Identifying bed bug bites may save you from bringing these bugs home if you happen to notice them on someone staying where you're staying. We hope you don't get them yourself or see these bites on anyone in your family, but if you do, they are definitely a good sign that bed bugs are infesting.
Bed bug bites have three characteristics that help make them easy to identify:. Bed bug bites will appear in rows or clusters. Bed bugs feed multiple times a night. So, rather than having several single bites appearing randomly on the skin, bed bug bites will be grouped together. Bed bug bites will often have a rash around them. This rash may even make a cluster of bed bug bites look like hives rather than bites from insects.
However, not everyone has an immediate rash from bed bugs; for some, it may take several bites before their body begins to have an allergic reaction. Bed bug bites make the skin rise into a bump, similar to a mosquito bite; but these bumps can be worse for some and slight for others. So, most bugs choose night time to come out and feed.
So, it is possible for bed bugs to crawl on you in the daytime. But do bed bugs ever leave just one bite mark? Bed bugs only come out to feed every five to seven days, and each bed bug only takes one meal at a time. This means that if you only have a few bed bugs, it is possible to get bitten just once. The only reason that one bed bug would bite multiple times is if:. What do bed bug bites look like? Unhelpfully, they can look and feel different for different people.
Some people develop large, painful welts, whereas others only develop small red bumps. Many other insects and parasites can cause similar looking bites.
Examples include the following:. So, how can you tell if bed bugs are your problem? The bugs themselves are sneaky and hide in tiny cracks and crevices. Instead, look for fecal spotting bed bug poop.
This will appear as flat black dots, resembling ink spots from a marker. Though these pests can be as small as the size of an apple seed, you can still actually see them. It is a common misconception about these critters, and oftentimes they are confused with other insects.
It may seem impossible to find these critters as you would obviously try to look for them in the morning after you wake up. The reason why you may not find them is that they are simply hiding from the light.
They only come out to feed when their host — you — is asleep. It means that they are only active at night. Also, you may never notice them in your home if the infestation is still in its early stages. With the naked eye, you can easily find bed bugs, nymphs, and even their eggs.
If they have already built their colony, you will most likely find them in different life stages in one or more location in your home. Adult bed bugs are easier to see since they have a darker colour, especially when full; while nymphs are harder to find.
They are smaller and have a lighter colour. When you look at them closely, the body is pale and translucent. As the nymphs go through more stages of their lifecycle, they will eventually turn brown. The hardest to spot are eggs, as they are about 1mm long and white to clear in colour. You need a very good flashlight fitted with well charged batteries to optimize your hunt for bed bugs. An LED-type flashlight will serve you better than the older normal bulb type flashlight.
LED flashlights are now widely available at reasonable prices. In a home or apartment, the top hiding places for bed bugs seems to be the mattress, box spring, and bed frame. In a hotel room, the top hiding place seems to be the head board area. This is likely so because housekeeping changes bedding either daily or very often in hospitality locations versus at a private home.
As bed bugs prefer to hide in undisturbed places, this makes the head board area an ideal hiding location at hospitality locations. Bed bugs may also be found on or near any place that their human hosts rest or sleep. It is common to find bed bugs hiding on couches and upholstered chairs. A Gallo gun or a CO2 bicycle pump may be used to disperse carbon dioxide to draw or flush bed bugs during inspections. Gallo guns are available at professional plumbing supply locations.
CO2 cartridge bicycle pumps are available at many retailers that sell bicycles. Are bed bug dogs any good? Many experienced bed bug professionals support the use of well-trained and maintained bed bug dogs. References indicate that the average dog has about million receptors and that Blood Hounds have about million. Humans have about 35 million. Are bed bug detecting dogs reliable?
Bed bug sniffing dogs are capable and effective at finding bed bugs and viable bed bug eggs. After learning about such dogs, my opinion is that those dogs that are trained bed bug specific, or only used for bed bug work, are superior to multi-pest type detection dogs. What about the dog handlers? Scent detection dog handlers are trained professionals. These handlers receive extensive training by the canine training center that they acquire their dog from. Is there a scent detection dog certification program or professional association?
Yes, there is. Recently the University of Florida worked in cooperation with scent detection dog trainers to establish scent detection dog training certification training and an association known as NESDCA. If continuing education is good enough for medical doctors and other professionals, it seems that it is reasonable for scent detection dogs and their handlers as well.
