A PESKY BEDFELLOW: The common bedbug is Cimex lectularius
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NEW YORK—Sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite? If only. The creepy critters have become such a nuisance here that the city council is mulling legislation that would establish a bedbug task force, ban the sale of used mattresses, train exterminators, and regulate mattress disposal. Just how infested is Gotham? According to the New York Daily News, there were 22,218 complaints to the city's 311 hotline about infestations of the blood-sucking hemipterans, a 34 percent jump since this time last year.
And the Big Apple is not alone in its battle against the bugs. In Chicago, the number of official complaints doubled from 900 to 1,650 during that same period, according to the Tribune. Boston already slaps warning stickers on discarded furniture and Cincinnati has its own bedbug task force. The bugs, which originally hailed from Europe, were nearly wiped out by DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) in the 1950s. But they have been making a comeback since the insecticide was banned in the U.S. in 1972, a decade after journalist Rachel Carson documented the chemical's damaging effects on humans and wildlife in her book Silent Spring.
"I'm petrified to turn the lights off at night," one discouraged New Yorker told Newsday this week. "I'm not getting proper sleep, I can't concentrate on work."
Contrary to their name, bedbugs do not only hang out in beds. They can be found in just about in nook and cranny and can survive for several months without a warm blood meal. The adults are reddish-brown, as about 0.2 inch (five millimeters) long, roughly the height of the numbers on a credit card, and resemble tiny cockroaches; when young, they're pale and about the size of a pinhead. They leave itchy red skin welts and cause endless grief for their victims.
So what's the story on these pesky ectoparasites? Is there any surefire way to avoid them—or to get rid of them if they grace you with their vampiric presence?
To find out, we spoke with Louis Sorkin, an entomologist at the American Museum of Natural History here, who sustains a personal colony of the bugs with his own blood.
[An edited transcript of the interview follows.]
What are bedbugs?
The common bedbug is Cimex lectularius. They are true bugs [of the order Hemiptera] in that they possess a hinged beak in the front of the head and have a stylet. The stylet is what is pushed through the skin to find a blood vessel inside. The bug sucks until it's full, and when it's finished it will go and hide and digest the blood. The body swells up to six times its normal size—from a flat insect to football-shaped.
So are they really just found in beds?
By virtue of its name, people always think bedbugs are found only in beds when, in fact, they fit anywhere their bodies can be hidden and they are as thin as a sheet of paper. They are found in all kinds of furniture, electric appliances, clock radios, computers, printers, behind pictures, books and, of course, bookcases. They are found in cracks and crevices in the wall and within walls as well as in electric outlets, wiring, pipes, plastic and metal conduits.
The problem with calling them a "bedbug" is people have an infestation and they throw out the mattress, but then the critters come back. It's really a nest or roost-inhabiting insect, and our homes are our roosts.
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16 Comments
Add CommentThis might explain the tiny bites I sometimes get after sitting in that nice easy chair someone gave me. I will look into it. First I get some coriander, smell it, bang on the chair, and if it smells the same, bedbugs? Great.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI thought that bed bugs could transmit Chagas disease?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere is a resurgence of bed bugs and the EPA is having a public meeting April 15 to 16, 2009, on the issue. Details below:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this_____________________
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0190; FRL-8407-1]
National Bed Bug Summit; Notice of Public Meeting
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: EPA is planning a meeting to be held on April 14 through April 15, 2009, on the topic of bed bug resurgence in the United States. The aim of the session will be to share information and knowledge on the topic of bed bugs and their newfound resurgence, provide a venue to identify ideas and opinions for their control, and develop recommendations as how affected stakeholders, communities, and local jurisdictions can begin to address the emerging nationwide bed bug problem. The agenda for this meeting is under development and will be posted on our website in advance of the meeting and also placed in the docket for this meeting.
DATES: The meeting will be held on April 14 and 15, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the first day, and from 9 a.m. to noon on the last day.
To request accommodation of a disability, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATON CONTACT, preferably at least 10 days prior to the meeting, to give EPA as much time as possible to process your request.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the EPA East Building at 12th and Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. For directions, go to: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/hq.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Angulo, Registration Division (7505P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 306-0404; fax number: (703) 308-0029; e-mail address: angulo.karen @epa.gov.
This Federal Register information came from http://www.CyberRegs.com
Chagas disease is spread by the Assassin Beetle or Kissing Beetle from South and Central America.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe have had bed bugs for over a year now and have tried every chemical and non-chemical so called solution that we could find and we still have them. Why do you think the EPA is having a summit on this? The things that we currently have does not work. We have removed all of the carpet and flooring in our home and treat it daily. There is one thing that we know for a fact that works DDT. Bring back DDT!!!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI agree w/ lost hope...bring back the DDT !!!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI agree w/ lost hope...bring back the DDT !!!!!I've tried everything. Matress covers(they help),Diamatateous earth(gallon of it..helps a little)steaming cracks and crevices(works but is back breaking)spraying Bedlam(helps),throwing away my sofa(it was almost new)washing clothing and putting everything in plastic zip lock bags(I have 2 kids it's a major hassle)Putting all the toys in plastic bags out in the yard for the sun to heat and kill(there's been no sun in N.J.for weeks)vacuuming endlessly....HELP...is there anything I missed ? What are the problems that DDT was associated with?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thistoni, i'm so sorry, it sounds like you have a very bad case. the n.j. summer climate is perfect for them, i guess. i'm obsessed...i'm sure i'm going to have them soon, as people close to me do.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishmm. they're rumored to like warmth, wood, textiles, and paper; to hide anywhere in the walls, on the ceiling, in books, plants, electronics (warm), and pet bedding, and under carpets or loose floor tiles. local animals--bats, birds, rats, etc.--may also support their population.
