Classification of bedbugs

They belong to the Order Hemiptera, the Suborder Heteroptera and the Family Cimicidae.

History

The common bedbug (Cimex lectularius) is highly adapted to the human environment and parasitizes humans and other mammals, while in caves it also parasitizes bats. It has probably coexisted with humans since the cave age, with references by Aristophanes and Aristotle from 400 BC.

They followed humans in migrations and by the Middle Ages had spread throughout Britain, initially in the homes of the wealthy due to heating. With the improvement of living conditions and modern insecticides (DDT), they almost disappeared from the Western world after 1960. In recent years, however, they have reappeared in hotels and homes.

Bedbug characteristics

Description

They are wingless and move quickly on their feet. The size of adults is 4-7 mm and the nymphs 1.5-3 mm. They have an oval, elliptical, flattened shape and a light beige to reddish brown color that darkens after feeding. The eggs are 1 mm and whitish-yellow. The nymphs resemble adults but are much smaller. To change stage, they need at least one blood meal.

Biology

They are semi-metamorphic insects with 5 larval stages. The female lays 200-500 eggs in her lifetime in batches, which hatch in 6-17 days if the temperature is >13°C. In ideal conditions, 40 bed bugs can become 5,905 in 6 months! Adults require one blood meal per week and nymphs one per day. The biological cycle lasts 4-5 weeks. Adults can survive 6-12 months and nymphs 3 months without food.

Behavior

Bedbugs are nocturnal species that tend to hide and gather in large numbers. They feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals (humans, animals, birds, bats). They usually feed at night with a maximum around dawn. They stand on the host's body only during feeding.

Relationship with man

They are primarily ectoparasites of humans. Their bites are almost painless, but the body's reactions vary from person to person. The bite causes redness and itching due to an allergic reaction to the saliva, which contains anticoagulants and anesthetics.

Bites can cause mental health problems from anxiety and sleep deprivation. Severe infestations can lead to anemia, anaphylaxis, asthma, secondary infections from scratching, and even paranoid reactions.

It has been found that they can transmit the hepatitis B virus, possibly from infected bedbug parts, clothing, or feces.

Other similar causes of symptoms are fleas, ticks, lice, mosquitoes, mites, psyllids, allergies, and drug reactions.

Treatment - Bedbug Disinfection

We follow the stages of integrated pest management (IPM):

1. Inspection
2. Monitoring
3. Treatment without drugs (Cultural & mechanical control)
4. Chemical control

The client's cooperation with a specialized company and constant vigilance are required, as bedbugs are emerging as a major pest in apartments. In other countries, there are information manuals and systematic education of those involved and the public.

Inspection

Visual inspections are carried out from quick to very careful by several people. Pheromone traps are used. We look for live/dead bedbugs, eggs, excrement, blood, feces with a characteristic odor. The gathering points can be anywhere, with the most suspicious being the bed (headboard, mattress, storage box). We check all areas that can hide or lay eggs: mattresses, wood joints, carpet edges, sockets, picture frames, drawers, wardrobes.

Recognition (Monitoring)

After the initial visual inspection, bed bug trapping devices are used. Several types of traps are commercially available, which confirm the presence of bed bugs in a timely manner and help evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment measures after their implementation. In the USA, bed bug detection dogs are also used, although the method has not yet had very satisfactory results.

Proofing

Shielding can help prevent bedbugs from entering neighboring apartments through skylights, under doors, and any other openings that are potential entry points. Specifically, screens are placed on windows and air vents, gaps under doors are closed, cracks are sealed with plaster or silicone, etc. Particular attention is paid to closing cracks in wooden bedroom floors, where bedbugs often nest and from there emerge to feed at night.

Prevention

We start the treatment before we have the problem, with the necessary precautions to avoid bringing bedbugs into the house. We know their habits - they are nocturnal, they do not fly, they do not jump, they hide and they do not move around aimlessly. The dangerous areas are the floors, sofas, beds and gray areas.

We are careful not to leave our clothes in dangerous areas such as means of transport, hotels, etc. In suspicious places, we prefer to sit on a chair rather than a sofa. We keep bags closed. We wash and dry sheets/bed linens at high temperature and use special protective covers for mattresses.

We emphasize cleanliness and control of hidden areas, not just the obvious ones. We inform and train staff on the identification, habits and treatment of bedbugs. We apply thorough cleaning with an absorbent vacuum cleaner on sofas, carpets, etc. and we manage garbage appropriately.

Chemical-free pest control methods

There are hot and cold methods that are used with good results, especially the hot one. They are safe for the health of the building's occupants, but are difficult to implement and have a high cost.

Using insecticides that are approved for this use, the pest control team makes sure to reach any outbreaks in the building and neutralize them.

A basic preparation is to make the bed, shake out the blankets and spread them out in the sun, and wash the sheets at a high temperature. This helps to fight bed bugs.

For small outbreaks, the users of the space themselves can use insecticides in aerosol form for neutralization.

Either as a preventative measure or after contact spraying, the surfaces on which bed bugs will circulate should be sprayed and remain sprayed in order to eliminate those that will emerge from hiding places that we did not reach with the insecticide. The inside of the mattress is one of them.

Also, with residual sprays, we prevent the entry and settlement of bedbugs.

You mean that these sprays also target other insects of health importance and are part of a comprehensive insect control program.

When spraying insecticide, it is important to be very meticulous in order to get as close to the bedbugs as possible. Otherwise, we will force them to hide even better and wait for weeks hidden. In this case, the application has failed.