Bed Bugs Information

" Bed bugs information listed on this site includes everything you need to know to identify bed bugs and then remove them from your home.  If you can't find the information you are looking for, be sure to use the search box, since this site is one of the largest and most comprehensive on the topic of bed bugs.  Our editors have reviewed just about everything that has been written on the topic.  If you have a question, please feel free to submit it using the "contact us" form below.  Bed bugs are a growing problem with double digit increases in complaints to government resources around the world. This is not a problem of cleanliness, as even the cleanest homes or best hotels can have a bed bug problem. Once identified, bedbugs are difficult to remove from the home. Advice is provided here on if you should remove bedbugs from the home yourself or hire a professional.  Descriptions of bed bug bites are also provided.  The key to treatment is early detection. The bottom line is that all the information on bed bugs you need is either here on this page, or somewhere else in this site. "  

In order to help you find the bed bug information you are looking for, here is a directory of quick links to get to the information you are looking for as quickly as possible:

Bed Bugs Information Quick Links:

What are Bedbugs?
What is the Bed Bug Life Cycle?
What do bed bugs look like, from egg to adult?
What other Insects or Parasites are confused with Bed Bugs?
Do Bed Bugs Spread Disease?
How did Bed Bugs get into my home, apartment or office?
Where do Bed Bugs Hide?
How do you Inspect a Home, Apartment, Hotel Room or Cruise Ship Room for Bed Bugs?
How to avoid bringing home bed bugs when traveling - Bed bug Travel Tips?
How do you know you have bed bugs?
Do I need to replace my mattress because of Bedbugs?
Can Bed Bugs travel from room to room?
How do I Kill Bed Bugs - Do it Yourself or Hire an Expert?
What are the steps for killing bed bugs yourself?
Why are Dogs used to Find Bed Bugs?
Where can I find Local Bedbug Resources?
How do I prepare my home for a bed bug treatment?
What do I do after my home has been treated for bed bugs?
Are there services that will Confirm the Presence of Bed Bugs?
What do bed bug bites look like?
How are bed bug bites treated?
At what temperature are bed bugs killed?

What are Bed bugs?

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius (Cimicidae)) are small parasites that primarily feed on human blood to live.  They will feed on the blood of other warm blooded mammals such as pets, but prefer humans.  Some varieties of bedbug have adapted to live on birds in their nests and on bats.

There are two types of bed bugs (out of 100 blood feeding species), that specifically feed on humans.  One is found in the warmer temperatures of the tropics while the other has adapted well to cooler climates. Cimex lectularius L. is the most common found in most countries, with the  tropical bed bug called C. hemipterus Fabr.

Bed bugs feed at night, just before dawn, they avoid light,  and are attracted to the carbon monoxide, heat, pheromones and possibly other signals given off when we breathe at night.   They range in size from a white egg that is the size of a pin head to 1/4 inch in length when an adult.  After a blood meal they will grow by 1/3.

Bed bugs can live approximately 316 days.

What is the Bed Bug Life Cycle?

Bed bugs move through their life cycle over a 5 week to 2 month period.  They are hatched from eggs, then move through 5 stages as they move into adulthood.  Between each stage they need to drink a blood meal.  Each feeding session lasts from 3 to 15 minutes.  A bed bug can survive up to 1 year without feeding.

What do Bed Bugs Look Like?

Bed bugs are relatively small in size, but can be seen with the eye.  Their appearance depends on where they are in their life cycle.  They are hatched from eggs then grow into adulthood in approximately 4 months depending on the temperature. At 86F it takes 21 days to become an adult.  At 65 degrees F it takes 120 days.  

Bed Bug Eggs

Bed Bug eggs are small white specks.  During her lifetime a female will lay approximately 200 eggs in batches of 10.  It takes 20 days for an egg to hatch.

Eggs are cemented to the surface on which they are laid, which makes removal with a vacuum impossible.  They prefer to lay eggs on rough surfaces.

