An introduction to the bed bug problem in schools

Michael Merchant, Ph.D., BCE Texas AgriLife Extension System Texas AgriLife Center at Dallas [email protected] Identification

 4-5 mm-long (size of apple seed),  mahogony-colored, wingless, flattened  Pronotal bristles toothed (microscopic)

Photo by M. Merchant Bedbugs  Infestations increasing nationwide  Adults approx. 3/16 inch-long  Hide in cracks and crevices during day  Previously fed adults can survive 6-7 months without human host  Must feed on blood from humans, pets, birds or bats Why current infestation?

 Common pest prior to advent of modern insecticides  Current resurgence likely due to multiple factors  Increased international travel  Loss of older insecticides that still work well  Resistance to pyrethroids Bed bug feeding habits

 Prefer feeding during darkness  Bites painless  50% of people with bed bug infestations may not know they are being bitten  High risk of infestation moving from one apartment to adjacent apartment Photo by M. Merchant

© Entomological Society of America Photo by clairebelles, courtesy Flickr Challenges with bed bugs

 Hiding places diverse  50% on or around bed  Upholstered chairs, sofas, nightstands, dressers, other furniture  Baseboards, under carpet tack strip, any small cracks, behind posters, clocks, etc.  Replacing mattress more of a problem than a solution  Mattress and box spring encasements the answer Family of bed bugs around recessed screw in plastic office chair Challenges with bed bugs  Control is expensive  Labor-intensive  Success highly dependent on customer cooperation  Cleaning infested clothes  Freeze 10-12 hours min.  Hot-setting on drier 30 min.  Hot wash 30 mins. (140o)  Dry cleaning effective  Pesticides not highly effective Pyrethroids and DDT  Bed bugs initially highly controlled with DDT (1940s), but resistance documented within 8 years of DDT introduction  By 1960s DDT and malathion largely eliminated bed bugs as common pest  Resistance well-documented and widespread to DDT, pyrethroids  Pyrethroids remain primary control tool for bed bugs in industry Challenges with bed bugs

 Bed bugs are excellent hitchikers  Suitcases  Clothing  Backpacks  Bed bugs are good runners

Photo by Ed Yourdon, Flickr Monitoring and detection  Look for fecal specks and bugs around beds  Headboards in hotels  Mattresses in homes  Sticky cards not very effective

 CO2 traps becoming more useful  New passive monitoring traps Bed bug control for homeowners?  Mattress and box spring encasements  Vacuuming  Bed post interceptors  Thorough inspections  Sterifab™ and similar products  Diatomaceous earth The economics of bed bugs

 Bed bug treatment expensive $500-$1500+ per apartment  Mattress encasements $50-$150  Apartment associations writing pre-lease agreements  No bed bugs in prior apartments  Pre-checks to ensure apartments are bed bug-free  System rigged to discourage renters from reporting bed bugs Resources

 Insects in the City website http://citybugs.tamu.edu  Do-it-yourself control options  http://citybugs.tamu.edu/ factsheets/biting-stinging/others/ ent-3012  Bed bugs and your apartment  http://citybugs.tamu.edu/ factsheets/biting-stinging/others/ ent-3013 Resources

 Kentucky bed bugs factsheet  http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/ entfacts/ef636.asp  Virginia Bed bug fact sheet series (English and Spanish)  http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pesticides/ bedbugs-facts.shtml  EPA bed bug site  http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/bedbugs Questions?