Pest Management Professional, November 2011
most wanted LICE Dr Stuart Mitchell Contributor Bedbugs B edbugs Cimex lectularius are Public Enemy No 1 Combined rapid re emergence and insecticide resistant populations has made them both medically and legally significant Bedbugs are flat oval shaped with wing buds and have four segmented antennae and a three segmented beak They have a cone shaped pronotum and an 11 segmented abdomen Males have a pointed abdomen and females are rounded Foot claws allow climbing With an expandable gut for blood feeding one half of the blood ingested is lost in five hours Females place as many as 540 eggs There are five nymph stages Bedbugs feed on people and domestic animals An infestation is indicated by live insects cuticles eggs droppings and or a sweet odor Development stops below 55 F and above 99 F Youre not alone GERMS BED BUGS FLEAS BACTERIA VIRUSES MOLD Crawling at 4 ft per minute as adults and 1 ft per minute as nymphs theyre attracted to pheromones carbon dioxide and heat Peak activity is at about 2 a m Hunger causes movement but bedbugs cant detect a person farther than 5 ft Bedbugs are found in human structures cracks and crevices close to people About 70 percent infest the bed mattress and headboard 23 percent infest close to bed areas and 7 percent infest in other areas within 5 ft of the bed area Repetitive bites cimicosis result in allergic reactions secondary infection from scratching and anxiety Bites are red and are sometimes in groups of three Management involves customer communication and education perpetual inspection and monitoring vacuuming of mattresses and box springs covering mattresses and box springs with encasements that prevent escape or reinfestation sealing cracks and crevices and using heat steam cold traps and properly labeled insecticides PMP Dr Mitchell is principal technical specialist for PestWest Environmental and can be reached at doc mitchell@ pestwest com 28 November 2011 Pest Management Professional mypmp net
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