bed bugs

see also:

• insect bites and stings
• human louse / lice
• wikipedia
• http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/bedbugs/faqs.html
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JAOTJxYqh8

• bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are a small (1-7mm), slim, flat, parasitic insects that feed solely on the blood of humans and animals while they sleep and are a global issue, particularly in tourist accommodation rooms, and whilst annoying, fortunately, are not known to transmit disease although people can have allergic reactions
• peak feeding time tends to be midnight to 3am and they seek out heat and CO2 as well as vertical objects such as bed posts
• feeding usually takes 9-10 minutes and then they crawl away when they become engorged with blood
• they can survive several months without a blood meal
• their presence is not determined by the cleanliness of the living conditions where they are found
• they tend to live within 3m of where people sleep and hide in daytime in mattress seams, behind wallpaper, etc
• they can travel by hiding in suitcases, folded clothes, etc
• when they bite, they inject an anesthetic and an anticoagulant that prevents a person from realizing they are being bitten
  • ~half the population do not react to the bites and so would be oblivious to having been bitten, the other half will be reactive and develop a pruritic reaction

• originally, bed bugs were associated with bats in caves
• it would appear that a human-associated lineage, which had separated from bat-associated lineage some 120,000yrs ago, attached to Neanderthals living in caves 60,000 yrs ago and this lineage then continued to thrive despite an ice age peak, helped along by the early establishment of large human settlements that expanded into cities such as Mesopotamia about 12,000 years ago
• in contrast, the bat-associated lineage has continued to decline since the Ice Age maximum 20,000 yrs ago

• presence of exoskeletons after molting
• bed bugs in mattress seams and sheets
• rusty–colored blood spots on mattress due to their blood-filled fecal material
• sweet musty odour

• bite marks on any part of the body including even face while sleeping
• bite marks take one to several days and even up to 14 days to manifest
• bite marks are slightly swollen and red are usually itchy
• some people do not develop symptoms from bites

• avoid scratching
• antiseptics to prevent secondary infection
• antihistamines if annoyingly itchy

• look for signs of infestation before sleeping in a lodging
• place suitcases on elevated luggage racks or in the bathtub - NOT on the floor
• don't put clothes on floor or in hotel drawers
• remove clutter in your house
• consider placing a mattress in a sealed bag for over a year
• move beds away from walls so they have to use the legs to climb up onto the bed
• vacuum bed room floor and mattress corners once a week
• use a clothes steamer or a clothes dryer on heat to kill any hidden bugs on your clothes or bed linen (they die at 50degC)
• if detected, inform the landlord so they can attempt eradication (and check nearby apartments)
  • most bed bug insecticides no longer work
  • diatomaceous earth is very effective in killing ~90% in a few days by clinging to them and causing dehydration
    • use a puffer to blow a fine dusting of it around power outlets, floor joins, mattress edges, etc
  • professionals can heat up the whole house if all else fails but this is an expensive option