Bed Bug Nymphs

Bed bug nymphs start as the size of a small sesame seed and then grow to 1/4 inch when they become adults.  Before feeding they are a light brown straw color.  They darken to a reddish color with each feeding.

Bed Bugs Information on Adults

     
Fully grown bed bugs are approximately 1/4 inch in length.  After feeding they grow another 33% to 50% and will increase in weight 150% to 200%. Before and after feeding is shown below:



Bed bugs from their profile are also very flat.

Picture of  Bed Bug - Side View

What Insects or Parasites are Confused with Bed Bugs?

There are several insects that are confused with bed bugs including carpet beetles, bat bugs, chiggers, unfed ticks or small cockroaches.  To identify bed bugs look at the picture below:

Picture of Bed Bug (top) vs. Carpet Beetle

Do Bed Bugs Spread Disease?

There are no known cases of bed bugs spreading disease to humans according to an extensive review of bed bugs information.  This is not to say they do not contain diseases, since specimens have been found which contain Hepatitis B (HBV) and HIV, however,  it just does not pass through the two punctures they make in the skin when feeding.

How Did Bed Bugs Get Into Your Home, Apartment or Office?

If bed bugs are in your home or office, then the bed bugs would have had to be carried to the area they are inhabiting.  The following points of bed bugs information indicate common methods for bed bugs to move from one location to another which can serve as a guideline for those seekng bed bugs information:

• Bed bugs that hid in luggage when traveling in a bed bug hotel room or bed bug cruise ship problem
• Bed bugs brought into the home by house guests
• From used furniture such as a mattress, furniture purchased used, or from anything that was discarded by someone else and then brought into the home
• Furniture stored at a storage facility should be inspected before bringing them back into a home.
• Rented furniture can carry bed bugs from 1 house to another.  As the store if they track bed bugs information from prior renters.
• After traveling such as a bed bug infested cruise ship or hotel
• In an apartment or hotel, bed bugs can move from room to room through holes in walls, water pipes, or gutters.
  

Can Bed Bugs Travel From Room to Room?

In an apartment, bed bugs will travel between 20 and 100 feet in any direction from where they were dropped off.  This could be an adjoining room in your apartment, or from another apartment that is either next to, above or below the room where are you are experiencing the problem.

Bed bugs can travel up walls, ceilings and will work there way through cracks in floors and walls to other areas of a building.  This is why is an apartment is experiencing a problem, all tenants that live around the problem will need to cooperate with any extermination effort and provide bed bugs information through the pest control process.

Where Do Bed Bugs Hide and other Bed Bugs Information that can help?

Recent studies designed to provide bed bugs information show that the majority of bed bugs will hide within 5 feet of the human host.  This means that most bedbugs will try and hide in and around the mattress, box spring and bed frame.  They will look for any seam, break in the fabric or bed frame joint to hide.

The following bed bugs information diagram indicates typical hiding places:

Picture of Bed Bugs Information - Hiding Places
(Source: Insecticide Resistance Action Committee)

Beyond the bed itself, look for bedbugs along the edges of the carpet, and between any molding and carpet.  Be sure to look behind any wall plates (cable, electrical), inside any electronics near the bed, and other items such as between the pages of books or magazines.

Most of the difficulty of killing bed bugs is finding not just the bugs, but clusters of small white eggs.

How do you Inspect a Home, Apartment, Hotel Room or Cruise Ship Room for Bed Bugs?

Before entering any new room, leave your luggage in the hall or entry way and do an inspection.  The best way to determine if a room has bedbugs is to check the mattress and sheets.

Approximately 20% of bedbugs will leave behind a feces stain on the mattress. These are small brown, black or red specs scattered randomly on the mattress.  Other sources of bed bugs information are any shed skins. These would be near where bed bugs are hiding such as near the mattress seams, or edge of the frame as shown below:



If you do see stains on the mattress, ask for a room change and to speak to the manager about any bed bugs information that he or she has.  Managers are trained to spot these problems and will quickly work to both address the issue and move you to a room far from the problem.

Other signs of bedbugs include a raspberry or musty odor, bites on the skin, dead bedbugs in the room, or the presence of bedbug skins that have been shed.

