Daily Archives: June 8, 2017

Follow the steps below to learn how to identify, prevent, and control them safely and effectively.

Integrated pest management (IPM) uses information about the pest in order to choose methods of control that are safest and most effective. IPM methods include pest prevention, exclusion, and nonchemical tools first. If chemical pesticides are needed, products are chosen that pose the least risk to human health. With IPM, you start by asking, Why is this pest here? and try to remove the conditions allowing the pest to enter and live. This approach solves pest problems rather than just treating the symptoms. It also reduces the need to use pesticides repeatedly.

What exactly are bed bugs? Bed bugs are blood-feeding parasites that bite people at night and hide during the day. They are tiny, less than 1/8 inch long, wingless, chestnut brown in color, with flattened, generally oval-shaped bodies. They become swollen, elongated, and dark red after a blood meal. Bed bug bites may cause itchy welts on their victims. They often leave small dark spots on sheets and other surfaces. Bed bugs do not cause or spread any diseases, but they do cause mental anguishno one wants to let the bed bugs bite! They are difficult to control because their small size enables them to hide almost anywhere in and around their feeding sites on mattresses and bed frames, cracks and crevices in walls, under peeling paint, or behind wall sockets. Unlike head lice, which remain on human heads, bed bugs only stay long enough to feed before moving away to hide.

Bed bugs cannot fly, so they infest homes by being transported in clothing, backpacks, suitcases, mattresses, or other furniture. They can also walk in from adjacent apartments or rooms through cracks or conduits for electrical wiring or plumbing. They search for a sleeping human by moving up walls, bed linens, bed legs, or anything touching the bed.

To control bed bugs effectively, you will need a combination of actions. Control is difficult, so it is best to consult a licensed and experienced pest management professional (PMP) to help rid your home of these pests.

Various life stages of bed bugs shown on a human hand. Photo: Allison Taisy

If bed bugs have been found in your home, resist the urge to use household bug sprays or bombs. Bed bugs are resistant to most commonly used pesticides. Using bug bombs and sprays on mattresses and in bedrooms will only increase your exposure to more toxins, not control bed bugs. Since pesticides are poisons, they should be used sparingly and carefully. If chemicals are to be used, seek assistance from a licensed and professional pest control company trained to deal with bed bugs.

When choosing a pest control company, make sure the company meets all the legal requirements that qualify them to service your home, including a Pennsylvania Pesticide Applicator Certification or Registered Technician card, a business license, and general liability insurance coverage. Also ask for a list of local references so you can learn about their past performance in treating bed bugs.

For more information, visit our Bed Bug website or contact us at either location listed below.

If you suspect that a child has been accidentally exposed to chemicals, immediately call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.

Pennsylvania IPM Program Phone: 814-865-2839 Email: paipm@psu.edu

Pennsylvania IPM Program in Philadelphia Phone: 215-471-2200, ext. 109 Email: pscip@psu.edu

The Pennsylvania IPM Program is a collaboration between The Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Read more here:
Got Bed Bugs? Eliminate Bed Bugs with IPM (Pennsylvania ...