have you cleaned and bagged up pretty much all your belongings at this point and also put d.e. in the walls, behind switchplates and electrical outlets and other wiring holes? maybe remove cloth curtains and clean and bag them for awhile? remove paper bag collections...? clean whole house with bleach and rubbing alcohol?
sounds horrible but maybe...inspect and vacuum mattresses and furniture and floors daily for a couple of months, dump the bag far away from habitation, and keep your vacuum sealed in an airtight plastic bag. wash bedlinens daily and clean beds with rubbing alcohol (cotton ball for mattresses and spray bottle for cracks in frames?)
some say a flashlight at night is a good way to catch them, or see where they're coming from and running to.
you can use barriers to stop or catch them; tricky with the kids, but i've heard petroleum jelly around furniture legs, setting legs in water or vodka, or super-sticky double-sided tape ("carpet tape?") on walls and furniture.
consider that when using d.e., rumor is a thick layer repels them so it's good for containment, but they're not repelled by a very thin layer so it kills them. so some use a plastic squeeze bottle to puff a thin layer around beds, under mattresses, and on bedframes. also, i think some people said it took a few days to a week to see results from d.e. last but not least, don't forget it's not good to breathe it, and you should use only freshwater and foodgrade diatomaceous earth!
don't remember where i read any of this stuff, sorry. some of it's on bedbugger.com. but i recommend doing lots of google searches and reading up; there's lots of contradictory info out there.
seems like you pretty much have to scour out your life from top to bottom to get rid of these things. pesticides don't work too well, and ddt is worse than you can imagine!
so horrible! good luck...!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisp.s. neem oil smells bad, but is supposed to repel them with frequent application.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI heard that diatomaceous powder is supposed to work by clogging the exoskeleton through which the critters 'breathe'. It is not toxic but it mechanically exterminates the bugs through smothering.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFinding Bed Bugs-Bed bugs are good at hiding. In fact, you really have to search and know what you are looking for before you may find a bed bug. In many instances, evidence of a bed bug is discovered rather than the actual bug itself. Rusty spots on sheets and mattresses caused by a crushed bug or a bug's fecal matter (which looks like tiny black specks or very small dots of blood) may be the first indication that a bed bug infestation has occurred, along with eggshells and shed skin. Most bed bugs can be found in the crevices and cracks of mattresses, chairs, and sofas. They are often found between the headboard and a wall as well. Because bed bugs prefer wood and fabric over plastic and metal, bed bugs mostly dwell in the more lived-in areas of a home or building, such as a bedroom or hotel room. If you aren't sure whether you have bed bugs, many bed bug exterminators can give your home a professional inspection. While some pest control companies will do this for free, other exterminators charge up to $200. There are even specialized bed bug exterminator companies that use trained dogs to sniff out bed bugs - however, this service is significantly more expensive than a standard inspection. Still, dogs can help you find out if you have a bed bug infestation.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow to get rid of bed bugs
http://howto-getridofbedbugs.org
We got them, we reside in a clean , spotless , normal run of the mill- middle class home and shortly after we hired a local painting company to repaint our home from top to bottom we got them. It took almost 5.5 months to rid them and the story would dumbfound anyone !!! We initially thought they got into our place from the painters sheet covers they used to cover our furniture, but no. We hunted for the source with precise and targeted weaponry. My father was the ONLY one ever bitten, and we found them under his matress , and eventually they also made their way to the living room sofas..... but only my dad got bitten. Not me nor the other tenants. No onese else. Weird. Incredible. We all shared these sofas and he slept in bed with my mom. She never got bitten either. The buggers came into our home from our neighbors room to the master bedroom. Its a semi-detached home so the traps we set only caught them precisely behind his bed, on his side. No where else. and then the sofas. We placed each sofa leg into a tupperware container with 2 sided tape around each, and 2 were caught from the same place. I recall watching tv late night and 1 ran across a coffee table cover, literally inches from my eyes. He was running away from me! These buggers are fast. Faster than your average vermin, and seemed to be intelligent too ~ they can almost anticipate your movement. This is yet to be scientifically proven however I know. They are gone. They also caused intense and severe anxiety and stress beyond a death in the family. The dad got shingles a few months later, after they were blown up. He even resorted to antidepressants as a result. True story #2 - a nurse I met on the subway told me one of their tenants at her retirement home who kept complaining of them too, he had really bad marks all over, has a nervous breakdown and the staff could not find them. They searched everywhere, and soon after he hung himself in the janitors storage room with his bedsheets. A few weeks later they found a single FAT assed bug in his clothing ... too late. Do I need to go on? these things are the plague. reading or writing about them is futile. Unless you had them you have no idea how bad bedbugs are.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisso Tue, so True. Indeed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThanks so much for this information. I have gone to a couple places with bed bug problems and have always wondered how to get rid of them. Then they ended up being in my home. We got some bed bug spray and tried to get rid of them that way but it always seemed nothing was working. Finally we found some great spray that worked. In regards: www.bedbugsupply.com
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIs there blood at the sites of the bites? If not it could just be some kind of mite possibly just dust mites.
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