Bed Bugs | City of Alexandria, VA

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What are Bed Bugs

The bed bug (Cimex lectularius) is a wingless, red-brown insect that feeds on blood.It is small (about the size of an apple seed) and you can see them without a magnifying glass. Bed bugs are not considered a public health risk because they are not known to spread diseases. They can, however, cause skin irritations and sleepless nights.

Bed bugs usually live fromfour months toa year. They hide in cracks and crevices in beds, wooden furniture, floors, and walls during the daytime. At night, they emerge from hiding and feed on their preferred host: humans.

In 2005, the Health Department began receiving complaint about bed bugs in the city. In response, we have developed several presentations and brochures to assist residents and businesses in the city.

Ifyou find a bed bug inyour hotel,motel, hostel or bedand breakfast room, notify theproprietor immediately. If the facility is in the City of Alexandria, you can also report it to the Alexandria Health Department, Environmental Health Division at 703.746.4910. Visit http://www.alexandriva.gov/87518 to read more about making a complaint.

If you are a renter and you discover bed bugs, immediately report the problem to your landlord or management company; they may have a plan already in place to deal with the problem. Simply discarding beds and bedding isnot a good approach to bed bug management. Bed bugs will spread quickly to walls, molding, ceilings, light fixtures, electronics, picture frames and spaces within and along floor boards and the edges of carpets. It is difficult to manage a bed bug problem by yourself, so it is always a good idea to hire a licensed pest control company.

Bed bugs are likely being transferred from place to place through infested furniture and discarded objects. DO NOT take furniture from in or around a trash area even though you may not see bugs they may be present. If you are discarding furniture that may have bed bugs be sure to slash mattresses and plush furniture, break box spring frames, and label items with the word bed bugs to prevent the spread of bed bugs in your community. Wrap discarded items in plastic sheeting and tape to avoid dropping bed bugs during transport.

Getting rid of bed bugs is difficult and time consuming, but it can be done. Residents and landlord or property management must worktogether to succeed.There is no single tool or activity that, used alone, will eliminate bed bugs, including pesticides. Multiple techniques are always required because bed bugs are small, good at hiding, and can live without feeding for many months. Treatment of a living area for bed bugs should focus on containment of the infestation. Do everything possible to avoid spreading bed bugs to new locations. A combination of the following steps will be needed for bed bug control:

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Bed Bugs | City of Alexandria, VA

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