bedbugs, roaches, & rodents
TRANSCRIPT
12/22/2016
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BEDBUGS, ROACHES, AND
RODENTS. OH MY!
Elizabeth KillingerNebraska Extension in Hall County
http://slideshare.net/ekillinger1
THE SUSPECTS
Common Pests
• Bed bugs
• Cockroaches
• Rodents
BED BUGS
BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR
Bedbug slides courtesy of Barb Ogg & Jody Green Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County
HISTORY OF BED BUGS
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BED BUGS ARE WINGLESS
INSECTS• Adults are ¼-inch
long
• Immatures are
smaller
• Reddish brown
• Flat, unless they have
recently fed
Unfed Recently Fed
Adults
Immature
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
Eastern bat bug
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Bed bug
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BED BUG LIFE CYCLE
• Depends on food and
temperature
• Eggs can hatch between 7-
12 days
• Can 200-500 eggs in
lifespan
• 3-4 generations per year
• Lifespan 6-12 months
• Optimal conditions
70-90°F, life cycle 1 month Ph
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EGGS ARE SMALLER THAN A
PINHEAD• Eggs are slightly
sticky and adhere to
fabric and wood
• Fabric fibers stick to
eggs
Eyespots
FEEDING TIME
• Bed bugs feed on blood
• Hungry bugs are active at night, but will move during the day if hungry
• Activity begins about 2 hr after people go to bed
• Increased CO2
triggers activity
• 2-hr before dawn, bed bugs go back to hiding places
First stage bed bug feeding
FIRST STAGE BED BUG
Bedbugger.com
BLOOD FEEDING BEHAVIOR
• Adults feed every 3-5
days
• Pierce skin with
elongated beak
• Inject compounds to aid
in feeding
• Engorgement takes 3-12
minutes
• Consumes 3x body
weight
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BED BUGS REPRODUCE QUICKLY
• Female lays 3-5
eggs each day
and can live two
months or more
Spent bed bug eggs and
droppings in the crack of a sofa
Hatched eggs
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IF ONE FEMALE LAYS 3 EGGS PER
DAY….
• Even with 90%
mortality….
• After 6 months, there
will be more than
16,000 bed bugs
By the time bed bugs are discovered,
they are usually well established
WHERE BED BUGS LIVE
• Live in clusters in cracks and crevices
• Common location in a home is the box springs or bed frame
• If people sleep on sofa or recliner, it can become infested
• Bed bugs may attach to clothing or crawl into objects and be taken to other places
Bed bugs in seam of sofa
SIGNS OF BED BUGS: LIVE BUGS
Bug found between box springs
framing and fabric
SIGNS OF BED BUGS
White hatched eggs
Black fecal spots
Live bug cast skins fecal drops spent egg
SIGNS OF BED BUGS HOW LONG CAN BED BUGS
SURVIVE WITHOUT FOOD?• Research from VA Tech:
• Survival: adults lived for an average of 71 days at room temperature
• Unfed bugs can probably survive in a home for 5-6 months, maybe longer
• Actual survival time depends on humidity and temperature
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BED BUG MOVEMENT IS
TRIGGERED BY:• High populations
• When all the good hiding
places are filled up
• Mating. Female bed bugs
move after they have been
mated
• Mated females probably
crawl into suitcases when
you travel
BED BUGS ALSO MOVE WHEN….
• People move out and unit
is vacant…bed bugs
become hungry
• Some will stay for the
new tenant
• People sleep in other
locations to avoid them
• This spreads the
infestation
NO TYPICAL BED BUG BITE
• Bites often
dismissed as
something else
• Even physicians
may not be able
to identify bites
Mosquito bites
SKIN REACTION TO BITES
SkinReactions
Localized Itching
Maculopapular lesions
(red, elevated bumps)
Large Wheals (blisters)
Systemic Reactions/Hives
Anaphylaxis
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BITE REACTIONS ALLERGIC REACTION AND
TREATMENT
Compounds injected into
skin
• Anesthetic
compounds
• Anticoagulant factors
• Vasodilatory
compounds
• Proteolytic enzymes
Treatment for bites
• Topical lotion, cream,
ointment, gel, aerosol
• Topical steroid anti-
itch cream, antiseptic
or antibiotic
• Oral antihistamines,
anti-inflammatory
analgesic
• Systemic antibiotic or
steroid
• Epinephrine
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SENSITIVITY SPECTRUM
• Depends on the person’s immunological
response
• Some people do not react or have delayed
response
• Study (University of Kentucky) with 474
participants with confirmed bed bug
infestations Asked if they experienced any bites or skin reactions: 70% yes,
30% No
No difference between gender, ethnicity, type of housing or level of
infestation
Age was significant: 43% of elderly (65+) reported no bites or
reactions
OTHER IMPACTS OF BED BUGS
Psychological
• Delusions
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Stress
• Obsessive
• Loss of sleep
Social
• Stigma
• Negative perceptions
• Reduced self-esteem
• Social isolation
Economical
