Bed Bugs Rutgers

8/2/2019 Bed Bugs Rutgers

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Rutgers, The State University o New Je88 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8

Phone: 732.932.5

Cooperative Extension

Efect on Human HealthMost people develop red welts and itchiness ater being bittenby bed bugs. The red welts and itchiness will last or a ew days(fgure 1). Some people do not develop any symptoms. Unlikemosquitoes, bed bugs do not transmit diseases. However, bedbugs must eed many times on humans to nish their lie cycleand depend solely on blood or ood.

What They Look LikeBed bugs are fat, oval-shaped wingless insects (fgure 3). Theireggs are white and about the size o a pinhead. The immaturestages (nymphs) are yellow to light tan in color and have a

distinct irregularly shaped black spot near the end o the body.Adult bed bugs are mahogany red in color and are inch long.

Biology and BehaviorBed bugs undergo ve immature growth periods beore turinto an adult. The development time rom egg to adult takas little as one month but can last up to 4 months. Coldertemperatures and starvation will delay their development.bugs need to eed at least once during each period beore deveing into the next stage. They usually can survive withouteeding or a ew months. In some instances, they may livegreater than a year without eeding. Female bed bugs lay aeggs each day and up to 500 eggs during their lie time.

Bed bugs usually come out at night to eed. They are attracto the carbon dioxide, heat, and smell released by a humahost. I hungry, bed bugs will eed during the day. Bed bug

spend up to 10 minutes on a host to complete a meal. Ateeeding, bed bugs immediately return to their hiding placeThey deecate ater eeding and leave characteristic black obrown spots, oten on the bed sheets and mattresses, whicare typical signs o bed bug inestations (fgure 2).

Changlu Wang, Extension Specialist

Department of Entomology, Rutgers University

Fact Sheet FS10

Bed Bugs

Figure 1 Figure 3Figure 2

The bed bug, (Cimex lectularis L), is a blood sucking insect that is closely associated with humans. It is occasionally ound ipoultry arms and on indoor pets (dogs, cats, rodents). Since the late 1990s, there has been a steady increase in the numbeo bed bug inestations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia. They can be ound in hotels, dormitories, homes, and sheltThe recent increase in bed bug cases may be related increased travel and the lack o eective control tools. In most parts oU.S., only one species o bed bug is encountered. A similar species, bat bug, is occasionally ound in homes that have activor recently eliminated bat inestations. Bat bugs and bed bugs look very similar, but have dierent behaviors and are ounddierent locations. Thereore, it is important to correctly identiy the species beore doing any control work.


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Bed bugs are usually ound in or around beds or soas where people spend long periodso time (fgure 2). They hide in the seams o mattresses and box springs, inside nail holesor other holes and crevices in the urniture, at the edges o blanket or quilts and corners,at the corners o head and ood boards, behind baseboards, in holes and crevices in walls,on curtains, inside electric outlets, and inside any other clutter surrounding the bed or

soa. When the populations are high, bed bugs can be ound throughout a room and inneighboring rooms such as bathroom and kitchen. Bed bugs spread to adjoiningapartments (rooms) through hallways and other structural pathways existing in thecommon wall between two apartments (rooms). Long-distance spread o bed bugs ispossible through human activities such as travelling or moving o inested urniture.

PreventionBed bugs are dicult to nd and control because o their small size, cryptic behaviorand lack o eective control tools. So it is important to keep alert and take preventativemeasures when travelling, moving, and bringing in used urniture rom outside:

When arriving at a hotel, inspect the mattress, box spring and head boards or signs

o bed bugs. Conduct a thorough inspection beore bringing in used urniture, clothes, and

medical equipment (such as a wheelchair). Do not use any item that has bed bugsigns unless all bed bugs present were killed.

Avoid sitting on bed bug inested urniture.

Ater visiting a bed bug inested room, wash your clothes and place them in a hotdryer or at least 30 minutes.

I suspicious bites are ound, immediately conduct a thorough inspection or bedbugs.

ControlBecause o the complexity o inspecting and treating bed bugs, and the human exposurerisks associated with bed bug control treatments, it is a good idea to hire experiencedproessional pest control rms to handle the bed bug inestations. There are many non-chemical and chemical methods to control bed bugs. Unortunately, none o themalone will guarantee elimination o bed bugs. Multiple approaches, resident collaboration,and long period o time (a ew weeks to months) are required to successully eliminateall bed bugs.