How to Avoid Bed Bugs When Traveling - Bed Bugs Information when traveling?

The following bed bugs information may reduce your chances of bringing bed bugs home:

• Check the mattress for bed bug spotting.  Bed bugs leave behind brown feces as shown above.  Pull away sheets on the side of the mattress and look along seams.
• Bring clothes on vacation that can be washed in a washing machine on the hot water setting or that can be dry cleaned.  When you return home, wash on hot and then dry for 30 minutes on the highest heat setting.  This will kill all bed bugs and eggs.  Do not bring luggage into the house.  Remove clothes outside the home, pack in plastic bags and then carry to washing machine.  Dry cleaned clothes can be dropped off directly at the cleaner.
• Purchase hard luggage instead of soft.  Bed bugs do not like hard smooth surfaces and there will be fewer or no places to hide, such as fabric seams.
• Anything you purchase either put into a zippered suitcase or bring a plastic bag that can be sealed with a tie wrap.  Do not leave any item exposed in the room.  
• Always keep luggage either zipped or locked closed when not in use.
• Keep luggage off the floor and away from the bed.  Keep clothes in the luggage, not the hotel room drawers.  If you have clothes that need to be hanged, hang them in the shower on the curtain rod, not the closet.
• If you live in warm weather climate, leave luggage in the car in the direct sun before unpacking.  Temperatures above 113 F will kill any bed bugs and eggs.

How Do You Know You Have a Bed Bug Problem?

As mentioned above, a reliable source of bed bugs information are fecal stains on the mattress or sheets.  Red, black or brown spots are signs of feces or of molting bed bugs.  If you pull apart seams with your fingers, you may see live bugs hiding.  

Photo Bed Bug Marks on Mattress

The other sure sign are bed bug bites.  Most people show no symptoms to the bites with the exception of two small close together punctures or dots on the skin where the bed bug has its blood meal.

Do I Need to Replace my Mattress Because of Bed Bugs?

A mattress or box spring that has been treated with a bed bug safe spray does not have to be replaced.  The rule of thumb is that if the mattress is in good shape and not torn or ripped, it's better to invest in a good mattress cover that specifically states that it will contain bed bugs such as the covers offered by Allerzip .

The covers cannot be punctured by any bed bugs trapped inside.  Since they can't puncture the cover, they will die inside the bed in 10 to 12 months.  It's an easy way to kill any bedbugs or eggs that are either out of reach or had been missed during the treatment process.

If you do decide to replace your mattress and box spring, be sure to wrap it in plastic before carrying it through the house so that no bedbugs drop in other areas. Mark the bed that it contains bedbugs so that others do not take the mattress and bring it into their home, a common occurrence.  The same rule goes for any used furniture that is disposed of or picked up.

Some cities or counties ask that you call their bed bugs information hotline and arrange a pickup.  You can find these numbers by visiting the website for the department of health in your area or check our bed bug local resource directory.

How Do I Kill Bed Bugs?  Do It Yourself or Hire a Pest Control Expert?

Bed bugs are very hard to find and then completely kill.  Even experts often need 2 to 3 treatments to ensure that the infestation is over.

Bed Bug Pest Control Experts

The case for a pest control expert is that you are buying their experience and access to tools and bed bugs information that you may not have access to yourself. This includes use of a bed bug sniffing dog who can locate the bugs (bed bugs give off a smell which is similar to raspberry), equipment that can super heat a room, heat box trucks where personal items can be super heated to kill the bugs (bed bugs and bed bug eggs die at 120F heat.  Obviously, when an entire building needs to be treated, they have the needed chemicals.  Other than these more extreme methods, the tools used to kill bed bugs are available in most do it yourself kits which are described below.

The downside of a pest control professional is the cost.  Most companies will charge for the initial inspection to confirm you have a bed bug problem ($75 to $500, the high end if a dog is involved), and then approximately $750+ for the treatment itself.  This can be an expensive proposition.  Be sure to ask for a guarantee in writing and any other bed bugs information you may need to know such as planned treatment methods. Multiple treatments may be needed.