• Discarded furniture
• Eradication efforts
• Treatment products
PRIMARY VS. SECONDARY
INFESTATIONS
PRIMARY INFESTATION:
• Location where someone sleeps every night
• Homes, apartments, hotels, homeless
shelters
• Food (i.e., human blood) is unlimited and bed
bugs can feed whenever they are hungry
• Unlimited food: → infestations become large
SECONDARY INFESTATIONS:
• Locations where people do not sleep at night
• Office buildings, doctor’s offices, schools,
childcare centers
• Bed bugs are taken to these locations by people
who live in infested homes
• These are scattered infestations
• “Pick-up” locations
HOUSEKEEPING AND
CLEANLINESS• No discrimination
based on gender, age,
ethnicity, type of
housing,
socioeconomic status,
location or cleanliness
However,
• Clutter provides more
bed bug harborage,
making it difficult to
inspect, monitor and
treat effectively
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TREATMENTS
WHY THIS IS A DIFFICULT PEST TO
CONTROL?• Early infestations are not recognized because
bed bugs stay hidden
• Bed bugs are resistant to pyrethroid
insecticides
• Human reluctance or inability to control bed
bugs
• Tenants
• Landlords
• Pest Control Professionals
• Lack of good OTC products
BED BUG MONITORS
• Devices that are left in room
• Aid in early detection
• Evaluate the effectiveness of treatment
• Things to consider when choosing
monitor:
Cost of materials, scope of area to be
monitored, electricity, time, aesthetics,
vacant or occupied area, on-going or one
time use
PASSIVE MONITORS WAIT AND
TRAP• Simple devices
look like coasters
• Sleeping humans
act as lure
• Act as “moat” to
catch bed bugs
climbing vertical
surfaces
• Intercept the bed
bugs
ACTIVE MONITORS LURE AND
CATCH
Heat, CO2, human kairomone
NightWatch
CO2 generated by dry ice
DIY bed bug trap
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MATTRESS ENCASEMENTS
• Specially made and
tested
• Expense may make
them not feasible
• It is more important to
encase box spring than
mattress
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HEAT TREATMENTS
Lethal temperatures for bed bugs
• Adults: 118 degrees F.
• Eggs: 122 degrees F.
• Heat penetrates cracks and crevices and
inaccessible hiding places
TEMPERATURE: TURN UP THE
HEAT• Cold: 0°F for 4 days
• Heat: >120°F for 30 min
120 °F = 48.8 °C, Home dryers: ~120-155°F
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COMMERCIAL HEATING
EQUIPMENT
1. Heat2. Airflow3. Monitoring
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HOT STEAM
• Commercial steamers
Triangle-shaped nozzle
• Must be 160-180°F at
the surface (steam will
be over 200°F)
CHILL THAT KILLS
• Cryonite machine sprays dry,
pressurized CO2 “snow” at -110°F
• When it hits surface temperatures
may be -60°F
VACUUM THEM UP
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REGULAR SANITATION
• Some items can be treated and/or cleaned
• Encase mattress and box spring - do not throw
away!
• Infested objects to discard – bag and label
• Infested objects to keep – seal in bag
• Launder bedding and dirty clothes regularly
• Perform periodic inspections of bed – install
interceptors
• Vacuum carpet and use crevice tool on furniture
TREATING ON YOU OWN
1. Pre-Treatment Prep
2. Laundering
3. Vacuuming
4. Treatment
5. Encasement
TREATMENT COMPARISONChemical treatment
• Risk of pesticide exposure to
people and pets
• Intensive preparation prior to
treatment
• Harborage areas easily
missed
• Residual products
• Limiting factors: technician,
efficacy of products
• Insecticide resistance
• Eggs are not as susceptible
• Multiple visits and treatments
necessary
Heat treatment
• No chemical exposure
• May be more expensive
• Fast acting
• No residual control
• Limiting factors: technician,
equipment
• No resistance to heat
• All life stages are
susceptible
• Single treatment will
eliminate infestation
Neither treatment will not stop reinfestations
BED BUG PREVENTION
TIPS
• Inspect behind
headboard
• Remove from wall
• Remove bedding, look
for fecal spots
• Don’t put anything on
the floor
• Luggage/computer
cases, purses
• Cell phones
ACTIONS WHEN RETURNING
HOME…..• Place clothing in plastic bags and keep
outside until ready to do laundry
• Immediately place in washer or dry (30
minutes)
• Duffel bags can go through dryer
• Don’t bring luggage inside unless you
treat in some way (hot, cold, Nuvan)
• Some people store luggage in garage
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ENCOUNTERING BED BUGS WHILE
WORKING• Don’t sit on or lean on upholstered furniture or
the bed
• Don’t take unnecessary items inside
• Remove clothing asap
• Launder (or dry in dryer) immediately after
going home
AVOID USED FURNITURE, EVEN IF
IT LOOKS GOOD
Beware of getting furniture from Craig’s list and rent-to-own businesses
VISITORS IN YOUR HOME
• Recent travelers
• Apartment dwellers or
those who live in
group homes
• College kids
• School age kids
• Kids in childcare
THE BOTTOM LINE….
