Bed Bug Treatments
Bed Bug Bites – All You Need to Know!
Bed bugs are a challenging pest to deal with – here’s everything pest managers (and customers) need to know them.
Bed bugs in Australia
PEST SNAPSHOT - BED BUGS
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Hemiptera (true bugs)
- Family: Cimicidae
- Health threat: Generally low, although severe allergic reactions can sometime occur.
- Bite / sting pain: Bite is painless but can be very itchy
- Difficulty to control: Very difficult
- Diet: Blood
- Main pest season: All year round
- Indoor/Outdoor pest: Indoor
- Bed bugs are insects belonging to the genus Cimex.
- There are two main species – the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) and the tropical bed bug (Cimex hemipterus).
- Although bed bugs bite humans for a blood meal and cause red, irritating bite marks, there is no evidence that they transmit disease.
- Infestations can be difficult to control and they are easily transferred through human movement to start new infestations.
Pest Status
Bed bugs are parasites that feed on the blood of animals, primarily humans. The bite itself is painless, most victims will develop a small red, itchy bite mark within 24 hours, although for some people it can take several days for the welt to appear.
As they live in and around sleeping areas, and cause bites, they are perceived as “dirty” and an indication of a hygiene problem. However, in reality, there is no evidence that they transmit disease and even 5 star hotels can suffer from infestations.
Although bed bug infestations can occur in residential homes, they are a major problem for the hospitality industry. Guests receiving bed bug bites are a serious PR issue for any hotel suffering an infestation, not only loss of business from closed rooms whilst treatment takes place, but the loss of business through adverse publicity.
Infestations can be a challenge to control as they are difficult to completely eliminate and are easily transferred to start new infestations. In the hospitality industry, bed bug management plans are essential to prevent outbreaks.
Health and Safety
Although bed bugs are perceived as being “dirty”, even though they are know to carry a large number of disease causing bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi, there is no evidence that they can actually pass on any of these diseases to humans.
However, bed bug bites do cause allergic reactions. The reaction can range from an itchy bite through to a full on anaphylactic shock, which is obviously very serious.
In residences where there are persistent infestations, the elevated levels of histamines in the infested rooms from spent skins and faeces can also cause allergic reactions.
Persistent, bed bug infestations can not surprisingly also have negative mental health effects on the occupants.
Types of bed bugs
There are two main species:
- Common bed bug (Cimex lectularius)
- Tropical bed bug (Cimex hemipterus)
They are both quite widespread, although the tropical bed bug is generally only found in warmer climates.
Telling the difference between the two species is really a job for the expert. However, it makes do difference to the treatment and prevention measures.
What do bed bugs look like?
Bed bugs are insects, so they have 3 pairs of legs.
Adult bed bugs are a small, brown wingless insect, up to 5mm long and 3mm wide. They are flat, and oval shaped which allows them to squeeze into small spaces. They have modified mouth parts to pierce the skin and suck up blood. They become round, when engorged with blood after feeding.
Bed bug nymphs (immature bed bugs) are like minature versions of the adult, but are very from pale create to light brown depending on age.
Bed bug eggs are oval shaped and white, about the size of a pin head.
Bed Bug Life-Cycle
Bed bugs undergo an incomplete metamorphosis – the young (nymphs) look like smaller versions of the adult. They grow by moulting and go through 5 immature stages (nymphs) before turning into an adult. A blood meal is required between each successive moult, and by adult females in order to lay eggs. One of the weird features of bed bugs is that males and females mate through a process of traumatic insemination.
They are pretty resilient and can go without a blood meal for months and even up to a year at cooler temperatures! However, the average lifespan of a bed bug is around 10 months.
As they live indoors they can be a problem throughout the year. Although they don’t live in nests, they do tend to congregate in clusters in favourable hiding places.
Bed Bug Eggs
Bed bug eggs are tiny – about the size of a pin head – and white / translucent in colour, so are very difficult to see. They are sticky when laid so easily adhere to surfaces. Under favourable conditions, the eggs hatch in about a week.
Bed Bug Nymphs
Bed bug nymphs are white/translucent when the moult and darken as their cuticle hardens. They complete 5 moults before becoming an adult, getting increasingly darker (more brown) with each moult.
Bed Bug Adults
Adult bed bugs are a small, brown wingless insect, up to 5mm long and 3mm wide. They are flat, and oval shaped which allows them to squeeze into small spaces. They have modified mouth parts to pierce the skin and suck up blood. They become round, when engorged with blood after feeding.
The female will lay a couple of eggs a day but can lay hundreds during their lifetime.
Key Behaviours
There are 5 key behaviours of particular relevance to bed bugs as pests:
- They need a blood meal to develop from one life stage to the next
- Females need a blood meal before laying eggs
- They are attracted to heat and carbon dioxide (tells them a meal is nearby!)