You can also check consumer reviews for a local bedbug expert on Angies List , which is a good source of bed bugs information.

Bed Bug Do It Yourself

If you are going to do it yourself, just be prepared for hard work, and an investment in the required products which are best purchased as part of a kit, such as the one offered by All Stop. or Dermisil for Bed Bugs.

Kits also contain bed bugs information on how to go about removing them from the home.

Essential parts of a kit include a mattress safe spray (kills bedbugs on contact, but will not kill bedbug eggs), a hand steamer (to kill both eggs and bedbugs on contact), fossil dust (natural product that will kill bed bugs that were missed, it is spread around a room and will kill bedbugs after they hatch).  Some kits also include a skin ointment for bed bug bite itch and mattress/box spring covers for after treatment.  Kits cost approximately $160.  In addtion to a kit, a home made bed bug interceptor could be helpful.

What bed bugs information do I need for killing bed bugs myself?

1. Purchase the needed products.  Kits like those offered by Dermisil for Bed Bugs will provide the four most critical products; 

1. A mattress safe pump spray which will kill bed bugs on contact.  Note that most products contain pyrethroids.  Another type of chemical used is called chlorfenapyr. Use a pump spray.  If you use an aerosol, be sure not to smoke during application.  The use of an insecticide is considered to be an important part of an extermination program in addition to non chemical approaches such as vacuuming.
2. A steamer to kill any bedbug eggs you find
3. Fossil dust (also called  diatomaceous earth) to kill any late hatching bedbugs from eggs you miss.  This is preferred to other products such as a boric acid dust.
4. Mattress and Box Spring Covers
5. Make a Do It Yourself Bed Bug Interceptors (optional, not a standard item in kits): To make an interceptor, purchase a large bowl that is approximately 2 inches (6 cm)  high and 5 inches wide at the bottom.   Glue fabric to the exterior, which allows bed bugs to walk up the bowl.  When the reach the top, the will fall down the smooth inside of the bowl.  In the bottom of the bowl, but in  50% ethylene glycol  to act as the agent which kills the bugs.  Keep pets away to avoid poisoning.  As an alternative to ethylene glycol, mix fossil dust (diatomaceous earth and talcum powder.  Make 4 bowls and place the legs inside the bowels.   

2. Prepare the room for treatment: Take any linens and place into a sealed plastic container or plastic bag.  Remove all lose items that are near the bed and bag.  Throw out magazines and newspapers.  Do not remove anything from the room being treated, unless it is bagged.  The exception is anything that can be removed and disposed of outside the home. Another option for laundry is to place clothes in a mesh bag that can be placed directly into a washer.  Unplug all items and loosen the wall plates.

Keep the room cold.  Bed bugs move slowly if at all at temperatures below 60 degrees F, and ideally at 45 degrees F.

3. Vacuum: A vacuum will pick up living bed bugs.  Vacuum all areas of the carpet and use the crevice tool around the edges.  If you can, take apart or loosen the joints in the bed frame and vacuum there as well.  Vacuuming will not pick up any bed bug eggs as these are cemented to each surface.  Vacuum along all mattress seams. If you have a carpet cleaner, consider using it with a disinfectant mixed into the water such as PuraCleenRX.   Do not use any brush tools as bed bugs or their eggs could get caught in the brush. 

Empty the vacuum bag in the room being treated, seal in a bag then remove and dispose of outdoors.

4. Spray: Use a mattress safe spray and lightly spray along mattress seams and into cracks where you believe bed bugs may be hiding. Bed Bugs will either die on contact or shortly after they are sprayed.  Do not spray around electrical outlets.  Spray into all cracks around or near the bed.  Keep a window open so facilitate drying without mold.

5. Steam: Bed Bug eggs are the size of a pin head.  They are laid in groups of 10 and are cemented to a surface with a sticky substance, which is why vacuuming is ineffective.  Sprays will not penetrate the shell. A hand steamer can be used to super heat the eggs which will kill them.  Steam on all rough surfaces and in cracks.

