2. Bed Bugs Bob McCandless, R.S. Senior Health Environmentalist

3. What are Bed Bugs? • Cimex lectularius • Family Cimicideae • Small flat insects • Typically about ¼ inch long as an adult • Horizontal lines on body

6. Brief History • Bedbugs have been with us since pre-historical times • Mentioned in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics • First called a pest in the 17th Century • Came to America with the first European explorers and colonists • There were no Native American words for “bedbug” • With each wave of settlers came a new wave of bedbugs • Bedbugs were a fact of life for early settlers • Early efforts at extermination were troublesome

7. Early Bedbug remedies • Rabbit’s foot at end of bed • Corrosive sublimate with the white of an egg applied with a turkey feather • “Corrosive sublimate” = MERCURY • From “Good Housekeeping” 1888 • Arsenic • Turpentine • Gasoline • 1922 Department of Agriculture recommends cyanide fumigation

8. Early Bedbug remedies

9. Early Bedbug remedies

10. Good old DDT • DDT is dichloro diphenyl-trichloroethane • Developed in early period of World War 2 • Used to stop spread of infectious disease like • Malaria • typhus • Acted by killing mosquitoes, lice and other pests • After WW2, DDT was made available to the General Public

13. DDT nearly brought about the extinction of bedbugs in North America • During the mid 20th Century, finding bedbugs for research was difficult • DDT was banned in 1972 after research indicated it was a possible source of cancer and also caused harm to wildlife, especially birds

14. After decades of being free of bedbugs…

15. They’re back…

16. Bedbugs re-emerged in the mid 1990’s • Increased international travel to locations with active bedbug populations • Increased immigration • Many newer strains of bedbugs have increased resistance to multiple pesticides

17. FIELD STRAIN WOR-1 DOV-1 CIN-1 LEX-1 MORTALITY 100% 30% 10% 5% 5% DDT PRODUCT FOR 5 DAYS DDT vs. 21st Century Bed Bugs

18. Many Different Products

19. Life as a Bed Bug • Thrive in conditions of 70° to 80° • One female can lay 200-500 eggs in her life span • Can complete development within one month • Can produce three or more generations in one year

20. Life as a Bed Bug • Nymphs need blood meal for each life stage • Life span can go from several weeks to several months without food depending on environmental factors

22. The Blood Meal • The bite takes from 3 3 to 10 minutes • During the bite an anticoagulant is released • Stops the blood clotting • Numbs the bite area • The host seldom knows they are being bitten

23. The Blood Meal • Many people are allergic to the anticoagulant, which can affect reaction and symptoms • Symptoms of bites vary with each individual • Many symptoms develop within a day • Some people have little or no reaction • Some have a delayed reaction (3-5 days)

24. Bite Reaction • Survey of 400 people with Bed Bug Infestations • 72% showed reaction to the bites • 28% showed no reaction

25. The Blood Meal • Bedbug feed

26. Bed Bug Bites

29. Bed Bug Bites

30. Bed Bug Bites

31. Bed Bug Bites

32. Not all bites are from bedbugs Bat bugs look like bedbugs but don’t typically bite humans Spiders don’t look anything like bed bugs

33. Not all bites are from bedbugs Spiders bites don’t look anything like bed bug bites

34. Bed Bug vs. Bat Bug

35. What Do Bed Bugs Do to Humans? • Bed bugs feed on humans to obtain the blood they need to survive • Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease • Generally bite at night • Feed on exposed skin, face, neck, hands or arms • Bite characteristics • Small, hard, swollen white welt may develop at the site of the bite • Rash may occur • May cause itching that lasts several days

36. Where are Bed Bugs Found? • Crowded places where people often move/relocate • Hotels/motels • Dormitories • Shelters • Homes • Schools • Apartments • Trailer parks • Lush corporate offices • Movie theaters • Laundry facilities • Hospitals • Nursing homes • Prisons

37. Bed Bugs Where Found in these places pre DDT era Homes Schools Offices Hotels Prisons Theaters Libraries Any Public Place History is Repeating Itself

38. Where are Bed Bugs Found? • Clean as well as dirty places; clutter makes it easier for them to hide

39. Where are Bed Bugs Found? • Clean as well as dirty places; clutter makes it easier for them to hide

40. Signs of an infestation • Typically they infest mattresses, box springs, bed frames and couches • These areas will have dark spots and stains from dried excrement • May be red or rusty spots of blood on bed sheets, mattresses or walls • Heavy infestations may also have a musty smell (though not a good indicator) • Bed bugs can survive without feeding for a year • Even vacant units can contain bed bugs