Bed Bugs FAQ

          In the developed world, bedbugs were largely eradicated as pests in the early 1940s, however they have increased in prevalence in the last decade. Because infestation of human habitats has been on the increase, bedbug bites and related conditions have been on the rise as well. The exact causes of this resurgence remain unclear; it is variously ascribed to greater foreign travel, more frequent exchange of second-hand furnishings among homes, and increasing resistance to pesticides now in use. Bedbugs have been known human parasites for thousands of years.
 

          The name "bedbug" is derived form the insect's preferred habitat of houses and especially beds or other areas where people sleep. Bedbugs, though not strictly nocturnal, are mainly active at night and are capable of feeding unnoticed on their hosts. Adult bedbugs are reddish-brown, flattened, oval and wingless. Bedbugs have microscopic hairs that give them a banded appearance. Adults grow to 4-5mm in length and 1.5-3mm wide. Newly hatched nymphs are translucent, lighter in color and become browner as they moult and reach maturity. Bedbugs may be mistaken for other insects such as booklice and carpet beetles, or vice-versa. 
 

        Bedbugs use pheromones and kairomones to communicate regarding nesting locations, feeding and reproduction. The life span of bedbugs varies by species and is also dependent on feeding. Bedbugs are obligatory hematophagous (bloodsucking) insects. Bedbugs are attracted to their hosts primarily by carbon dioxide, secondarily by warmth, and also by certain chemicals. A bedbug pierces the skin of its host with two hollow feeding tubes shaped like tongues. With one tube it injects its saliva, which contains anticoagulants and anesthetics, while with the other it withdraws the blood of its host. After feeding for about five minutes the bug returns to its hiding place. It takes between five to ten minutes for a bedbug to become completely engorged with blood. 

          People visiting from a source of infestation; bedbugs, like roaches, are transferred by clothing, luggage, or a person's body. Bedbugs are elusive and usually nocturnal, which can make them hard to spot. Bedbugs often lodge unnoticed in dark crevices, and eggs can be nestled in fabric seams. Aside from bite symptoms, signs include fecal spots, blood smears on sheets, and moults. Bedbugs can be found on their own but often congregate once established. They usually remain close to hosts, commonly in or near beds or couches. Nesting locations can vary greatly however, including luggage, vehicles, furniture and bedside clutter. Bedbugs may also nest near animals that have nested within a dwelling, such as bats, birds or rodents. The eggs of bed bugs are found in similar places that the bed bugs themselves are found and are attached to surfaces by a sticky substance. Attractant devices for detection use heat and or carbon dioxide. Bedbug detection dogs are trained to pinpoint infestations, with a possible accuracy rate of 97.5%, thought that figure is based upon tests conducted under controlled condition by researchers. The success rates in these tests may not reflect real world success rates of a pest companies' dogs, operating with many more variables in the field.
 

         Eradication of bedbugs frequently requires a combination of pesticide and non-pesticide approaches. Resistance to pesticides has increased significantly overtime. Mechanical approaches such as vacuuming up the insects and sealing mattresses in zippered mattress bags. Bedbug pesticide-resistance appears to be increasing dramatically. Bedbug populations sampled across the U.S. showed a tolerance for pyrethroids several thousands of times greater than laboratory bedbugs. New York City bed bugs have been found to be 264 times more resistant to deltamethrin than Florida bedbugs due to nerve cell mutations. A population genetics study of bedbugs in the United States, Canada, and Australia using a mitochondrial DNA marker found high levels of genetic variation. This suggests that the studied bedbug populations did not undergo a genetic bottleneck as one would expect from insecticide control during the 1940s and 1950s, but instead, that populations may have been maintained on other hosts such as birds and bats. In contrast to the high amount of genetic variation observed. This suggests increased gene flow of previously isolated bedbug populations, and given the absence of barriers to gene flow, the spread of insecticide resistance may be rapid.