Bed Bugs
(Cimex lectularius)
Bed bugs have been living alongside us since the time when we shared caves with the bats.
In the beginning of the 20th century bed bugs were a great problem all over Europe, but when
pesticides arrived in the 1940s and 1950s the bed bugs were almost exterminated. However,
since the beginning of the 21st century, problems with bed bugs have increased considerably.
We now often find bed bugs in guest accommodation such as hotels, hostels, camping huts,
student accommodation and other places where large numbers of people pass through.
Increased travelling also implies that we bring bed bugs with us back home.
Bed Bug Bites
Reproduction of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs generally bite uncovered skin. We often get
2 to 3 bites in the same area. They insert an anticoagulant agent when they suck blood. Allergic
reactions to this agent are the reason for itching and
rashes. The body will have to develop these allergic
reactions which is why the first bites often go unnoticed. Several bites over a longer period of time
could be necessary before the body starts reacting.
Some people barely notice bites while others get
severe reactions. Bed bug bites do not transfer
diseases.
Bed bugs prefer human blood, but can survive of
blood from birds and other mammals. The eggs are
glued to the surface of the bed bugs hiding place, and
from them nymphs are hatched that resemble the
grown bed bug. They have 5 nymph stages and must
have one blood meal between each stage. The grown
bed bugs mate and the female must have a blood
meal before she can lay eggs. The development from
egg to a grown bed bug is 5 weeks or more,
depending on temperature and blood meal times. The
female lay about 30 eggs per week. The bed bugs
suck blood about once a week if they have the
opportunity. In a heated room they can survive for 2 to
3 months without blood, while in a cold room they can
survive for up to one year. After a meal the bed bugs
hide in small cracks. Next time they go out to feed
they leave a small, black faeces spot outside the
crack. These marks reveal where the bed bugs hide.
Extermination of Bed Bugs
Pesticides are less used now as they are becoming
less effective than earlier. More often non-toxic
methods are preferred.
Cold is often used to get rid of bed bugs. Mattresses,
beds and furniture reaching –30°C are instantly
desinsected. The bed bugs hiding in cracks in the bed
frame and behind skirting boards etc. in the room are
treated with liquid carbon dioxide.
Heat can also be used. The bed linen is washed at 60
°C. Heating tents heats up beds and furniture to 55°C.
The room is treated with steam that is sprayed into
cracks and cavities.
Diatomaceous Earth is much used today. This is non
-toxic and works well given a week or two.
When Can the Room be Used Again?
If the bed bug infestation is in an early stage, a treatment
of the bed will often be enough to kill all the bed bugs.
With more severe infestations, the bed bugs have usually
spread to the rest of the room, hiding in crevices. These
bed bugs will die if they crawl over treated areas. They
need to be activated to crawl out of their hiding places,
this activation is normally done by the CO2 from humans
sleeping in the room. CO2 added by other means will also
activate the bed bugs. Closing the room for a prolonged
time without adding CO2 will not be of any help, as they
can survive up to one year without food. Therefore, no
time or date can be given that guarantees the room free
from bed bugs. When to use the room again has to be
considered regarding how severe the infestation was and
if CO2 was used. With the use of CO2 the room could
probably be used within a week.
Natural Size:
2 to 5 mm long
Bed Bugs in Guest Accommodation
Problems with bed bugs are most common in the
guest accommodation industry. Guests who get bitten,
or find bed bugs in their room get angry and blame the
accommodation. However, previous guests will have
brought the bed bugs with them without the hotel,
hostel etc. noticing. As bed bugs are difficult to
discover in the early stages, the hotel, hostels etc. will
face problems. Because it can take days for bites to
be noticed, a hotel can be blamed for bites the guests
got at a previous hotel. Places offering accommodation should therefore have good inspection
routines in order to discover the bed bugs early.
Bed Bugs in Other Languages
Norwegian: Veggedyr
Swedish: Vägglus
Danish:
Væggelus
Finish:
Seinälude
English:
Bed Bugs
German: Bettwanze
Dutch:
French:
Italian:
Spanish:
Polish:
Lithuanian:
Bedwants
Punaise
Cimice
Chinche
Pluskwa
Patalinė
C-8. 273
Anticimex AS -- phone:
48 250
- [email protected]
[email protected]
Anticimex
tlf: 815815
48 250
- www.anticimex.no
Bed Bugs
Page 1/2. Info Leaflet 36
Version: 201407
© Anticimex - Reproduction permitted provided the source is ackonwledged
How to look for bed bugs
Fig
Fig 1:
2: Bed
Faeces
bugfrom
and eggs
bedbugs in(2X)
bedframe
3101
When searching for bed bugs we particularly look for faeces (fig. 1). These
can be found on the outside of the bed bugs hiding places. Typical hiding
places are small cracks (about the width of a credit card) in wood, metal,
plastic etc. and in seams in fabric. Look also for live bed bugs. They can be
found in corners (fig. 2), when unfolding seams, or when using pesticides in
cracks.
3102
Remove the mattress from the bed. Check all seams, buttons and zips.
Check the places were the fabric is attached to the wood.
3103
Check cracks and joints in the bed frame. Check the headboard, bed frame
and legs.
3104
Check bedside table, furniture, behind pictures, bookshelves and other
objects. Check phones, television sets and other equipment.
3105
Check behind skirting boards and window frames.
3106
Check divans and sofas in other rooms that may be used as beds.
3107
Check suitcases, bags, sleeping bags, foldout beds, prams and other
objects used with overnight stays and travel.
3108
Set out passive control traps for bed bugs. Staff should control these traps every day/week.
What to do when bed bugs have been discovered?
3121
Bed linen is placed directly in plastic bags, and these are sealed. Plastic bags that dissolve in water
should preferably be used. The bed linen must be washed at 60°C.
3122
Bed, mattress, furniture and objects should not be removed from the room. These could contain
bed bugs and should be either frozen (below –20°C), heated (above 52°C) or thrown away. If the
furniture is to be thrown away, it should be destroyed so that other people do not find it and re-use
it.
3123
After treatment, the mattress should be covered in a bed bug sheet which protects it from new
attacks. The mattress can now easily be controlled without being frozen/heated again should a new
attack occur.
3124
Skirting boards could if necessary be loosened before treatment in order to get behind them. This
is done just before treatment. Other structural measures can also be necessary, removing
headboard, opening walls or sealing cracks.
Directions after treatment
3131
Even if the room is treated, there may still be live bed bugs or eggs in the room. The use of CO2 to
activate these is preferable. Put out control traps or control areas. For control traps one can use
special glue traps. Control areas could also be used. In this case areas where much faeces is
found are painted over so that new activity is easily spotted. As control area one can also stick
white stickers over areas with much faeces. Staff should control traps or control areas over the next
4 weeks.
3132
If a room is treated with diatomaceous earth or chemicals then this should not be removed.
Cleaning/vacuuming should not be done along walls and other places treated for 4 weeks.
3133
Do not remove objects from the room before 4 weeks without new activity has passed.
3134
Bed bug decontamination normally require one treatment, with a follow-up after some weeks. A
heavier infestation or difficult areas might need more treatments over prolonged period of time.
Anticimex AS -- phone:
48 250
- [email protected]
[email protected]
Anticimex
tlf: 815815
48 250
- www.anticimex.no
Bed Bugs
Page 2/2. Info Leaflet 36
Version: 201407
© Anticimex - Reproduction permitted provided the source is ackonwledged