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Electron micrograph of a bed bug, digitally colorized with the bug's
skin-piercing mouthparts highlighted in purple and red. Courtesy of
Wikipedia.
Bed bugs are bloodsucking insects that are attracted to their victims
primarily by the carbon dioxide present in each exhaled breath of humans and
animals, and secondarily by body
warmth. A bed bug pierces the skin of its host with what is called a stylet
fascicle.
It takes between 5 to 10 minutes for a bed bug to become completely engorged
with blood.
The
parasite thrives at a temperature between 60 and 70 degrees
Fahreinheit,
so rather than reside on its host, it feeds and returns to the cool, dark
hiding places that it favors.
Pest control professionals and entomologists are reporting a dramatic
increase in bedbug infestations throughout the world. |
Grown adults are about the size of an
apple seed. Adults are brown until they consume some blood, after which they
turn reddish brown. Pinhead sized nymphs,
or non-adults, are smaller and are whitish or gold until they feed -- just
about the color of a mattress, making them difficult to see.
Although bed bugs can live for a year without feeding,
they normally try to feed on humans every five to ten days.
Humans are nearly ideal prey for bed bugs
because humans have less hair than other mammals---thus providing
direct
access to skin
and
making
bedbug
feeding much easier
for these blood suckers.
Bed
bugs are one of the few parasites that feed almost exclusively on human
blood |
What's Wrong with Bed Bug Killing Systems?
To know the major disadvantages of the four
existing strategies to kill bed bugs,
please watch this excellent 16 minute video on YouTube---
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHCLUGLafBM.
Here's a summary of the major defects of the four existing bedbug
killing methods:
-
Chemical
Treatment of bedbugs is relatively ineffective (normally a 50%
kill), resulting in the need for multiple
treatments, and the long term effects of the bedbug chemicals on
the human body
aren't clearly known.
Dry Steaming and Vacuuming
- "dry" steam? Water isn't "dry." There will
always be some water residual, which can become a breeding ground
for
mold and other microorganisms; it's difficult to find impregnated
female bed
bugs as they normally leave the colony and move to remote places.
In most
cases this method needs to be followed by Chemical Treatment.
Heat Systems
- excessive heat can cause delamination of furniture and
damage other building materials; the risk of fire (see below);
concrete and
other building materials are difficult to get to 140 degrees.
Here's a link to the recent building fire in Cincinnati caused by
this method
which is mentioned in the above bedbug video:
http://www.bedbugmundo.com/bed-bug-exterminator-burns-carthage-home-down-in-carthage-ohio.html
-
Freezing/Cryogenic
- similar to dry steaming, getting the "cold" into the hidden
spaces is difficult. As with dry steaming, this method needs to
be followed by
Chemical Treatment.
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Health Problems Caused by Bed Bugs
Bed bugs have potential allergen and respiratory effects, much like
cockroaches. In addition, night-feeding bed bugs disrupt their human
victims’ sleep, resulting in fatigue and mental health complications. For
some victims, the bites cause mild to serious skin reactions that result in
soreness or itching. Bed bug bites
may also cause itchy red welts or swelling.
Scientists say there may be as many as 40 pathogens that could potentially
live inside a bed bug or around its mouth area.
The biggest risk for humans comes from secondary bacterial infection, which
would be as a result of scratching the skin. Scratching, if it breaks the
skin, allows bacteria to penetrate - but the bacteria would not have been
from the bed bug.
Those who experience bites may also feel paranoia about the pests during the
day and especially at night. Delusionary parasitosis, in which the person
believes he or she is being actively bitten by the insects throughout the
day, may be incited by concern about bed bug activity, according to some
researchers. |
Where Do Bed Bugs Live?
Bed bugs can
live in beds. all upholstered furniture, clothing, carpets, under wallpaper,
behind baseboards, inside wall cavities, and in small cracks and crevices
throughout a room.
How do buildings become infested with bed bugs?
Bed bugs enter a home or other building from---
- Bugs and eggs that "hitchhiked in" on
pets,
or on clothing and luggage
Infested items (such as furniture or
clothing) brought in
Nearby dwellings or infested items, if
there are easy routes (through duct work or false ceilings)
Wild animals (such as bats or birds)
People visiting from a source of
infestation; bed bugs, like roaches, are transferred by clothing, luggage,
or a person's body.
Can I Smell Bed Bugs?
The smell of a bed bug infestation, though
distinct, is often too difficult for most people to notice. Bed bugs are
said to smell like sweet, rotten raspberries, and it's also said that an
infested room smells like almonds. |
Bed Bugs in the News
►Expert
Explains How to Defend against the Dreaded Bed Bugs
Jan. 23, 2012
►Sleeping with the Enemy
Jan. 19, 2012
►Bed bug treatment kills lady
Sept. 23, 2011
►Bringing
Your Own Plastic Seat Cover to the Movies to Avoid Bedbugs
Sept.
25, 2011
►Bed Bug
Insecticides Causing Sickness, Warns the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control Sept. 22, 2011
►Debugging
a New Home: Of Surrogate Sleepers and Pest Sensors
and Special
Dust
August 21, 2009
►Bedbug
infestations on rise across U.S.
August 7, 2006
►Bed
Bug Prevention & Treatment in Hospitals & Long-Term
Care Facilities
►How
to Spot Bedbugs in Hostels, Hotels and at Home |
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