any are missed there is a very real chance they will re-populate and the infestation will grown again.

Treatment

Once the bed bugs are found, there are several different methods that may be used to combat them.

A non-chemical approach would be to vacuum all visible bed bugs from the mattresses and box springs and their other known harborages. Ensure the vacuum bag is removed, sealed, and disposed of off premises immediately after vacuuming. The mattresses and pillows can be steam cleaned, paying particular attention to the seams and tufts of the mattress, to kill any remaining bed bugs. Seal the mattress and box springs in plastic mattress bags to ensure any missed bed bugs do not attempt to re-establish themselves. Another effective exclusion technique is placing glass barriers around the bedposts and keeping the bed frame away from adjacent walls. Bed linens and draperies can be dry cleaned or washed with a detergent and borax additive in hot water.

Chemical treatment may also be needed and should be conducted by a qualified Pest Proffessional.

Indoor Surface application is for areas where the bed bugs are likely to crawl in route to either their harborages or to where they feed. This type of application is often referred to as residual sprays. They are designed to remain active for an extended period of time to maximize the effectiveness of the application. These sprays should be applied by a Pest Proffessional.

Indoor Space application is used to kill exposed insects on contact. These also should be applied only by a qualified Pest Proffessional

While these bugs can be difficult to manage, a thorough treatment plan by a Pest Proffessional can control them. Then an inspection can be performed by our Bed Bug Detection K-9 Team to be totally sure they are all dead allowing you and your family to "Sleep Tight".