Bedbug Treatment
There are two main species of bed bugs found in Australia:
- Cimex Lectularius or Common Bed Bug is the species being best adapted to temperate climates and having the most widespread distribution across the globe.
- C. Hemipterus or Tropical Bed Bug is usually confined to tropical regions. This species prefers high humidity and temperature.
Bed bugs are small wingless insects that feed on human blood. They belong to the family Cimicidae within the order Hemiptera. The insect’s name is derived from typical areas where humans rest. Places that the bed bugs live with humans include houses, hostels, bedrooms, beds and places of little movement such as cinemas or theatres. Bed bugs although unable to fly are fast movers and are quick to escape once they are exposed to light. Adult bed bugs have a flat oval-shaped body, which is light brown in colour and may become red and engorged after a blood meal. Ranging in length from 1 - 5mm, fully-grown adults reach a similar size to an apple seed. They have six legs, long antennae and large mandibles (mouth parts), which can impale human skin.
Bed Bug Life Cycle
In Australian conditions, adult bed bugs can live for up to 6 months, dependant on feeding patterns.
Female bed bugs lay two or three white eggs per day and up to 3500 during their lifespan. Eggs usually hatch within 5-10 days under warm conditions but can lie dormant for longer periods if the conditions are not ideal. Newly hatched nymphs look very similar to adults but are smaller, translucent and white in colour. Nymphs are often more numerous than adults in sites of infestation.
A bed bug goes through five moults (shedding of their skin) before they reach maturity. Younger nymphal stages have a white appearance when unfed and become darker with increasing feeds. A blood meal is required for each moult. It normally takes about 21 days (at 22°C) for the nymphs to reach the adult stage but may take significantly longer if no food is available or in cooler conditions.
Symptoms of a Bed Bug Bite
Different people have varying reactions to the bites of bed bugs, depending on several factors. Some people have little or no reaction to the bite. In others the bite site can become red and intensely itchy. This can occur during the night or may take up to 9-14 days to develop.
If the host experiences an allergic reaction from the injected anticoagulants; then large wheals, welts and swelling can occur on the limbs that have been bitten. The red wheals may range from 2 cm to 5 cm in width with inflammation common. Anaphylactic shock could possibly occur in individuals that are highly allergic, although this is very rare.
Discomfort and loss of sleep is common from the psychological effects of bed bugs. Bites may be found on a variety of places on the body. Another characteristic is the bites are sometimes in orderly rows, unlike the random pattern of mosquitoes. These rows are caused by the bed bug being disturbed during feeding and having to pierce the skin to feed again. They can also be caused by bed bugs having difficulty in locating a suitable vein.
Bed bugs mainly feed on humans but will also feed on other mammals and poultry if necessary. Although they may carry diseases such as hepatitis, they are not known to transfer these diseases to other individuals.
Bed Bug Control
Bed bugs are particularly problematic to treat, with complete eradication unlikely to be achieved with a single treatment. Sprays may kill the bed bugs, but they are largely ineffective on the eggs. Follow up inspections are always required, and further treatments are often necessary.
The survival of bed bug eggs is also an issue. It is not uncommon for the live bed bugs amongst an infestation to be completely eradicated during an effective treatment cycle, only to have the remaining or surviving eggs hatch and populate the location once again. The eggs can also have an incubation period of up to two weeks and may be deposited in hidden areas that are difficult to treat.
This stubborn tendency of bed bug infestations is made more problematic due to the now smaller size of the newly re-emerged bed bug nymph. Once an infestation is detected, all adjoining rooms need to be inspected and treated if also affected.
 |  |
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategies
Hygiene | It is important to maintain an appropriate cleaning regime such as regular vacuuming behind beds. |
Physical removal | This can be completed using adhesive tape (if insect numbers are very small) to trap the insect. Vacuuming is also recommended before chemical treatment as it removes all dust and debris from the site of the infestation making it easier for following chemical control to penetrate and in turn be effective. Particular attention should be paid to the edges of the room, near furniture and around fixtures. The vacuum bag should be placed in a sealed bag and incinerated, or discarded appropriately, immediately after cleaning. Care must be taken not to unintentionally spread the eggs by the use of stiff brushes. |
Heat | The rapid increase of temperature is an excellent way of killing bed bugs in bedding and sheets. Bed bugs will die within one hour when exposed to temperatures over 45°C, or immediately at temperatures of 60°C or higher. Gradual and slow heating of infected area will result in the bugs migrating away from the heat source and potentially causing them to infest new areas. Heating items using steam has the advantage of killing the bug in all stages of its life cycle. Steam vapour may be used on all soft and hard surfaces especially on seams and in little crevices. Washing in water above 60ºC (to ensure every bug stage will be killed) and drying infested linen in a dryer is an effective method of killing bed bugs. It is recommended that clothes be placed on the hot setting and dried for at least 30 minutes. |
Cold | Rapid freezing can be fatal to bed bugs. Placing smaller items in the freezer overnight is an effective control method. It is suggested to leave items in freezer for 10 hours per 2.5 kg of dry linen weight. |
Chemical treatment | Pesticide sprays are also used for the treatment of bed bugs. A product with a residual formulation is used and any risk areas of potential bed bug infestations are targeted. It is important to ensure accurate and direct application to target areas such as beading on mattresses, cracks and crevices in furniture and flooring If the pest control operator completes an inaccurate space spray, the fine droplets can excite the bed bugs. This in turn can cause them to excrete alert pheromones and can disperse the infestation to other areas. Casey Pest Management only apply pesticides that are currently registered and permitted for use by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) for the control of bed bugs. |