6. Seal the Mattress: Use a bed bug zippered cover for the mattress and box spring. This will trap any bed bugs you miss inside the bed.  The bed bugs you miss will die within 10 months.

7. Apply Fossil Dust: natural fossil or dessicant dust will kill a bed bug on contact. Spread dust around electrical and cable outlets, along the edges of the room, around the bed, under furniture and around the legs of the bed. Do not vacuum for 2 weeks in the room being treated.

8. Apply Sticky Tape to Bed Legs or Use a Bed Bug Interceptor at Each Leg: As an added precaution, you can add one sided sticky tape around the legs of the bed.  Bed Bugs will either avoid the tape or get stuck.  

9. Move the Bed Away from the Wall: Move your bed at least 6 inches from the wall.  Any bed bugs that climb the wall will not be able to make it to the bed.

Don't be surprised if it takes 2 to 3 treatments to kill all of the bed bugs. It is very easy to miss bed bug eggs when treating a room.

Why are Dogs used to Find BedBugs?

Dogs are an excellent source of bed bugs information since they can detect their presence. Bed bugs give off a unique odor that smells like musty raspberries.  Dogs can pick up the scent and point out areas where they bedbugs may be hiding.  The reason is "may" is that bed bugs might be gone, but left the scent behind.

Where Can I Find Local Bed Bugs Information?

Bed bugs information resources are readily available from most national governments throughout the world.  Here are a few:

Australia Bed Bugs Information

Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association

Bed Bugs and Their Biology Fact Sheet

United Kingdom Bed Bugs Information

Greater London Pest Liaison Group

United States Bed Bugs Information

Environmental Protection Agency Bed Bugs Summit

E.P.A. Bed Bugs Webinars

Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

In the United States, most States located in a cold weather region or who have experienced a significant bedbug outbreak has Bed Bugs information resources.  Check our local bed bugs information guide.

How Do I Prepare my Home for a Bed Bug Treatment and what other Bed Bugs Information do I need to know?

Whether hiring a bed bug exterminator or doing it yourself, there are certain steps that will help make the entire process easier. The bed bugs information required is as follows:

• Do not remove anything from the room to be treated if hiring a professional.  They can determine what needs to be moved. and what can and cannot be treated.
• Move bed away from the wall.
• Remove anything that is under the bed.
• Remove bedding and linens.  Place in a sealed plastic container if you can.  If not, place in a plastic bag that it tied closed.  If you can remove all clothing in drawers and in the closet and either place in sealed plastic containers or in plastic bags.  Do not carry anything from the room unless it is bagged to avoid dropping bedbugs.
  
  Wash what you can in a washing machine on the hottest setting.  High heat between 114F and 140F is needed to kill the bedbugs. Place what you can in a dryer for 20 to 30 minutes on the highest setting, tumble dry.  This will kill bed bugs and eggs. Don't return clothes to the bedroom until after treatment.  Of course only wash machine washable items.  
  
  Freezing for greater than 72 hours in a zip lock bag will also kill any bed bugs.
  
• Remove all pictures, posters, mirrors from the walls so that they can be inspected.
• Unplug all electronics if you can.
• Vacuum the room.  Use the crevice tool to vacuum around the edges.  Remove the vacuum bag in the room being treated, place in a plastic tie wrapped bag, and dispose of it outside.
• Keep all children and pets away from the room when it is treated and for 2 to 3 hours after treatment is completed.  Check with your exterminator.

What to do After Treatment for Bed Bugs:

Here's after treatment bed bugs information:

Sprays will take approximately 2 to 3 hours to dry.  Having a window open will help to avoid any mold from forming and help with drying.  

If you haven't washed all linen, do so after treatment.  After bags are emptied, dispose out of the home.  If using plastic bins with lids. thoroughly inspect for bed bugs or dispose.

Do not vacuum the treated room for 2 weeks.  Both do it yourself and professionals will spread fossil dust throughout the room (also called Diatomaceous Earth), a natural product,.  Dust will be placed around the bed, electrical outlets, and around the outside of the room.  Any late hatching bedbugs, when the dust gets on their shell, they will be immediately killed.

