Before World War II, and by the end of it, bed bugs were a common pest in the United States. The use of the synthetic pesticide DDT during the 1940s and 1950s helped rid the bugs to a great extent, almost completely wiping them out. By 1972, because of claims of cancer-causing agents in DDT, it was banned for agricultural use worldwide under the Stockholm Convention. In other expanses of the world, including Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe, bed bugs still thrive.
Bed bugs have recently made a comeback in the U.S., presumably due to immigration and international travel. The bugs are non-flying insects, but are skilled hitchhikers; they can be carried undetected in suitcases, boxes, or furniture from infested countries. Adult bed bugs are about 3/16-inch long, with oval, flattened bodies. Adults can reach 5-7 mm in length, while nymphs (immature) are as small as 1.5 mm. They are so small and nimble, they can also hide on a person’s clothing or shoes without being seen.
These parasitic bugs have flattened, brownish bodies as adults, but as nymphs they are clear when unfed. After feeding on its host’s blood, the body becomes red and elongated. They are sometimes mistaken for ticks, small cockroaches or even book lice. Cimex lectularius, or the common bed bug, is the breed of the species Cimicidae, which prefer human blood as opposed to the blood of other mammals such as cats and dogs. Other species prefer to feed on wild hosts, especially bats and birds.
So how do you get rid or control the infestation of these tiny, elusive creatures?
The first step would be to identify their nesting locations:
1. Although bed bugs can be found alone, they usually congregate, and almost always close to their hosts.
* Check mattresses, box springs, and bed frames, especially if the frame is made of wood. They have more of an attraction to wood and fabric than metal or plastic.
* Check nightstands and dressers, under the edge of wall-to-wall carpeting, cracks in wood molding, and just about anywhere there is the tiniest crack or crevice.
* Look for dark spots which may be bed bug excrement, eggs and eggshells, skins that nymphs shed as they grow, tiny red stains on bed sheets or mattresses caused by bed bugs being crushed, or live bed bugs. It would be helpful to use a good magnifying glass.
2. Check for the smell of almonds or over-ripe raspberries, although this may not be a reliable method since the smell may be too faint to recognize under unfavorable conditions.
3. Hire a pest control company that utilizes bed bug detection dogs.
Next step would be to eliminate the infestation:
1. Use pesticides that have pyrethroids, dichlorvos or malathion in their ingredients; they work well in killing these pests, however, there is concern over their health effects on humans and aquatic creatures. Not to mention, there seems to be an increased resistance to pesticides over time.
2. Vacuum up the insects and dispose of the bag.
3. Heat treat your furniture with temperatures at or above 113 °F (45° C); all stages of life are killed within 7 minutes of exposure to 115 °F (46 °C).
4. Wrap mattresses, sofas, and any other pertinent furniture where bed bugs can hide.
5. Caulk cracks along the baseboards of all rooms and anywhere else they can be found.
6. Clean and disinfect all areas of possible infestations.
Finally, the last step would be to prevent re-infestation:
1. Periodically reinspect the previously infested areas, and all other possible nesting places, to assure it was a successful eradication.
2. Reduce clutter to remove additional hiding places.
3. Always unpack your luggage directly into the washer immediately upon returning from a trip, and thoroughly inspect your empty luggage before storing it away.