- They are noctural (bite at night) and avoid light
- They group together in cracks and crevices near potential food sources
Bed Bug Bites
What do bed bug bites look like?
Bed bug bites are painless and often victims may not realise they have been bitten until the following morning, or when the red welts at the bite sites appear.
During the biting process, they inject saliva containing anticoagulants and painkillers. They will bit any areas of exposed skin. Often the bites will occur in a cluster or in a line, as they often make a series of bites trying to find a blood vessel.
The bites will range in size from 5 mm to 2 cm, and will sometimes have a crust or pustule at the centre.
Check out our blog on Bed bug bites – All you need to know!
Bed bug bite symptoms?
The main effect from a bed bug bite is that the bites are very itchy. This is just a mild allergic reaction to the bite. However, if the allergic reaction is more severe a rash can develop and in the worse cases the victim can experience an anaphylactic shock, which needs immediate medical intervention.
Bed Bug Diseases
Over 40 different pathogens have been reported to have been found on bed bugs, including Trypanosoma cruzi the protozoa that causes Chagas disease and the virus, Hepatitis B.
Although the presence of many pathogens has been identified in bed bugs, yhey are not known to transmit disease in the field, although there is some evidence for disease transmission by bed bugs in the laboratory.
Bed Bug Allergy
The main issue is that the bed bug bite can cause an allergic reaction, normally in the form of the itching at the bite site. This allergic reaction can get worse in some people over time. However, some 30% of bite victims don’t produce any reaction to the bite. Of course, the idea of sharing your bed with bed bugs is a major of concern to many.
However, there is an increasing body of evidence that bed bug infestations produce large amount of histamines which are long lasting and can accumulate in the environment. These may have the potential to cause allergic reactions.
Bed bug spots on sheets
Spotting – small spots of blood on the bed sheet may also be an indication of an infestation.
These blood spots are actual the bed bug faeces, which they deposit shortly after feeding.
How to Check for Bed Bugs?
Inspecting for bed bugs is a skilled and time consuming process and is best left to professionals. It needs to be comprehensive as even if one small population is missed, it can quickly turning into a major infestation. For example, during an inspection, beds to be taken apart to inspect all cracks and crevices.
Professional pest managers have the knowledge and expertise to know all the bed bug hiding places. However, some utilise the skills of bed bug detection dogs as they can speed up the inspection process.
As bed bugs are reliant on blood meals to survive, and as they primarily need human blood, they are found in close proximity to human sleeping areas. This means bedrooms and beds are the main hotspots.
Where do bed bugs hide?
As bed bugs are reliant on blood meals to survive, and as they primarily need human blood, they are found in close proximity to human sleeping areas. This means bedrooms and beds are the main hotspots.
Bed bug hiding places in bedrooms
The favourite hiding place for bed bugs is on the bed itself – close to a potential meal! They like to hide around the edge of mattresses and in bed heads.
TOP TIP: When staying in a hotel, peal back the sheets to inspect the mattress edge.
They will also hide around the edge of rooms under the carpet, behind skirting boards and even in plug sockets.
Bed bugs in travel luggage
Bed bugs are great hitch hikers! They will readily move into luggage which is why infestations are a major issue in the hospitality industry and why infestations can be readily transferred between hotels and from hotels to your home.
TOP TIP: When staying at a hotel, always place your luggage on a luggage stand, never on the floor or on your bed.
Bed bugs on public transport
Yes, infestations can occur on any public transport, but particularly on public buses and trains in cities.
Bed bug traps
Bed bug traps are more normally uses to monitor for the presence of bed bugs, rather than for use as a control method. There are an increasing number of traps of the market and they are typically placed near potential bed bug hiding places or near the legs of beds. Some of the latest reaseach has looked at using the VOCs released by bed bugs (volatile organic compounds) for use in detection devices and as attractants in traps.
How to get rid of bed bugs?
Bed Bug Treatments
Bed bug treatments are one of the pest control treatments that really needs to be done be a professional pest manager. Not only does it require an expert, comprehensive inspection, but it requires specialist products and equipment to gain control.
Pest managers use a range of bed bug products to gain control including sprays, aerosols and powders. Some are use to deliver immediate control and some are designed to provide long lasting protection.
There is a lot of research looking into new bed bug control products, one of which looks at tapping into bed bugs natural behaviour to find tight hiding places, by creating lethal harbourages.
Bed Bug Sprays
There are several sprays on the market for the treatment of bed bugs, some are aerosol sprays and some required dilution for use in spray equipment. Direct spray of these insecticides onto bed bugs will still generally kill them, despite the increase in insecticide resistance. However, their use as a residual treatment once dry, is more limited (see below).
