Be bed bug aware!

As Bed Bug Awareness Week (June 7-13) is being promoted by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), I thought it would be appropriate to provide a little pest management education to celebrate.

1. Bed bugs can live anywhere humans frequent.

Bed bugs prefer indoor conditions with relatively stable temperatures and easy access to blood meals from humans or warm-blooded hosts. Typical hiding locations indoors include: beds, bedding, furniture, clothing, walls, floors, luggage, electrical outlets, and behind wall hangings. Most people tend to think of bed bugs as an issue in hotels or locations where humans sleep, but they can thrive in single-family houses, apartments, hospitals, college dorm rooms, office buildings, schools, buses, movie theaters, libraries, buses, cruise ships, and retail stores and just about anywhere that human activity occurs.

2. Bed bugs could have a degree in anesthesiology.

People often wonder why they do not feel bed bugs biting them. The saliva produced by bed bugs contains an anesthetic and promotes increased blood flow at the bite site allowing the feeding process to be quick and painless.

3. Bed bugs can live for several months without a blood meal.

Adult bed bugs can live two to five months without a blood meal under average room conditions, making them extremely resilient pests. This fact means you cannot simply leave a room vacant to eliminate an infestation. Nymphs require blood to molt and progress through their developmental stages, so they typically can only survive a few weeks without feeding.

4. Bed bugs do not transmit diseases to humans.

It is interesting to note that bed bugs can carry over 40 pathogens, like MRSA, Chagas and Hepatitis B, but that does not mean they transmit these pathogens to humans. Luckily, bed bug mouthparts are not structured to transmit pathogens to the bloodstream. Their intermittent piercing and sucking feeding behavior limits the possibility of pathogen transmission between hosts. The health concerns related to bed bug infestations include allergic reactions, skin infections from scratching, and psychological distress.

5. The average cost to exterminate bed bugs can be high.

To exterminate bed bugs, professionals must inspect every potential hiding spot and apply treatments to multiple zones or locations in the home. The cost for control might seem high, but it reflects the complexity, amount of time required, and the specialized methods that are required to eliminate bed bugs. People will find a wide variety of do it yourself products in stores that say they control bed bugs, but this is a pest that really requires professional services to obtain eradication.

To prevent bed bugs from becoming an issue in the first place, remember these smart home and travel habits. Inspect all furniture, mattresses, box springs, and bed frames for bed bugs before allowing these items into your home. Do not store backpacks, purses, or bags on beds, couches or other resting areas. Do not put guests’ coats or bags on your beds. Clean out a front closet to store these items for your guests. When traveling leave your luggage on the bathroom counter because bed bugs rarely inhabit bathroom tiles or porcelain. When returning home, unpack your clothes directly into the washer using high heat. Clean any luggage and store it away from the bed.

If you want to learn additional information, check out the bed bug fact sheet at MF2926 Bed Bugs.