Bed Bugs
COMMON NAMES: Bed Bug
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Order Hemiptera, Family Cimicidae, Cimex lectularius
SIZE: ¼ "
IDENTIFICATION: Nymphs are nearly invisible but after biting a person and gorging on blood they turn a deep, mahogany red and swell to double the size of a ladybug. They drop sickly sweet smelling blood-infused feces all over the bed. Infestations can be detected by welts and irritation caused by bites, fecal smears and blood spots on the pillow cases, sheets and mattresses.
BIOLOGY: Eggs are laid in cracks and crevices. They are long, white and have a distinctive cap on one end. Nymphs hatch in 6 – 17 days, molt 5 times and become adults in a minimum of one month but usually longer.
HABITAT: Cracks in furniture, baseboards, loose edges of wallpaper, crevices and other protected areas.
FEEDING HABITS: Bed bugs feed on humans, mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, horses, cattle and poultry.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE: The medical significance is primarily limited to itching and inflammation from the bites.
NATURAL CONTROL: Thorough, regular and non-toxic cleaning.
ORGANIC CONTROL: Treat all cracks, crevices, seams of bed springs, mattresses, door casings, back of pictures, electrical switch plates and furniture upholstery with orange oil products, plant oil products and natural diatomaceous earth.
INSIGHT: These guys are a food source for the Kissing Bugs which are much more dangerous to people.
Click on the link below to read more on Bed Bugs:
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/infoservices/pesticidesandyou/Winter06-07/bedbugs.pdf
Bed Bug Pesticides Are Toxic!
These are the active ingredient chemicals that can be found in products labeled for bed bug control and the health effects they have been linked to:
- Bifenthrin – Moderately Acutely Toxic, Cancer (possible), Endocrine Disruption, Neurotoxicity, Sensitizer/Irritant
- Chlorfenapyr* – Moderately Acutely Toxic, Cancer (potential), Kidney/Liver Damage
- Cyfluthrin* – Moderately Acutely Toxic, Reproductive Effects, Neurotoxicity, Kidney/Liver damage, Sensitizer/Irritant
- Deltamethrin* – Moderately Acutely Toxic, Endocrine Disruption, Neurotoxicity, Sensitizer/Irritant
- D-Phenothrin* – Slightly Acutely Toxic, Neurotoxicity, Kidney/Liver Damage
- Fenvalerate – Slightly Acutely Toxic, Endocrine Disruption, Neurotoxicity, Kidney/Liver Damage, Sensitizer/Irritant
- Hydroprene – Slightly Acutely Toxic, Sensitizer/Irritant
- Lamda Cyhalothrin – Moderately Acutely Toxic, Endocrine Disruption, Neurotoxicity, Sensitizer/Irritant
- Pyrethrins* – Slightly Acutely Toxic, Cancer (likely), Sensitizer/Irritant
- Permethrin* – Moderately Acutely Toxic, Cancer (possible), Endocrine Disruption, Reproductive Effects, Neurotoxicity, Kidney/Liver Damage, Sensitizer/Irritant
- Propoxur – [This pesticide is not registered by EPA for bed bug control, however, it has been used illegally and some pest companies and states are attempting to get EPA to allow it.] Highly Toxic, Cancer (probable), Reproductive Effects, Neurotoxicity, Kidney/Liver Damage
*These pesticides can be found in products that include uses for mattresses on the label.
From Beyond Pesticides, September 2010 (no longer online)
Is Ohio Bed Bug Capital of the U.S?
By Amelia Robinson, Staff Writer, Dayton Daily News. Updated 1:51 PM Tuesday, August 24, 2010
An alarming number of homes in the region and country have been invaded by bedbugs, said Mark Case, director of environmental Health at Montgomery County Public Health.
"They are going to be here a while until we learn how to control them," he said.
Ohio was declared the bedbug capitol of the U.S. in recent reports by Time magazine and CBS' "Early Show."
"In 2005 we probably did less than 20 bedbug jobs," said Jay Moran, owner of the Dayton area's A-Abel Exterminating. "In 2010 we're now doing more than 20 jobs each week."
Because the tiny pests that feed on human blood and often hide in beds don't carry diseases, health departments don't keep exact counts of complaints.
"If you are the one being impacted by it, it is really serious," Warren County health commissioner Duane Stansbury said. His department has received about 100 calls a year since 2008.
Miami County Health Commissioner Jim Lunken said there is not much local officials can do.
"Most of the people dealing with bedbugs are good, clean living people," he said.
Question: I have bedbugs that I suspect came from an antique bed. It has plenty of places where bugs can hide. I read about bedbugs, and it appears that they are similar to fleas in that they can live for up to a year without food (blood). I tried treating the bed and all the areas around it with d-limonene and boric acid, but I do not know how much to use. It does not seem to be working. S.C., Irving
Answer: Using a capful of a high-quality d-limonene product per washer load should clean the bedding without harming the fabric.
Spraying with EcoSMART and using "encasements" which are coverings for the mattress that don't allow the bugs out and they die.
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