Check out www. Should I purchase my own dog? While that decision is totally up to you, understand that such a dog is a significant commitment. These dogs are not pets! They are additional trained employees of your company. Speak with a bed bug dog trainer, learn as much as you can, and then make your decision. What breed of dog is best for bed bug scent detection?
While it may be argued that the Blood Hound has superior ability, there are many breeds that make suitable scent detection canines. Beagles and other small to medium breed dogs seem to be of the most popular breeds being trained for these purposes. While these large breed dogs may have the capability, there are sound reasons that smaller dogs such as beagles are preferred.
Some people are scared of dogs, and German Shepherds can be intimidating to people. If need be, a small dog may be easily lifted to check a large chest of drawers, wall hanging, or other such item. Try doing that with a pound German Shepherd. A Beagle that jumps up on a couch or bed while hot on the trail of bed bugs is not as alarming or likely to cause damage as might a large breed dog. Smaller dogs are easier to transport, take up much less space and are easier overall to board.
This topic has been argued by those closely involved with dog training and use. However, my preference is the use of single-purpose dogs, and this opinion is based upon practicality. Recently while traveling through airports, I had the opportunity to converse with several canine security dog handlers.
These folks confirmed that their dogs are trained purpose specific. I am often asked this question. Generally speaking I have not yet met a canine scent detection person who is not well versed and dedicated to their dogs and their work.
Make sure your control program is well planned and well implemented by your team. When dealing with bed bugs, it is wise to adopt the mindset that bed bugs are like invisible microscopic germs capable of spreading infection to everyone and everywhere, like in the Andromeda Strain. Handling these accounts and the contents in a manner to prevent further infection will serve you well. There is no secret or shortcut to getting rid of bed bugs. If caught early on, a bed bug problem can be much easier to take care of.
An ongoing bed bug monitoring program is an important part of any bed bug management program. Are there any natural ways to kill bed bugs? Suppose you find bed bugs in your shoes or suspect that they are in your luggage. You can place these items in a large black plastic bag and place the bag out in the hot sun for a few hours. It's not necessary to completely launder all your clothing, drapes, sheets, blankets, and other garments to rid them of suspected bed bugs.
If these items are already clean, simply run them through the hot clothes dryer to kill your bed bugs. Once clothing and other garments have been rendered bed bug free, it is wise to seal them in bed bug proof plastic bags or other containers to assure bed bugs do not harbor within them.
Can I get rid of bed bugs myself? It's possible, but it takes a lot of work, knowledge, and experience expended over an extended period of time. Most folks are much better off leaving bed bug control to a competent pest professional. Are bed bugs resistant to today's chemicals? Current research indicates that various degrees of resistance exists in bed bugs to a variety of chemicals.
Back in the s, DDT was one of the best products used to kill bed bugs. In a study published by University of Arkansas, bed bugs collected from poultry farms were found to be resistant to DDT and dosages of , parts per million were required to produce an LC50 i. For the most part, bed bugs can be successfully killed by those products that are currently labeled for bed bugs if used and applied in a suitable fashion. For the most part, where and how insecticides are applied to control bed bugs is of primary importance to your success in the bed bug battle.
Within reason, the efficacy of bed bug treatments is more significantly affected by the quality and thoroughness of the bed bug control work performed rather than the products used to kill the bed bugs. Plastic bags and suitable containers can be your best friends in bed bug control and avoidance.
Store your clothing and other items that you are percent sure are bed bug free within a plastic bag and tie it shut to prevent bed bugs from entering. Bed bugs can hide in just about anything. In addition to the normal places you'd expect such as beds, mattresses, box springs, bed frames, head boards, etc.
Up until the point that the problem grows to become a "bed bug ground zero" location, it is likely that the bed bugs will be found in areas "close to the food" in your home or location, which, in reality, is you or the guests! Bed bugs will likely harbor hide in areas near where people or their victims sleep.
Remember, a sound bed bug program needs to be thorough! If the program sounds too simple or too good to be true, it probably is! Heat can be used successfully to kill bed bugs in items that cannot be laundered or treated with conventional pesticides. Always use care when heat treating sensitive items that may be damaged by extreme temperatures including electronics, certain garments, and other sensitive items. Pest strips containing DDVP are now labeled for bed bugs.