• Bed bugs are here to stay….
• They are hard to get rid of
• Eradication requires input from tenant or homeowner
• There is no effective DIY approach
• Professional treatments are effective, but not affordable to many
• Low toxic methods are effective but costly
• Prevention tactics are helpful
HELPFUL BED BUG RESOURCES
• Bed bug management
http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/bedbugs.shtml
• Let’s beat the bed bug! http://www.bedbugs.umn.edu
• Don’t let the bed bugs bite!
www.michigan.gov/bedbugs
• Bed bug central
https://www.youtube.com/user/BedBugCentralTV
• Bed bug products http://cfpub.epa.gov/oppref/bedbug
• Online retail distributors: Bedbugsupply.com, Usbedbugs.com, Bedbugsales.com,
Domyownpestcontrol.com
ROACHES
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ROACHES
•Disease
carriers –
Salmonella,
fungi, viruses
•Allergenic
•Prolific
PREFERRED FOODS OF
ROACHES•Starchy foods
•Meat products
•Milk products
•Beverages
•Cereals
•Pasties
•Animal food
•Book binding
•Box glue
•Dried blood
•Excrements
•Leather products
GERMAN ROACH AMERICAN ROACH
ORIENTAL ROACH MONITORING ROACHES
•Use sticky traps
•Place where wall and floor met
•Check after 24 hours
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INSECT CONTROL
•Check the reappliaction rate and the diagram
for where to place the baits.
Baits REPELLENTS
•Many foggers are insect repellents
•NO FOGGERS!!!
INSECTICIDES
•Liquid sprays –
directed to
locations where
insect hide and
where they move.
•Best applied by
a Pest Control
Operator
RODENTS
MIGHTY MOUSE
• An adult mouse can squeeze through an
opening as small as 3/8 inch
• Mice can run up to 6 miles per hour, jump
straight up 2.5 feet, jump across 3 feet, and
drop 8 feet and keep running
• They can vertically climb brick and stucco, and
walk the tight rope on 10-gauge wire, about one-
tenth inch in diameter
MIGHTY MOUSE
• Within a year, a single pair
of mice could add up to
10,000 mice in one year
• Mice urinate and defecate
on the go, as many as 80
droppings a day.
• Their preferred path is
along walls, whiskers
guiding the way.
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RODENTS
•Are active at night, do not travel far
•Makes nests for young out of soft, materials
•Prefer to quiet, out of the way places
RODENTS•Eat and ruin food, contaminate surfaces
•Damage property – gnawing, nest building
RODENTSDiseases transmitted:
•Plague
•Murine typhus
•Rickettsial pox
•Salmonellosis
•Rat-bite fever
•Weils disease
•Hantavirus
PIPES
•Cover area around
pipes
•Screen ventilation
pipes
•Cover floor drains
FLOORS AND WALLS
•Seal holes, cracks
in walls and floors
•Seal around
stationary
equipment
TRAP MICE WITH SAFETY AND
SANITATION IN MIND• Prebait
• Wear gloves when setting the trap
• Set traps along walls where mice travel. In a
snap trap, set the snapping mechanism toward
the wall. In corners, set two traps, one
perpendicular to each wall.
• Set all traps inaccessible to children and pets.
• If using glue traps, place any bait inside a small
container such as a bottle cap
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TRAP MICE WITH SAFETY AND
SANITATION IN MIND• Multi-catch mouse traps catch several mice at
one time without being reset
• Wearing gloves, check traps twice a day.
Bacteria in and around a dead mouse will
multiply. Gloves help prevent direct contact with
bacteria, lice and fleas.
• When disposing a dead mouse, wear latex
gloves, spray the corpse with a disinfectant,
double bag the corpse and dispose in the trash.
Wash and disinfect traps to prevent bacteria
from spreading. Wash gloved hands before
removing.
TRAPS
TRAPS BAITS
• Avoid using mouse poisons indoors
• Children and pets often are unintentional
victims
• Mice won’t go outside to die – they’re more apt
to crawl into a wall where they can decompose
for a month while shedding bacteria and
attracting maggots.
BAITS SANITATION IS A MUST
• Avoid sweeping and vacuuming areas where
mice have been or droppings are found
• Disease-causing organisms in their droppings
spread when airborne
• Work in well-ventilated areas, wear a respirator
or quality dust mask, and spray the area with a
disinfectant before cleanup
• The moisture in diluted bleach or disinfectant
product prevents disease-causing organisms
from becoming airborne and inhaled
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KNOW YOUR ENEMY, THEN PICK
YOUR CONTROL
PROPER IDENTIFICATION OF ANY
PEST IS KEY TO DECIDING ON THE
BEST COURSE OF ACTION.
Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln cooperating with the
Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–
Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.
QUESTIONS?Elizabeth Killinger
Nebraska Extension in Hall
County
308-385-5088