It’s pretty safe to say that, outside of exterminators or entomologists, bed bugs aren’t anyone’s favorite subject. But we do need to talk about them—not just because we are, in fact, an “exterminator”–but also because these cozy critters have become resistant to many common pesticides used to kill them. This means that removing them is far more difficult today than it has been in the past, but it can still be done. Let’s get to the bottom of how bed bugs are now more bothersome than ever.
Bed Bugs: Rude, Egg-Laying Vampires
First things first: know the enemy. While roaches, ants, mice, or spiders are drawn to human homes because of warmth, human food, pets, or even chasing their natural prey, bed bugs are unique: they only feed on human blood. Once nestled in the crevices of a couch or bedframe, they reproduce extremely fast, laying distinctive rice-looking eggs in batches of 5 or 10. Their droppings appear as tiny smears of brown ink (dried blood).
Emerging every night to bite the exposed skin of their human food supply, newly hatched bed bugs will reach adulthood in just a few weeks, and will have already laid their own eggs during that time period. Most of the time, these invasive bloodsuckers don’t even let you know they’re there, which is just rude. After all, even soulless undead vampires have the decency to be invited in before they begin feasting on you. Say what you want about Dracula turning people into a pallid undead army to be unleashed upon the living—at least he knocks first!
Fortunately for us human blood bags, bed bugs are not known to transmit serious diseases in the way that mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks (and vampires) do. Still, the red bites often bring an intense itch and irritation, and often the sheer fact that bugs literally emerge from woodwork at night to feast on your blood has a prominent psychological impact.
Bed Bugs: 2.0
Fast intervention has always been key, as bed bugs have adapted to humans sensing their presence and wiping them out in all manner of ways. As with other species that humans frequently target for chemical eradication, bed bugs have over the years developed natural resistance to pesticides. The pesticide DDT was developed in the 1940s, and this proved so effective at killing bed bugs (among many other living things) that infestations were considered fairly uncommon by the end of the twentieth century.
However, bed bug populations came roaring back over the next three decades, as more people traveled the world and bought second-hand furniture on the internet. With these new and more numerous opportunities for infestation, bed bugs added new evolutionary adaptations to resist DDT and other chemicals after so many years of generational exposure.
Neonicotinoids, for example, are artificial reproductions of the chemical nicotine developed for pest control in the 1980s. Like DDT, these pesticides were initially extremely effective against bed bugs and other insect pests; today, however, it takes more than 1,000 times the standard dosage of a typical neonicotinoid to kill bed bugs.
As if a fast reproductive cycle, tiny size, and inherent chemical resistance wasn’t enough, bed bugs also have the incredible ability to go more than one year without feeding—this means they can lay dormant in the cracks and crevices of furniture long after it has been moved to a new place. Because of this uncanny ability to avoid starvation, it can be incredibly difficult to tell whether bed bugs are present without seeing eggs—again, these are very small and may go unnoticed—or bite marks.
Bed Bug Prevention
The best way to keep your home free of bed bugs is to never let them in—as with Dracula, this is easier said than done, but there are several preventative measures that can easily be adopted:
1. Avoid purchasing second-hand furniture, especially couches, bed frames, and mattresses. If you do purchase second-hand furniture, inspect each part closely for eggs, droppings, or other signs of bed bugs before bringing it to your home (note: if the owners didn’t see them, you probably won’t).
2. Avoid traveling to places where there have been recent bed bug infestations. This information is usually available on popular travel websites, and you can even check Reddit threads.
3. When traveling, check all your clothes and personal items thoroughly before returning home, especially when traveling from a popular tourist area or an area you suspect may not have sufficient incentive to regularly check for and expel bed bugs (i.e. guest rooms with old furniture that hasn’t been moved in decades). It’s also best to simply remember that bed bugs are a risk while traveling, even in the nicest, most hygienic accommodations!
Bed Bugs: Dead.0
If you do end up discovering signs of bed bugs in your midst, don’t panic, and definitely don’t douse your bedding or your home in chemicals that they may resist anyway. Instead, stay calm, and remember to leave them milk and cookies call the pros. Professional exterminators like Bug Control Specialist in Northern Colorado will know which chemicals (if any) to use and in which amounts, so you have the best shot at stopping the infestation before it gets too crazy.
It’s probably too late to call Van Helsing, but it’s never too late to call Bug Control Specialist to destroy other nighttime bloodsuckers! If you’re in Northern Colorado and need help with bed bug eradication, contact us today!