T HEY ’ RE B ACK ……B ED B UGS Everett Mason Rodney Merritts Tracy Walker Tom McAdoo The Pennsylvania State University Housing Services

IN THIS SESSION YOU WILL LEARN… A Brief History of the Bed Bug The Nature of the Bed Bug How to Identify a Bed Bug How to Treat Bed Bug Infestations How to Educate People about Bed Bugs

BED BUG HISTORY o Has always been an issue o Virtually eliminated in US o Rising numbers since 2001 o Skyrocketed in last 5 years o EPA held 1 st ever Bed Bug Summit

THEY’RE BACK… BUT WHY? o Increased international travel o Change in general pest control methods o Reduced available products for control o Lack of research and development

TRAVEL

WHO’S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED?

BON VOYAGE

ENJOY OUR FEATURED PRESENTATION

EVEN MY BEST FRIEND?

BED BUG BASICS o Feed only on blood o Feeding lasts 3 – 12 minutes o Nocturnal o Can detect and avoid chemicals o Cryptic o Crawl up to 20 feet to feed

JUST A LITTLE GUY

LIFE CYCLE I lay between 1 and 5 eggs every day! Starting as an egg, it takes me 30 days to become an adult! I’ll molt 5 times before I become an adult! I’ll live about 10 months and lay between 300 and 500 eggs! I may live up to a year without feeding

One Bed Bug

One Month 61 Bed Bugs

COMPOUNDING INTEREST o 2 Months – 3,721 o 3 Months – 226,981 o 4 Months – 13,845,841 o 5 Months – 844,596,301

A LL D ONE !

IDENTIFICATION o Not as small as you might think o 1.5 mm – 1 cm long, flat, oval, with no wings o Brown to Dark Red (Adult) o Tan (Newly Hatched)

TEMPERATURE EFFECTS o Below ~55˚ F Development stops o Above ~99˚ F Development stops o Thrive at temps between ~68˚ F - 80˚ F o Die at Temps > 111˚F or < 32 ˚F

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE BED BUGS? Check your linens Look for movement Look at the insect Color? Size? Does it have wings? Is it flat and oval? Inspect at night

Seams of mattress

Many bites !!!!

PENN STATE’S RESPONSE STRATEGY Isolate students and their belongings in the room Pest Control responds immediately to inspect and treat Clothing and bedding treated in dryer Mattresses are removed, to be replaced after treatment Students are relocated if possible

VACUUM THE CARPET Thoroughly vacuum the carpet areas Can occur before or after the heat treatment Dispose of the vacuum bag

STEAM TREATMENT Pull the carpet back from baseboards Steam along all edges at the junction of carpet and wall

RESIDUAL APPLICATION Apply residual insecticide along junction of wall and floor Apply dust behind all wall plates

OTHER TREATMENTS Heat Chamber Bed Bug Dogs

PANELS GOING TOGETHER

TOP GOING ON

HEAT CHAMBER

S O, WHAT ’ S THE PROBLEM ?

BE PREPARED WhoWhenHow WhereWhat Who will respond? When will the call come? How will you treat the room? Where will your resident stay? What are you going to say??

Y OU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN ’ T HIDE Be proactive Educate Be a partner

BED BUG WEB SITES Mike Potter University of Kentucky Australian Medical Entomology – University of Minnesota – Harvard School of Public Health – Mayo Clinic – List of Bedbugs Resources – National Pest Management Association-

QUESTIONS?