bed bugs

introduction

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

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