Category Archives: Bed Bugs Maryland

Bedbugs are small, oval, brownish insects that live on the blood of animals or humans. Adult bedbugs have flat bodies about the size of an apple seed. After feeding, however, their bodies swell and are a reddish color.

Bedbugs do not fly, but they can move quickly over floors, walls, and ceilings. Female bedbugs may lay hundreds of eggs, each of which is about the size of a speck of dust, over a lifetime.

Immature bedbugs, called nymphs, shed their skins five times before reaching maturity and require a meal of blood before each shedding. Under favorable conditions the bugs can develop fully in as little as a month and produce three or more generations per year.

Although they are a nuisance, they do not transmit diseases.

Bedbugs may enter your home undetected through luggage, clothing, used beds and couches, and other items. Their flattened bodies make it possible for them to fit into tiny spaces, about the width of a credit card. Bedbugs do not have nests like ants or bees, but tend to live in groups in hiding places. Their initial hiding places are typically in mattresses, box springs, bed frames, and headboards where they have easy access to people to bite in the night.

Over time, however, they may scatter through the bedroom, moving into any crevice or protected location. They may also spread to nearby rooms or apartments.

Because bedbugs live solely on blood, having them in your home is not a sign of dirtiness. You are as likely to find them in immaculate homes and hotel rooms as in filthy ones.

Bedbugs are active mainly at night and usually bite people while they are sleeping. They feed by piercing the skin and withdrawing blood through an elongated beak. The bugs feed from three to 10 minutes to become engorged and then crawl away unnoticed.

Most bedbug bites are painless at first, but later turn into itchy welts. Unlike flea bites that are mainly around the ankles, bedbug bites are on any area of skin exposed while sleeping. Also, the bites do not have a red spot in the center like flea bites do.

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Just curious --- having been a victim of bedbugs in Baltimore two years ago --- I'm wondering (redsox53) if there is a specific reason why you are asking?

I think jwhiteree gave really good advice. In my case, it was at a BWI hotel in 10/08 (where I'd stayed several times before) and it ruined my week-long vacation. The hotel was moving me all over the place (room-to-room) and saying things like....*oh, that's just fuzz.* Not when I was getting bitten, it wasn't. I proved it to them with a roll of scotch tape --- taping the larva to a pillow case. I never saw an adult bedbug. They comp'd me all my meals for a week, without ever admitting they had a problem. They said nobody else had complained. I would have left the hotel completely but paid via Hotwire and couldn't afford a different hotel. Plus there was a bedbug problem in a local college then so I figured (if I left) I might just get stuck in another hotel with the same problem.

The good news is --- they were in the process of a complete renovation already so they also threw away all their mattresses, lines, bed coverings, towels, etc. The WHOLE hotel. Plus, as part of the renovation, they replaced their flooring.

Knowing they were renovating and they *appeared* to be doing something about it, I agreed to stay there again in 04/09. When I walked in, everyone recognized me from 6 months earlier. That blows my mind as I could not POSSIBLY have been the only person to complain but the stink I made, with visits to the desk (thus it was embarrassing to them while other guests were there), was evidently memorable.

Bottom-line. There were ZERO problems the next time. No bedbugs and the entire staff was very nice to me. They didn't admit the problem the previous visit but they too seemed relieved to be rid of it. It was the Holiday Inn BWI, BTW, and the issue had been solved last year.

I realize there is a problem in certain areas but as some indicate, there are things you can do to prevent the spread. I always avoid putting luggage on the bed but I like jwhite's suggestion of putting it in the bathtub (or at least the bathroom). I've stayed in 3 different hotels in the area since and no problem.

Are you concerned about reports in the area (?) or did someone tell you something about that specific hotel? You say you called the hotel but did you also e-mail them (for a record) and tell them why you are concerned?

Good luck. It's not fun so, like you, I tend to be very diligent on this issue in that area. Actually, any area lately which tends to be humid.

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What is a bed bug?

Bed bugs are very small parasitic insects that are rising in number, making a strong comeback after nearly 50 years of limited activity in the United States. Adult bed bugs have a distinct reddish-brown color and have flat, oval-shaped bodies about 1/4 inch in length. In a protected area, an adult female will lay up to five eggs in one day. The eggs are small, approximately 1mm in size and are whitish in color, making them nearly invisible to the untrained eye. Bed bug eggs are slightly sticky when first laid, which allows them to adhere to surfaces to remain safe until hatching. Once hatched, bed bug nymphs are no larger than a pinhead, closely resembling the adults, but smaller and lighter in color until they reach maturity. The nymphs mature rapidly, shedding their exoskeleton as they grow larger after each feeding. Bed bugs feed exclusively on blood, preferring human blood, but will also feed on other warm-blooded animals if necessary. Signs of a bed bug infestation are:

