Bed Bugs

Bed bugs were last seen in great numbers prior to WWII. Today, bed bugs can be found in every state in the U.S. and in almost every city. Bed bugs are so common now that the federal government considers them almost epidemic. The National Pest Management Association holds meetings all across the nation to help educate pest control professionals in an effort to help manage the outbreak.

Until recently, bed bug infestations were thought to be associated with crowded and dilapidated housing. However, bed bugs have undergone a resurgence in pest status and can now be found even in the finest hotel and living accommodations. Although the reason for this resurgence is unknown, it appears to involve the increase of global travel and commerce, ease of movement of infested items, widespread insecticide resistance, and changes in pesticide regulations.

General Facts

Bed bugs are small, brownish, flattened parasitic insects that feed solely on the blood of animals. They range from one-fourth inch to five-eighths inch in length. Bed bugs have an odor that in pronounced and in severe infestations has been described as an obnoxious sweetness. A mature female bed bug can lay as many as 500 eggs in their short lifetime. Generally, they are found in mattresses, linens, headboards, walls, flooring, baseboards, and furniture in areas where people sleep. They feed exclusively at night and take approximately 3-5 minutes to engorge in blood. After they are done feeding, they return to their harborage. In places such as theaters, offices, and rest rooms that are not ordinarily used at night, they will feed during daylight hours. Although bed bugs do not transmit diseases, they have been known to cause allergic reactions.

Treatments

Bed Bugs spread fast and infestations can be emotional and stressful. Treatment recommendations are dependent on the specifics of the infestation. They range from conventional solutions, to K9 inspections, to state of the art heat treatments. Heat is an excellent bed bug killer when properly administered. Bed bug heat treatment is widely regarded as most effective, health conscious, and environmentally safe solution. The temperature must reach 120 degrees fahrenheit to be effective. The perimeter of the room, baseboards, cracks, and crevices are treated using conventional methods.

Interesting Statistics

Beg bugs top list of most searched pests in 2015

76% of pest control professionals consider bed bugs the most difficult pest to control.
95% of pest control professionals have treated bed bugs in the past year.
66% of professionals stated that summer is the busiest season for beg bugs.
59% of U.S. adults take some kind of precaution against bed bug infestation.

Where do pest professionals say they treat bed bugs?

98% Apartment/Condominiums
96% Single-Family Homes
75% Hotels/Motels
58% Nursing Homes
47% College Dorms
41% Schools/Daycares
33% Hospitals
21% Transportation

* All statistics are from surveys by NPMA.