With sufficient exposure, DDVP is one of the few active ingredients that provides percent control of bed bugs, including the eggs, in the published trial data. Nearly all products currently labeled for bed bugs will kill bed bugs on contact at labeled rates.
Residual efficacy of such products against bed bugs varies and is dependent upon a variety of conditions. Used properly, steam will kill percent of the bed bugs and bed bug eggs contacted. A suitably built and equipped steam cleaner machine is an excellent tool that may be used for normal cleaning purposes as well as for bed bug control. Continuous fill professional steamers will allow you to work longer and more efficiently than non-reservoir continuous fill types of steam units.
A steam unit that delivers at least 50 psi and generates steam of at least degrees Fahrenheit is a good choice. Homeowner type steamers normally used for wall paper removal are poor choices for bed bug control. If you choose to use a vacuum to remove bed bugs, be sure to use a vacuum that is fitted with a HEPA filter, which will prevent the escape and distribution of bed bug particulate matter that may be harmful allergens for some people.
Professional vacuums manufactured by Atrix are fitted with removable and sealable cartridges that are also HEPA filters into which the pests are deposited during vacuum removal. Homeowners without access to commercial professional equipment may find retail vacuum units suitable, but must check to assure that they are equipped with HEPA filtration. As an example, when conducting German cockroach field trials in section eight type housing recently, we had hundreds of apartments that were virtually loaded with German cockroaches and not one with bed bugs.
Within five miles of this location we worked at an apartment complex of nearly four hundred apartments whose residents were of international origin and nearly every cockroach infested apartment also had bed bugs. Generally, folks who unknowingly bring bed bugs home do not discover that they have a problem for anywhere from weeks to months.
By this time the population may have grown and spread to additional areas within the home. Based upon my experience, most homeowner folks who have a bed bug problem have one thing in common, they have traveled and brought bed bugs home with them from a business or vacation trip. I travel for my job, what can I do to prevent picking up bed bugs?
Wow, this is a tough question but you can do what I do. When I check in at a hotel, I enter my room just far enough to be able to close the door behind me. Using my LED flashlight, I then inspect the area around and behind the head board, the mattress, and box spring for signs of bed bugs. Even though I check my hotel rooms regularly, luckily thus far, I have yet to encounter bed bugs in any hotel room where I have stayed. Any other bed bug prevention tips? Yes, bring large plastic bags with you.
I prefer the large, white, drawstring-type plastic trash bags. These bags may be used in two ways: You can put your luggage and other stuff into these bags to prevent bed bugs from entering, and if you think you encountered bed bugs, you can seal your bed bug suspected clothing and other items within the bag — keeping them trapped within the plastic bags until you have the time to kill them within the bags, and keeping them from getting into your home.
Some bed bug professionals place pest strips in their tool boxes and use plastic bags to prevent bed bug entry. Are these devices reliable and can they detect bed bugs? It is difficult to answer this question fully without knowing exactly which device you are asking about.
My colleagues and I are familiar with these electronic devices. Units I am aware of are designed to detect carbon dioxide emissions from bed bugs and, consequently, detect the presence of bed bugs. We need to realize the small amounts of carbon dioxide, or any off gas for that matter, emitted by bed bugs will, in fact, be emitted in small amounts simply due to the diminutive size of these insects. As you may imagine, it is a complex process with many factors that must be considered.
In trial work personally conducted with such devices, my observation is that they are not accurate or reliable devices and that both false positive and failed detections were observed. Additionally, in many instances, a large number of bed bugs needed to be present to produce consistent detections. There are commercially available bed bug proof luggage encasements that may be used to seal out bed bugs from entering your luggage.
Mattress Safe makes a product called Luggage Safe that comes in various sizes to protect luggage from bed bugs, and there are others that manufacture and market luggage encasements. These steps include: I generally dress in all white and look like an ice cream man when visiting bed bug locations so that I increase the chance that I will see bed bugs if they are on me.
And I place all clothing items in a suitably sealed plastic bag. While it may seem difficult to do, find a discrete location to change clothes prior to entering your vehicle after working at a bed bug location.
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