The ollowing is a step-by-step approach or residents or propertymanagers who want to control bed bugs themselves:

1) Conduct a systematic inspection o the entire residence using a fashlight andcollecting tools (brush, orceps, a glass jar or holding the bed bugs) (fgure 4 and 5).

Collect or kill all bed bug eggs, nymphs, and adults ound during inspection.Emphasis should be placed on beds, soas, chairs, and wheelchairs where the residentsspend most o their time. Turn over and disassemble the urniture i possible to ndall bed bug hiding places.

2) Use a hot steam machine to kill large numbers o bed bugs in heavily inested areas.Bed bugs are very susceptible to high temperatures (> 120F).

3) Immediately put inested materials (clothes, bed linens, shoes, books, toys, smallurniture, electronics, curtains, etc) in heavy duty plastic bags and seal them toavoid recontamination. Wash and hot dry the items i possible. Non-washable itemscan be placed in a hot dryer or a reezer or a ew weeks to kill all bed bugs present.Saely discard heavily inested items that can not be washed or eectively de-inestedby hot steam.

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7


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Rutgers, The State University o New Je88 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8

Phone: 732.932.5

For a comprehensive list of our publications visit www.njaes.rutgers.edu. May 20Cooperat ing Agencies: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and County Boards of Chosen Freeholders. Rutgers Cooperative Extension, a unit o

Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, is an equal opportunity program provider and employer.

Bed Bugs

Fact Sheet FS10

Mention or display o a trademark, proprietary product, or rm in text or gures does not constitute an endorsement by Rutgers Cooperative Extension and dnot imply approval to the exclusion o other suitable products or rms.

Photo credits: Changlu Wang (photos 1 and 3-7) and J. Obermeyer (photo 2).

ReerencesFrishman, A. 2000 Bed Bug basics and control measures. Pest Control 68: 24.

Harlan, H. 2006 Bed bugs 101: the basics oCimex lectularius. American Entomologist. 52: 99-101.

Potter, M. F., A. Romero, K. F. Haynes, and E. Hardebeck. 2007 Killing them sotly: battling bed bugs in sensitive places. PestControl Technology. 35(1) 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 32.

Potter, M. F. 2008. The business o bed bugs. 2008 Pest Management Proessional. 76 (1): 24-25, 28-32, 34, 36-40.

Wang, C., M. Abou El-Nour, and G. W. Bennett. 2007 Controlling bed bugs in apartments A case study. Pest ControlTechnology 35(11): 64, 66, 68, 70.

Wang, C., T. J. Gibb., and G. W. Bennett 2009 Interceptors assist in bed bug monitoring. Pest Control Technology. 37 (4): 112, 1

4) Remove or reduce clutter rom the inested room.

5) Install encasements around mattresses or box springs(fgure 6). This will permanently seal o many bed bugsthat are missed during the inspection, eliminate bed bughiding places, and make uture inspections much easier.

6) Apply a layer o diatomaceous earth dust to the corners,crevices, and holes on the disassembled bed rame. Thesame can be done to soas, behind baseboards, andinside electric or telephone outlets. Liquid insecticideslabeled or bed bugs can also be applied to bed rames,baseboards, and other areas where bed bugs are oundor long-term protection. It is more eective to kill bedbugs by applying the chemicals directly onto bed bugsthan relying on the dry residues. It is important to keep

in mind that all pesticides must be applied ollowing thelabel directions.

7) Install a bed bug barrier under all bed and soa legs.A commercial bed bug interceptor (CLIMBUP, SusanMcKnight, Inc) is available or installation under bed

or soa legs to capture bed bugs that travel between thurniture and the foor (fgure 7). Bed bugs moving to

rom the bed and soa will be trapped in the interceptThe interceptor provides immediately relie rom bedbug bites and can be used to veriy whether bed bugs eliminated in a room. The bed and soa must be pulleaway rom walls so that bed bugs can only reach theurniture via the urniture legs.

8) Seal holes and crevices on the wall.

9) Repeat steps 1 and 2 and check the interceptors every7-10 days until no bed bugs are ound or a month.During each inspection, remove the bed bugs caughtin the interceptors. A hand-held magnier will beneeded to identiy the small bed bug nymphs. Clean

the interceptors with cloth. Add a thin layer o talcumpowder i necessary ater each examination.

10) In multi-unit buildings, all apartments (rooms) and thcommon areas need to be inspected and treated (inecessary) ollowing the above procedures.

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Bed Bugs Rutgers