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Bed Bug Identification & Control
What Are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are small, flat, reddish-brown insects that feed on blood at night while people are asleep. These pests are experts at hiding, making them notoriously difficult to locate and exterminate.
Professional treatment for bed bugs involves a thorough inspection of infested areas (ideally by a certified bed bug-sniffing dog) followed by pesticide application, ambient heat treatment, or fumigation.
Behavior
Bed bugs are active at night and feed on blood once every 3–7 days. They sense body heat, carbon dioxide, and odors in order to locate sleeping hosts.
During the day, bed bugs hide in dark, narrow spaces such as mattresses seams, bed frames, upholstered furniture, and walls. With their tiny, flat bodies, they can squeeze into cracks and gaps as narrow as 2 millimeters.
They can easily spread to new locations by crawling into neighboring apartments or hitching rides in bags, luggage, furniture, clothing, and personal items.
Risk Factors
Anyone can get bed bugs, but you are at a higher risk if:
- You travel frequently
- You visited an infested area, such as an infested hotel, school, or locker room
- You recently took in secondhand furniture
- You live in an apartment building and one of your neighbors had bed bugs
Signs
Bed bugs often go unnoticed due to their size and ability to hide, which makes it easy for them to reproduce and spread. Signs of a potential infestation include:
- Bites
- Bloodstains on sheets
- Fecal marks
- Musty odors
- Shell casings
- Eggs
- Actual bed bugs
Learn More → How to Know if You Have Bed Bugs: 7 Early Signs to Look For
Bites
Bed bugs bites often leave itchy, red bumps on exposed areas of skin. They may appear in clusters of 3 or 4 in a linear or zigzag pattern (known as the “breakfast, lunch, and dinner” sign).
Different people react differently to being bitten. For some, bed bug bites result in rashes, allergic reactions, psychological distress, or nothing at all (approximately 30% of people don’t exhibit any symptoms).
Fortunately, bed bugs do not transmit diseases and serious allergic reactions are rare. In most cases, symptoms disappear after a week or two. Over-the-counter treatments such as hydrocortisone cream or oral antihistamines may be used to reduce itchiness and inflammation.
Identification
Adult Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are reddish-brown, wingless insects with flat, oval bodies that enlarge after feeding. They’re typically around the size of a flax seed or a small apple seed.
Photos (click to enlarge)
Size: 1/6″ – 1/4″ (4 – 7 mm) long
Color: Mahogany to red-brown
Identifying Features:
- 6 legs
- Short antennae with 4 segments, bowing outwards
- Small, beady eyes on each side of the head
- Squarish, protruding mouthparts
- Wide dorsal plate (pronotum), flaring outwards
- Flat, broad abdomen with 8 horizontal grooves (sclerites) that becomes swollen and elongated after feeding
- The tip of the abdomen is pointed in males and rounded in females
Bed Bug Nymphs
Baby bed bugs, or nymphs, are translucent when hatched and become larger and darker in color as they grow. The bed bug lifecycle has 5 instar stages. Between each stage, the growing bed bug molts and leaves behind a hollow shell casing.
Photos (click to enlarge)
Size: As small as 1/16″ (1.5 mm)
Color: Yellowish white to light brown
Identifying Features:
- Similar to adult bed bugs, but smaller and paler
- If recently fed, you can see a red or dark-colored blob of digested blood inside its translucent body
Control
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
Here are some basic steps for managing a bed bug infestation in your home. These methods won’t eliminate 100% of bed bugs, but will help reduce their numbers and prevent them from spreading.
Vacuuming
If you know where bed bugs are hiding, you can use a vacuum with a crevice tool attachment to suck them up. When you’re done, empty the vacuum into sealed plastic bags and sanitize the canister and filters with isopropyl alcohol.
Decluttering
Decluttering makes the treatment process smoother by making it easier to access harborage areas.
Carefully inspect clothes and other belongings before bringing them out of the room. Infested items should be placed in sealed plastic bags to prevent bed bugs from escaping.
Laundering
Clothing and bedsheets from infested areas should be placed in sealed plastic bags prior to laundering. Wash and dry using the highest temperature settings. Bed bugs and their eggs die when exposed to temperatures above 118 °F (48 °C) for 90 minutes.
Steaming
A portable steam cleaner can be used to treat mattresses and upholstered furniture. At 212 °F (100 °C), steam kills bed bugs in seconds.
Apply steam slowly and evenly, especially around seams and joints where bed bugs like to hide.
Freezing
Small items and belongings can be treated for bed bugs by freezing them.
Place the items in sealed plastic bags and leave them inside a freezer with temperature at or below -4 °F (-20 °C) for 2 to 4 days. Avoid using this method for electronics with LCD screens.
Recommended Products
Consult a professional before trying to get rid of bed bugs yourself. For lighter infestations, here are some products we recommend to clients.
Bear in mind, however, that do-it-yourself treatments usually won’t eliminate 100% of bed bugs and the survivors will quickly reproduce and repopulate.
Sprays: 91% Isopropyl Alcohol
A spray bottle with 91% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) does just fine at killing bed bugs on contact. Commercial bed bug sprays and foggers also work, but use them with caution and follow label instructions.
Sprays are not effective at penetrating into cracks and crevices where bed bugs hide, so you should not rely on them to eliminate an infestation.
Traps: Bed Bug Interceptors
Interceptors are passive traps placed under the legs of your bed to catch bed bugs. They resemble small dishes with two concentric walls. The outer walls are course while the inner walls are slippery, so any bed bugs that fall in can’t climb out.
Even for professionals, interceptors are incredibly useful for monitoring infestations during and after treatment. Depending on the situation, we may leave interceptor traps in treated areas for several weeks to confirm that bed bugs were eradicated successfully.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a powder-like desiccant made from ground-up fossils of single-celled marine algae called diatoms. Under a microscope, the particles look like tiny, hollow cylinders with sharp edges.
When bed bugs come in contact with DE, the highly abrasive particles destroy the waxy coating of their shells. This allows moisture to escape from their bodies, causing them to die from dehydration.
If you plan to use DE, make sure that it says “Food Grade” on the label. Carefully follow the safety instructions to avoid improper use, which may result in skin irritation and respiratory issues if inhaled.
Mattress Encasements
Getting a mattress encasement won’t necessarily get rid of bed bugs, but it will provide some relief while you search for a more permanent solution. These encasements are made to cover your entire mattress (not just the top) with reinforced seams and zippers that bed bugs can’t crawl through.
Our Services
If you need help with bed bugs in New York City or the Tri-State Area, contact MMPC for NESDCA-certified K9 inspections and eco-friendly bed bug treatments.
We are available seven days a week to address your pest control needs.