Newer bed bug sprays often contain a combination of insecticides to help deal with insecticide resistant bed bugs. And there is a great deal of research looking into new options, including essential oils for bed bugs.
Insecticide resistance in bed bugs
Bed bugs in many parts of the world have developed significant levels of resistance to insecticides, through are variety of mechanisms, including increasing cuticle thickness is contributing to resistance in bed bugs. This make them a lot more difficult to control and where the skill of the pest manager comes in, to design a bed bug treatment which uses the best combination of products to gain control.
Typically direct treatment of sprays can still be effective – the solvent in the spray helps get the insecticide through the cuticle, but once the treatment is dry it becomes significantly less effective.
Heat treatments are an option many pest managers use in locations where there are high levels of resistance to insecticides.
More information on bed bug insecticide resistance.
Heat treatments for bed bugs
Heat treatments for bed bugs is an effective control method. Not only can heat treatments deal with insecticide resistant populations, it can allow the treated rooms to be used immediately after treatment – once the rooms have been inspected and the temperature has returned to normal.
Heat treatments involve raising the temperature in enclosed rooms up to 70oC for several hours. It is still important to make sure all hiding places are identified to ensure they are exposed to the heat and killed.
How to Prevent a Bed Bug Infestation?
For homeowners:
It is important to avoid accidentally introducing bed bugs into your home when returning from a trip (the main cause of infestations in homes).
When travelling:
- Place luggage on luggage stands in hotel rooms (not on the floor or bed)
- Peel back the sheets and check the mattress corners
For residents in unit blocks, it is possible for there to be movement of bed bugs in between units, so if they are found in one unit, all units in the block should be inspected and treated if necessary.
For hotel / motel managers
Having an active bed bug management plan is essential to prevent infestations and knowing what to do as soon a infestation is detected.
- Work with your pest manager to put together a bed bug management plan in place
- A management plan is likely to consist of regular inspections by the pest manager, but involvement of the hotel housekeeping team is essential, as they are in the rooms on a regular basis and more likely to spot an potential problem early
- The hotel house keeping team need to know how to spot bed bugs and include the necessary checks every time they service a room
Bed Bug Mattress Protectors
Mattress protector can be a useful component in a bed bug management plan for both homeowners and hoteliers. They eliminate the bed bug hiding places around the ribbing in mattresses. They can also encase any bed bugs in the mattress (killing them through starvation) and they are generally a good idea from a hygiene management point of view.
More information on bed bug mattress protectors…
Bed Bug FAQ
Where do bed bugs come from?
Bed bugs get transferred from one infested location to another by hitching hiking on belongings, typically on the luggage or clothes of travellers.
Although bed bugs are seen as “dirty”, they can be picked up from many locations, not just hotels, but also buses, trains and aeroplane. As such even 5-star hotels can have bed bug infestations.
How do you tell if you have bed bugs?
The first sign you may have bed bugs is from someone in the house getting bitten. Dark spots on the sheet (bed bug droppings) will also suggest a bed bug problem. However, the only way to confirm a bed bug problem is to carry out a comprehensive inspection of the room and property – not only to confirm their presence but to locate all hiding spots and the extent of the infestation. Generally this is a job for a professional pest manager.
Do bed bugs fly?
Bed bugs are wingless insects and so are unable to fly. They get introduced into a house or room on luggage or clothing.
Bed bug bite or mosquito bite?
Bed bug bites can occur anywhere on the body but more normally on the exposed parts of the body – torso, back neck and face. Bites will generally only occur at night.
Mosquitoes will also only bite exposed areas of skin. Normally a single mosquito will leave a single bite (unless disturbed), so unless you have a major mosquito problem, you will typically only have one or two bites. Whilst the bites are itchy, they generally won’t develop a pustule in the middle. Mosquito bites can occur day or night, depending on the species.
To investigate a suspected pest problem contact your pest manager. Although they won’t diagnose or suggest a treatment for your bites (seek medical advise for that), they will carry out the necessary inspections to see if you have a bed bug infestation or maybe another biting pest.
Bed bug bite or flea bite?
Bed bug bites can occur anywhere on the body but more normally on the exposed parts of the body – torso, back neck and face. Bites will generally only occur at night.
Where as flea can occupy a bed, they are more normally found at ground level in carpets and so bites tend to be around the ankles a lower legs. Bites will occur any time of the day or night.
To investigate a suspected pest problem contact your pest manager. Although they won’t diagnose or suggest a treatment for your bites (seek medical advise for that), they will carry out the necessary inspections to see if you have a bed bug or flea infestation.
More information on bed bugs...
Our pest control library has a range of articles on bed bug treatments.
The Bed Bug Code of Practice is an excellent resource on bed bug management.
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