Buy bed bug approved mattress and box spring zippered casings such as the ones sold by Allerzip.  This will trap any bed bugs that were missed.

Leave approximately 6 inches between the bed headboard and the wall.  Wrap each leg of the bed with clear 2" wide sticky tape, with the glue surface facing out. This will keep any bugs from climbing up the bed legs back into the bed. 

Are there Services that will Confirm the Presence of Bed Bugs?

The Harvard University School of Public Health has a bed bugs information service that will look at a bed bug specimen that you can send through the mail.  There is a $20 charge for the service.  Complete this form and send it with the specimen you caught.

What do Bed Bug Bites look like and what are the symptoms?

Bed bugs don't actually bite.  They have two protrusions on the head which puncture the skin.  During the process of feeding they leave behind an anesthetic, anticoagulant compound which can cause an allergic reaction in hypersensitive people.   Feeding takes between 3 and 15 minutes and usually happens just before dawn.

Most sources of bed bugs information indicate that most people will have no reaction at all, or a small round inflamed area will appear around a clear center.  In very sensitive people, these red bumps can grow in size to be as big as 2 inches in diameter.  Other severe reactions include blistering of the skin.

Photo Bed Bug Bite Reaction (wheal or local urticaria)

Bed bug bites usually are in a single line or small grouping, such as along the seam of a bed where the bedbugs were hiding.  If a room is heavily infested, the bites could cause a mild form of anemia, which is a decline in the red blood cell count.  Symptoms of anemia include lethargy or feeling tired, a problem that should quickly resolve itself on its own.


In highly allergic people, bed bug bites could cause asthma or in very rare cases, anaphylaxis shock.

Symptoms of bed bug bites will appear anywhere from 1 hour to 14 days after being bitten.  The bites usually disappear after 2 to 4 days if they appear within 1 day being bitten.  If they take longer to appear, then symptoms could last as long as 2 to 14 days. The most common symptoms beside a skin reaction is itch.  An insect anti-itch cream or one specifically made for bed bugs such as All Stop are good options.  Try and avoid scratching the skin, as this can cause infection.

If bites only appear on the feet, then the problem is most likely scabies and not bed bugs.  It is also rare to see bites on the face. Bed bugs usually bite areas of skin that are exposed such as the neck, shoulders, arms and legs.  Bed bug bites are often confused with flea and mosquito bites.

How are Bed Bug Bites Treated?

If the bed bug bites show puss, or other signs of infection, or if they aren't quickly healing, see your Doctor for either a topical or oral anti-biotic.  Itch is treated with an over the counter itch cream (called antipruritic agent) or a Doctor will prescribe one such as Paroxime or Doxepin.   Steroidal medications may also help such as corticosteroids (triamcinolone).

A significant allergic reaction may require the use of antihistamines or  corticosteroids. A severe reaction such as anaphylaxis would require the use of  intramuscular epinephrine

At what temperature are bed bugs killed?

Bed buts are sensitive to different temperatures. Bed bugs are killed at between 111 ºF/44ºC and 113ºF/45ºC.  Between 55ºF/13ºC and 59 ºF/15 ºC, adults often become inactive, but they can adapt and have been reported to be active at 45ºF/7ºC.  The idea temperature for bedbugs is 86ºF/30ºC, egg to adult development can occur in 21 days; at 65º/18ºC, 120 days are needed.

References for Bed Bugs Information

Evaluation of Two Least Toxic Integrated Pest Management Programs
for Managing Bed Bugs (Heteroptera: Cimieidae) With Discussion of a
Bed Bug Intercepting Device
CHANGLU WANG, TIMOTHY GIBB, AND GARY W. BENNETT
Center for Urban and Industrial Pest Management, Department of Entomology, Purdue University,
West Lafayette, IN 47907

Jerome Goddard; Richard deShazo
Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius) and Clinical Consequences of Their Bites
JAMA, April 1, 2009; 301: 1358 - 1366.

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