Small spots of blood on mattresses and bed linens

Tiny brown droppings

Exoskeletons, or cast skins shed by growing nymphs

Tiny white eggs and egg casings

Bed bugs are very efficient hitchhikers, capable of traveling great distances with an unsuspecting host. The affordability and prevalence of mass transit and international travel is a major contributing factor to the increase in bed bug infestations. Travel to countries with less rigorous standards of hygiene and limited pest control practices has become more common and more detrimental as bed bugs have been found in airplane seats, cabs and hotel beds. They commonly travel in luggage, backpacks and even in clothing. Once the bed bug has hitched a ride, its destination could be anywhere, including health care facilities, public transportation and private homes.

Bed bugs are not known to carry or transmit diseases to humans, but their bites can cause skin irritation. Though many people have no reaction to bed bug bites, some experience small red welts that often appear in a line or cluster and may be itchy or painful. Serious health problems can occur if the bites become infected, at which point a medical professional should be consulted.

Bed bugs are very difficult to get rid of once an area of a home has been infested. They are nocturnal feeders rarely seen during the day and their flat bodies make it easy for them to hide in cracks and crevices in mattresses, linens, behind baseboards and inside furniture. American Pest offers EPA-approved bed bug control services including K-9 Detection, Thermal Remediation (Heat Treatments) and Conventional Liquid Treatments. We begin by scheduling a thorough and detailed inspection of your property to ascertain the extent of infestation. Armed with this information, our pest control team will customize a program to your specific needs, treating not only the infested rooms and furniture, but surrounding areas as well.

Do-it-yourself methods of bed bug removal are not often successful due to the naturally elusive and nocturnal nature of the pest. An experienced eye and training are essential to fully understand and eradicate the pests, using tried and trusted techniques. At American Pest, we employ 6 full-time entomologists and a highly trained staff of pest control experts, ready to assist whenever you need us.

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If you think you might have bed bugs in Maryland, Virginia or Washington D.C., youre not alone.

Bed bugs are found in many environments including homes, apartments, condominiums, dormitories, motels and even cruise ships. They are flat, oval in shape and brown in color. As they feed, the bed bugs flat body expands and turns reddish in color. The adult is approximately the size of an apple seed and can live for more than a year without feeding. During the day, typical bed bugs in VA or other states hide behind baseboards and pictures, in bed frames, furniture, wallpaper, mattresses, blankets, pillows and sheets. Bed bugs tend to settle in close proximity to their food source humans! They come out at night, attracted by the breath and body heat of their food source. Bed bugs in Washington DC or Maryland can spread from room to room, using clothing and other personal belongings to make their way. Bed bugs often leave itchy, bloody welts on the skin.

Bed bug infestations are on the rise across country and in particular the Washington, DC area. Factors like the proximity to other metropolitan cities like New York, occupational travel and our growing transient population have more than doubled reported cases in our area in the last year. Experts are predicting the number of occurrences will continue to increase in the coming years. If you suspect you have a bed bug infestation we recommend immediately taking action by laundering all bedding, vacuuming the suspected area and scheduling a professional inspection. Our inspectors can confirm an infestation, provide a treatment proposal and arrange to kill bed bugs in MD all in one visit. Bed bug elimination should always be left to a licensed pest control professional. Affordable Pest has the specialized knowledge and equipment to detect and eliminate any bed bug infestation. Call or click to schedule an inspection to kill bed bugs in Virginia or Washington DC today.

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Information

The Baltimore City Health Department does not have any bed bug programs; however, we provide informational materials on bedbugs on this web page

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What Are Bedbugs?

Bed bugs are small insects that feed on human blood. They can reach about 1/4 inch in length and have flat, oval-shaped, wingless bodies. They are reddish-brown in color and may be mistaken for ticks or small cockroaches.

How Does a Home Become Infested with Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs hitchhike and people often carry bed bugs into homes without knowing in infested luggage and bags, furniture, mattresses and boxsprings, bedding or clothing. They can also travel between houses and apartments through cracks and openings in or around doors, windows, walls, and floors.

How Do I Know if My Home is Infested with Bed Bugs?

Bites are often one of the first signs of a bed bug problem. Most bed bug bites are painless at first but later become large, itchy skin welts. These welts do not have a red spot in the center like fleabites. Although bed bugs are a nuisance, they are not known to spread disease.

The bites can be very similar to other insect bites, and bed bug infestations cannot be confirmed by bites alone. You may also see the bed bugs themselves, small bloodstains from crushed insects or dark spots from their droppings, especially on sheets or other bedding.

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Baltimore City Health Department Bed Bugs Resource Page