Bed Bugs FAQ

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Bed Bug Questions and Answers

7. Where do bed bugs come from?

  • In temperate zones on the planet
  • Bed bugs have always been with us. However, their populations have been so small since the late 1950’s due to the powerful pesticides used during that time. Those insects that survived the onslaught of these control measures have slowly rebuilt their populations. In addition, the world has become a more accessible place for travelers and goods, making it easier for the insect to find new hosts.
  • Bed bugs usually hide during the day. If you see them frequently during the day, this is usually an indication that an infestation is quite severe.
  • They will usually hide near sleeping areas due to the host being available for longer periods of uninterrupted time in order for them to feed.
  • They will hide behind the headboard, in the box spring, in furniture, behind wall hangings and baseboards, under wallpaper and rugs, in drapes and bed skirts. In other words, there are few places they will not hide in.
  • Most common way bed bugs are transported to a new location is in infested items such as luggage, used furniture, beds or bedding and/or clothing.
  • They will migrate through a building using the wiring and pipe runs in the wall voids.
  • Most often found in hotels, apartments, rooming houses, schools, private homes, homeless shelters, hostels. Also found in hospitals, nursing homes, trains, planes, buses, cruise ships, theaters, and moving vans.

8. Why should I be concerned about bed bugs?

  • Bed bugs are parasites that feed on the blood of certain animals and people.
  • Bed bugs typically bite people on the head and neck, but will also bite bare arms, torso, hands and legs.
  • If you have as few as 40 bed bugs in your home, it is possible for them to reproduce to about 6,000 bugs in six months if there is sufficient food….you.
  • The insect is easily spread and as such control becomes more difficult or sometimes impossible if left unchecked.
  • Bed bugs have been discovered to harbor 28 different human pathogens, but fortunately, the transmission of these diseases to people has not been demonstrated.

9. How should I control bed bugs in my home?

Not a do-it-yourself job

  • First and foremost, call your Pest Management Professional (PMP)
  • Do not choose a PMP based solely on price.
    • It is time consuming and expensive to successfully rid a structure of bed bugs. This is not the time to scrimp.
    • Make sure your PMP is experienced in managing this pest. Check references.
    • Only use a licensed and insured PMP
    • Have your PMP explain in detail how they are attacking the problem, including what is expected of you and what you can expect from the Company you are considering hiring.
    • Ask the Company if they belong to any professional associations such as their state pest management association and/or the National Pest Management Association.

Be proactive

  • Do not scavenge mattresses, beds, or any furniture that has been discarded
  • Carefully inspect “reconditioned” items, such as mattresses and box springs.
    • You may even want these items treated by your Pest Management Professional before you bring them into your home the first time
    • Second hand fabrics such as drapes, blankets, sheets, etc. should be washed and dried on hot cycle before bringing into your home
  • Returning home after traveling
    • Do not unpack when you first enter your hotel room. Thoroughly inspect room for bed bugs first.
    • Prior to departure, carefully inspect your belongings, including suitcase for hitchhiking bed bugs
    • Wash your clothes immediately upon your return home.
    • Inspect your luggage again once at home.

You’ve called your Pest Management Professional: now what?

  • Do not remove anything from the infested room unless specifically instructed to by your Pest Management Professional.
  • If instructed to do so, remove all sheets, blankets, pillowcases, mattress covers from beds, towels, and other linens and clothing and place them in a tied off plastic bag and wash and dry ALL items on hot cycles.
  • If clothes are dry clean only, bag the items in tied off plastic bags and inform the dry cleaners that they may be infested
  • If instructed to do so, remove as much clutter as possible. These are hiding places for the bed bugs.
  • Remember, to adequately seal all items in plastic or plastic bags before removing from the room.
    Make sure your Pest Management Professional can get into all drawers, closets, under bed, etc.

I’ve gotten rid of the bugs, what can I do now?

  • Seal or caulk cracks and crevices such as baseboards, moldings, around air conditioning and heating units. Seal all conduits and/or openings that would allow the insect to hide.
  • Repair holes and damaged walls. Re-glue damaged or peeling wallpaper, repair peeling paint and repair anyplace where you suspect the bed bug can hide.
  • Bed skirts - These are notorious hiding places for the bugs. If you must have a bed skirt, purchase one without pleats or ruffles. A flat surface is easier to inspect.
  • Encasements - Purchase a quality, scientifically tested mattress and box spring encasements for every bed in your home. When purchasing new mattresses and box springs, have encasements ready upon delivery. Encase these products BEFORE they enter the home. If you should have an infestation at a later date, the mattress and box spring are now protected and do not provide harborage for the insect.

10. Why would I want to consider purchasing/using bedding encasements?

Preventative Measure - You do not have bed bugs now

Encasements are proving to be a valuable preventative tool in dwellings that has not experienced a problem.

  • Encasements restrict the movement of bed bugs to the outside of the encasement, preventing an infestation from establishing itself in the mattress and box spring.
  • Bed bugs are more quickly detected and eliminated from the outside of the encasement as opposed to the inside of the mattress and box spring.

You have or have had an infestation of bed bugs

  • Encasements protect new beds purchased due to a previous infestation.
    • Many people cannot rest unless their infested bed is discarded. Encasements provide them with a layer of protection after a new bed is introduced into the home.
    • Encasement prevent the new mattress and box spring from becoming infested by bed bugs that are still present, but undetected or controlled post treatment.
  • Encasements enable people to salvage their infested beds and bedding.
    • Let’s face it…it is expensive to replace these items. Any bed bugs or eggs still in/on the mattress and box spring are trapped in the encasement and over time will die from starvation.
  • Encasements increase control efficiency.
    • It is time consuming to inspect and apply control measures to beds, mattresses and box springs. Encasements trap the bugs and eggs inside restricting bed bug activity and pesticides (if you do not treat) to the exterior of the encasement, which is more easily dealt with.
  • Are all Encasements created equal?
    • Not all encasements are created equal - must be bed bug escape proof.
      • Inspect seams of encasement to make sure stitching is small enough to prevent insect from getting through.
      • Inspect zipper to ensure that when left open, even a fraction of an inch, there is a mechanism to prevent the insects from escaping
      • Is the material strong enough to prevent tearing.
    • Must be bed bug bite proof.
      • Has the encasement been specifically engineered to prevent bed bugs from biting through the fabric to the sleeping occupant of the bed?
    • Allergy encasements are not designed to keep bed bugs out. Encasements should be specifically tested and labeled for bed bugs.
    • Low cost encasements may be ineffective.

Cited Literature
Mallis, A. 2004. Ectoparasites, Part Three: Bed Bugs & Kissing Bugs, Chapter 8. In: Handbook of Pest Control. 9th addition. Pg: 495-530.
Smith, E.H. and R.C. Whitman. 1992. Blood Feeders, Chapter 3. In: NPCA Field Guide to Structural Pests. Pg: 3.1.1-3.1.2.
Pinto, L.J., R. Cooper, and S.K. Kraft. 2007. Bed Bug Handbook: The Complete Guide to Bed Bugs and Their Control.
Getty, G.M., V.R. Lewis, Ph.D., and R.T. Taylor. 2008. Hot House: Control of Bed Bugs using Heat. PCT Magazine, February 2008.
Ishaaya, I., D. Degheele 1998. Insecticides with novel modes of action: mechanisms and application. 289 pages. Springer Publishing.