The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) has long been a pest feeding on blood, causing itchy bites and generally irritating their human hosts. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) all consider bed bugs a public health pest. However, unlike most public health pests, bed bugs are not known to transmit or spread disease.
They can, however, cause other public health problems, so its important to pay close attention to preventing and controlling bed bugs.
Experts believe the recent increase in bed bugs in the United States may be due to more travel, lack of knowledge about preventing infestations, increased resistance of bed bugs to pesticides, and ineffective pest control practices.
The good news is that there are ways to control bed bugs. Getting good, solid information is the first step in both prevention and control. While there is no chemical quick fix, there are effective strategies to control bed bugs involving both non-chemical and chemical methods.
On this page;
Bites on the skin are a poor indicator of a bed bug infestation. Bed bug bites can be misidentified, which gives the bed bugs time to spread to other areas of the house. Bed bug bites can look like bites from other insects (such as mosquitoes or spiders), rashes (such as eczema or fungal infections), or even hives. Some people do not react to bed bug bites at all.
A far more accurate way to identify a possible infestation is to look for physical signs of bed bugs. For example, spots on bedding, as described below, are one of the earliest and most accurate methods.
When cleaning, changing bedding, or staying away from home, look for:
If the room is heavily infested, you may find bed bugs in the seams of chairs and couches, between cushions, in the folds of curtains, in drawer joints, in electrical receptacles and appliances, under loose wall paper and wall hangings -- even in the head of a screw. Since bed bugs are only about the width of a credit card, they can squeeze into really small hiding spots. If a crack will hold a credit card, it could hide a bed bug.
Canvas strap of old box spring covering that is housing adults, skin castings, feces, and eggs. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Louis Sorkin)
Here is the original post:
Bed Bugs | Pesticides | US EPA
- Bed bugs, chickens, and DNA: a Q&A with Dr. James Austin ... [Last Updated On: November 23rd, 2013] [Originally Added On: November 23rd, 2013]
- SafeRest Waterproof Lab Certified Bed Bug Proof Zippered ... [Last Updated On: December 6th, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 6th, 2013]
- WVU Ext - Agriculture & Natural Resources | Bed Bugs [Last Updated On: December 6th, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 6th, 2013]
- Good Night Sleep Tight - Canine Bed Bug Scent Detection Service [Last Updated On: December 24th, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 24th, 2013]
- How do I stop bed bug bites in bed? Protect my bed from bed ... [Last Updated On: January 3rd, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 3rd, 2014]
- Public awareness needed to prevent bed bugs - Star Beacon ... [Last Updated On: October 24th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 24th, 2014]
- Study Shows Bed Bugs Transmit Parasite That Causes Deadly ... [Last Updated On: November 19th, 2014] [Originally Added On: November 19th, 2014]
- Bed Bug Reports for New London, United States (5 reports ... [Last Updated On: January 26th, 2015] [Originally Added On: January 26th, 2015]
- Bed bugs mattress encasements and box springs encasements ... [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2015]
- Bed bugs News Bed Bug Reports Database Registry Maps [Last Updated On: March 2nd, 2015] [Originally Added On: March 2nd, 2015]
- Holy Heart High School principal hopes bed bug scare was ... [Last Updated On: March 11th, 2015] [Originally Added On: March 11th, 2015]
- Newfoundland And Labrador, Bed Bug Reports | National Bed ... [Last Updated On: March 24th, 2015] [Originally Added On: March 24th, 2015]
- bed bug contract | Bed Bug Control [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2018] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2018]
- Bed Bug Extermination Services St. Johns, Newfoundland ... [Last Updated On: August 24th, 2018] [Originally Added On: August 24th, 2018]
- New Foundland & Labrador, Canada Bed Bug Registry Map ... [Last Updated On: September 27th, 2018] [Originally Added On: September 27th, 2018]
- Bed bug bites: The unsettling sign in your mood that could signal youve been bitten - Express [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- Bed bugs: The main warning signs indicating you may have an infestation - Express [Last Updated On: August 1st, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 1st, 2020]