Bed Bugs

Bed Bugs and Health

Bed bug infestations are increasing in the United States and internationally. Bed bugs are small (adults are no more than ¼ inches in length), wingless insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. They can fill themselves with blood in less than 15 minutes and lay between 1 and 5 eggs daily. Bed bug eggs hatch in about ten days.

Disease Transmission

Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease, but repeated bites may cause an allergic reaction to the saliva, and continued scratching of the bite sites can cause an infection. Bite marks typically occur on the skin of the upper torso in groups of three.

Preventing & Getting Rid of Bed Bugs Safely

Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Bed Bugs in Shelters and Group Living Facilities

The resource above provides all the information needed to prevent and get rid of bed bugs, including:

Trapping and killing
Cleaning and disinfecting
Sealing cracks and crevices
Getting rid of infested items
Non-chemical treatments

Pesticide

Risks of Improper Pesticide Treatment

Populations of bed bugs are increasingly becoming insecticide-resistant because pesticides are widely ineffective in treating dwellings. In some cases, chemical treatments are used when there is no bed bug problem.

A 2010 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study found that an increase in bed bug populations is causing bed bugs to become resistant to commonly available insecticides and might cause increased misuse of pesticides. Between 2003 and 2010, there were 111 cases of serious acute illness associated with the misuse of pesticides used to treat bed bugs.

Identify Before Treating

Many people have started pesticide treatments and later found they do not have bed bugs. Look for:

Living or dead insects
Rust-colored smears on mattress seams, sheets, pillowcases, upholstered furniture
Small black or brown marks on bedding, furniture, crevices, and baseboards

Identify On Your Own

Identify the bug yourself by placing it on a white background and using a magnifying glass to compare it to one of the following:

Ask an Expert to Identify

An expert can examine the specimen and notify you of the bug’s identification.

Place killed insects under clear tape on a card and place them in a regular envelope
Include your name, email, and phone number
Mail via any postal or shipping service to:

Ask an Expert

Treatment

Successful eradication of bed bugs in a home requires fully effective non-chemical and chemical insecticide treatments.

Self-Treatment

Use insecticide in all areas where bed bugs are present, such as crevices in rooms, walls, and furniture, especially bedroom furniture. Ensure pesticide directly contacts the bed bugs during application – use low volume but higher pressure application nozzles for crevices.

Note:

Bed bugs that walk across a treated surface but do not directly come into contact with the insecticide will not be killed.
Pesticides do not effectively kill bed bug eggs, so areas must be retreated over time – usually up to one year later.
Pesticides should never be applied to anything that comes into contact with the skin, such as bedding.

Bed bugs live in cracks and crevices such as:

Electrical outlets in walls
Behind wallpaper, baseboards, and picture frames
Between beds and around the creases of mattresses
In bedding materials
Within 15 feet of your bed

Professional Treatment

Bed bugs can survive with food for one year, so multiple inspections and non-chemical and directed chemical treatments are needed to eliminate them. Any effective control measure for bed bugs requires support from all residents in affected buildings and ongoing monitoring for infestation from other housing units. When hiring a pest control professional, make sure:

After visiting your property and inspecting the affected areas, the company only offers a treatment strategy. It’s best to walk around with the company during their inspection to see the extent of the problem and be prepared to negotiate with them about who will take what actions to remediate your property.
To have a service contract between you and the pest control company that outlines your responsibilities and the pest control company’s responsibilities
The company provides education about the life cycle of bed bugs and the proven methods used to control bed bugs, including:
- Basic identification, biology, and habits of bed bugs
- Why bed bug infestations are difficult to detect and eliminate
- Techniques for bed bug prevention
- Specific actions might be required, such as providing access and authorization for service, reducing clutter, laundering clothing, and making repairs.

Pesticide Applicators

Colorado Department of Agriculture at 303-239-4178.

Non-Chemical Treatment

Nonchemical methods to control bed bugs include:

Professional heating of infested rooms to 118°F (48°C) for 1 hour or cooling rooms to 3°F (-16°C) for 1 hour
Encasing mattresses and box springs with bed bug-excluding covers
Vacuuming, steaming, laundering, and disposing of infested items

Experts recommend using pesticide treatments and all non-chemical practices to effectively eliminate bed bugs from your home. Professional pest control companies will know the safest types of chemicals to use, the safest methods to apply them, and how to apply them directly to the bugs.

Important Components of a Bed Bug Service Plan

A bed bug elimination service agreement should be specifically for bed bugs or include an addendum to a standard service agreement that addresses specific bed bug issues and should include:

A proposed schedule for completion of services
A description of the service that will be provided and the specific areas to be serviced
A description of the customer’s responsibilities, including preparations for service and obligations to keep the site in a condition that does not promote future bed bug infestations
Limitations of liability (except for gross negligence) for damages from bed bug bites, disease, injuries, contamination, property damage, loss of income, etc.
Exclusions for damages for replacement of mattresses, furniture, bedding, clothing, and other infested items
Exclusions for damages expenses for bed bug bites and other health-related issues
A comprehensive treatment plan that includes:
- Actions such as eliminating clutter in certain areas
- Treatments for adjacent units in multifamily housing
- Clarification about who does what, such as caulking and sealing crevices
- The number of visits anticipated to resolve the bed bug problem.

Many service agreement issues are unique to bed bug service (difficult pest to control, probability of re-infestation, need for cooperation, etc.).

All service agreement wording related to bed bugs should be prepared or reviewed by an attorney familiar with the critical factors associated with bed bug service.
All documents should be consistent with best management practices and comply with state and local laws and regulations specific to structural pest control and bed bugs.

Tenant-Landlord Mediation Services

Boulder County Public Health does not mediate tenant/landlord issues. Mediation is available through the following organizations:

City of Boulder, Community Mediation Service at 303-441-4364
City of Longmont, Community, and Neighborhood Resources at 303-651-8444
CU Off-Campus Student Services at 303-492-7053
State of Colorado Community Housing Services, Inc. at 303-831-1750
Residents outside the cities of Boulder and Longmont but inside Boulder County contact the Community Assistance Mediation Program (CAMP) at 303-441-1752