Bed Bugs – Bedbugs – South Central Public Health District

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Bed Bugs

The common bed bug 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 the spread of disease.

Knowing what to look for is the first step in controlling bed bugs. Generally, adult bed bugs are 1/4 to 3/8 inch (4-5mm) long, brown in color, with a flat, oval-shaped body; while young bed bugs (also called nymphs) are smaller and lighter in color.

When not feeding, bed bugs hide in a variety of places. Around the bed, they can be found near the piping, seams, and tags of the mattress and box spring and in cracks on the bed frame and head board.

(from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website.)

Myth: You cant see a bed bug. Reality: You should be able to see adult bed bugs, nymphs, and eggs with your naked eye.

Myth: Bed bugs live in dirty places. Reality: Bed bugs are not attracted to dirt and grime; they are attracted to warmth, blood, and carbon dioxide. However, clutter offers more hiding places.

Myth: Bed bugs transmit diseases. Reality: There are no cases that indicate bed bugs pass diseases from one host to another. Lab tests have shown that it is unlikely that the insect is capable of infecting its host.

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Bed Bugs - Bedbugs - South Central Public Health District

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