Bedbugs

“Don’t let the bedbugs bite” is no longer a humorous saying for teasing children at bedtime.  These creatures that were once all but extinct in the United States have rapidly repopulated to a very serious degree and caught the pest control industry off guard.

There are approximately seven species of bedbugs that will feed on humans.  The most common bedbugs are Cimex lectularis (the "human bedbug" with a cosmopolitan distribution), Cimex hemipterus (the "tropical bedbug" found most often in tropical climates), and Leptocimex boueti (found in W. Africa). 

Even though bedbugs have many characteristics that would make they excellent vectors for diseases, bedbugs do not, as far as is known, serve as vectors for any human diseases.  (It has been shown experimentally that many infectious agents can live in bedbugs.  However, none of these agents reproduce in the bedbugs and they will not transmit any of these infectious agents).

Bedbugs are small (about 8 mm long), nocturnal creatures, coming out of hiding at night to feed on unsuspecting humans.  They feed exclusively on blood!  Their bites often result in an allergic reaction (a small weal).  Some humans tend to react more strongly to bedbug bites (they become sensitized), while others may never react no matter how many times they are bitten.  In those instances where infestations are heavy and people are bitten many times, the bites are so annoying that a person will lose considerable sleep, and they may suffer from iron and/or hemoglobin deficiencies due to the lose of blood.

Because of their small size and inconspicuous nature, bedbugs can be transported from one house to another in furniture, clothing, laundry, and a variety of other ways.  Once in a house, bedbugs can hide almost anywhere.  As one might suspect, they tend to be found around the bed, hiding in the mattress, box springs, and sheets, but they can also be found behind the baseboards, under furniture and rugs, and even behind wallpaper and objects hung on walls.  Any place people spend time at rest is a likely area to find them.
Control of a bedbug infestation requires the careful use of pesticides. 

One might think that you could "starve" the bedbugs out of your house by simply leaving for a few days.  This would, however, prove fruitless as bedbugs can survive more than a year without feeding.

This pest is extremely challenging even for professionals.  If there is one thing we have learned it is that you cannot be too thorough when treating for them.

We have developed a very successful service procedure that has enabled us to completely rid whole hotels and apartment complexes of these creatures.  However, it should be emphasized that controlling this pest may be impossible without diligent cooperation from the residents and any persons involved in maintenance.  A team effort is required between residents, staff and qualified pest control personnel.